Anotated BibliographyEssay Preview: Anotated BibliographyReport this essayAnnotated BibliographyConsidine, N., Considine, T., & Watson, R. Energy policy & the environment report: The economic opportunities of shale energy development. Retrieved January 7, 2012, from www.manhattan-institute.org/html/eper_09.htm.
This source analyzes both the economic and environmental effects of hydraulic fracturing. This study found that each shale gas well used for fracking generates about four million dollars in economic benefits. Studies show that the environmental costs would be small due to improper drilling, not the actual fracking process itself. The others of this work are Nicholas Considine, Timothy Considine, and Robert Watson. Nicholas Considine is an analyst at Natural Resource Economics, Inc. Timothy Considine is the director of the Center for Energy Economics and Public Policy at the University of Wyoming, as well as the Energy Resources professor of Energy Economics. Robert Watson is the chairman of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protections Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board.
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“Hydraulic fracturing was originally designed as a shale gas gas production system in the 1990s. It has never been shown to actually do much use other than a handful of shale gas well sites.”
This is a summary report from the Bureau of Geophysics, which developed a study of water quality in Colorado that found it is only partially protective of drinking water. “It was shown in three studies that the water quality on Colorado is substantially worse than some of the most dangerous fracking wells in the nation.”
Dr. Andrew Koppel, a University of Colorado geophysicist, is an associate professor at the Center for Energy Economics and Public Policy at the University of Wyoming, and is a contributing author to the paper.
I am an adjunct staff scientist at the Center for Energy Economies and Public Policy at the University of Wyoming. Andrew Koppel, the paper’s lead author and a professor of geophysics, holds an in-house research fellowship from the Center for Energy Economies and Public Policy at the University of Wyoming and an international award from the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP).
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“What fracking causes can be traced back to natural gas wells, even though it wasn’t intended to be so. This investigation found, for example, that the main ingredients of hydraulic fracturing are both natural gas and water.”
This overview report concludes: “The findings suggest that for the foreseeable future, unconventional gas and well development will be a growing and important element of public health as a public health goal. This report emphasizes the importance of conducting quality and health-enhancing activities to ensure safety and economic health and safety; it also emphasizes the need for continued research and public input to improve the quality of fracking operations.”
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“Focusing on the water quality in one drilling well can reduce the amount of gas that can spill over or become a spillway for nearby drinking water supplies. While water quality monitoring may reduce contamination in drilling wastewater, it can also lead to additional problems in the future.”
The report recommends that state, county, and municipal energy systems report the results of all state, county, and municipal water quality compliance activities and report the results annually. In addition, it recommends that new wells be developed in the future, and new wells must be made from a pool and not be plugged with natural gas.
Please note that the EPA’s report does not recommend that new wells in the future be drilled. Rather, the EPA will encourage states and local governments to develop wastewater treatment plants and fill them with additional wastewater. When fracking is used in unconventional water systems, EPA should monitor the wastewater treatment plant activities for potential problems. In most other ways, this report supports the findings by highlighting the importance of monitoring treatment plants from the perspective of public health, rather than just as a potential problem. The report further notes that wastewater treatment plants need time to develop, which could delay or eliminate additional wastewater treatment. The reporting must demonstrate the treatment facility utilization rate of other, less commonly used water treatment plants, as well
Green, M. (June 8, 2011). Study: Fracking ban a “needless burden” on New York economy. Retrieved January 9, 2012, from energytommorrow.org/blog/study-fracking-ban-a-needless-burden-on-ny-economy#/type/all.
This source reveals that the ban on fracking is standing in the way from billions of dollars of economic output, thousands of new jobs, and a billion dollars in state tax revenues. The study quantified the impacts fracking had on air, water, and land. This author has published multiple articles on Energy Tomorrow regarding energy dependency, economic investments, and the manufacturing of natural gases.
Griffith, B. (October 27, 2011). Fracking for shale gas: Energy security & sustainable water resources. Retrieved January 6, 2012, from www.griffithlaw.net/document.pdf.
This source explains the impact that hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has on energy independence, development, and security, as well as the sustainability and quality of water resources. It details the specific chemicals used in the process of fracking, and what that may mean for many different sources of water, including surface water and ground water. It reveals how fracking causes gas deposits below the surface, and what impact those gas deposits have on the environment. Finally, this source reveals suggestions in monitoring the disposal of the chemicals used in fracking. The author is the Chair on the International Municipal Lawyers Association, and is well informed on the process of fracking.
Holzman, D. (July 1, 2011). Methane found in well water near fracking sites. Environmental Health Perspectives, 119(7). Retrieved January 6, 2012, from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222989/?tool=pubmed. (Document ID: PMC3222989).
This source focuses on the methane gas contamination of