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through 10 different pipelines. At most places where the In the USA, gas companies don't need to disclose the pipelines converge, they have huge compressor stations chemicals that they use in their operations because mining where large turbine engines compress the gas into the is exempt from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Safe Drinking pipeline. These compressor stations have release valves Water acts. which continually expel some of these gases into the Dr Theo Colborn, a former US EPA adviser, has identified atmosphere, sometimes causing huge clouds of gases to _ nearly 600 different chemicals in waste materials from the settle over parts of the town. Mayor Calvin Tillman became __ gas industry. "Every environmental law we wrote to protect so frustrated with the Texas Commission on Environmental — public health has been ignored,” she said.‘ She also Quality (TCEQ) that he commissioned an independent air | commented that it's scary that the gas companies have quality test. Very high levels of known and suspected convinced many of their workers that they are not using carcinogens and neurotoxins, including benzene at 55 times — problematic chemicals. However, the chemicals used are and carbon disulphide at 107 times the health standard, were = manufactured in factories from the raw materials of found. Many other toxins exceeded legal limits.** petroleum or coal and are toxic indeed. They are part of the In Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, there are 10,000 wells. When hugely profitable petrochemical industry. The heavy metals air quality specialist and Environmental Protection Agency _ used in fracking come from other mining operations. None (EPA) Region VI administrator Dr Al Armendariz asked how of these substances is biodegradable. Some of the many gas wells were being put in and how many were already chemicals picked up by the water underground are in the ground, the TCEQ replied that it had no idea. He radioactive. In Pennsylvania, unacceptable levels of radium conducted his own study of the air 226 have been found in the waste quality of the city, and discovered water? hat the emissions from the shale Gasland shows many examples of gas industry were lager than the Tests showed that some water ‘contamination and even rigs emissions of all the cars, buses, exploding and severely poisoning rucks and traffic in the city of people had benzene and surrounding areas. Many people Pxccotding. to chemist and | Pluene in their blood~ Fee natch At Duce microbiologist Wilma Subra, the chemicals that are Creek, Colorado, in 2008, 115 whole area along the coast from wn : million cubic feet of gas blew out of Texas and Louisiana to kno carcinogens. the ground along the creek, killing numerous animals and poisoning been contaminated with decades the water.’ In May 2011, a blowout of gas-drilling waste. The list of occurred in Dalby, Queensland, oxic chemicals includes benzene, toluene, xylene, Australia: an Arrow Energy gas well was "spewing methane ethylbenzene and formaldehyde, along with semi-volatiles | and water up to 90 metres high for more than a day", the hat are very long lasting. To add to this, the heavy metals _ fourth incident in recent years on that property.’ barium, arsenic, cadmium, chromium and lead are present. As for the quantity of water used in fracking, we're talking During hurricanes Rita and Katrina, the waste material that. about thousands of millions of gallons. With water ad been dumped out to sea or was in low-lying storage shortages increasingly problematic worldwide, this kind o anks was spread all over the land in the storm surges.* massive use needs to be kept in check. In some parts o Josh Fox's award-winning 2010 documentary Gasland‘ Australia, the water for fracking comes from a huge reveals that Garfield County, Colorado, "was subject of the — underground reservoir called the Great Artesian Basin.‘ irst preliminary study of the health effects of gas drilling". A Farmers have to apply for permits to use a small quantity on eam of seven medical researchers from the University of heir land, but mining companies are allowed to come in and Colorado examined pollutants in the air and the water and ake as much as they like. If full-scale production gets ‘ound acute problems from toxic emissions from gas drilling. | underway in Australia, more water problems seem certain. Mississippi and Alabama has Fox interviewed many people from Garfield County with What is also not considered is the extra energy consumed serious health problems arising from exposure to fracking in supplying the water, toxic chemicals, sand, etc. needed to chemical pollutants. produce the gas. The thousands of truckloads needed means Some had swellings that caused excruciating pain all over uge fuel consumption and excessive wear and tear on heir body, and some had lost their sense of taste and smell; —_ roads, with repairs requiring even more energy use. You can’ others were highly fatigued and could not work or think say that this makes any "green" sense. clearly any more. There was evidence of lesions on the brain as well as brain tumours. Tests showed that some people New Estimates for Methane Emissions ad benzene and toluene in their blood—chemicals that are According to an April 2011 article in the Guardian, nown carcinogens. Many others could not talk to Fox corporations are spending millions of dollars on “lobbying because they had signed non-disclosure agreements with efforts to rebrand gas as ‘green’. "Oil companies see gas as he gas company. a means of recasting themselves as environmentally friendly, people had benzene and toluene in their blood— New Estimates for Methane Emissions According to an April 2011 article in the Guardian, corporations are spending millions of dollars on "lobbying efforts to rebrand gas as ‘green. "Oil companies see gas as a means of recasting themselves as environmentally friendly, 12 * NEXUS Tests showed that some chemicals that are known carcinogens. AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2011 www.nexusmagazine.com