Fracking depletes the water supply and could be used to "extinction," according to former U.S. Bureau of Reclamation environmental compliance officer and environmental activist Phillip Doe's statements in the Coloradoan, a Fort Collins, Colo., newspaper.
Water taken from the hydrological cycle cannot be used again. Environmentalists are concerned the 1 to 5 million gallons of water mixed with sand and chemicals already used to unearth shale deposits might contaminate ground water. Many residents in the Front Range region in western states are concerned about a decrease in available clean drinking water, according to the paper.
Here are some facts and figures about fracking and water contamination:
* Be the Change, an activist organization, is a staunch fracking opponent that is working to impact shale drilling legislation and promote home rule mandates. Doe is among the group's leadership currently reviewing the impact of hydraulic fracturing nationwide. Be the Change says it hopes to increase grassroots involvement in the fight against environmental contamination.
* Doe stated during a speech to the League of Women Voters in Colorado that the amount of water used for natural gas drilling is the biggest challenge facing western regions of the United States, according to the Coloradoan.
* Be the Change says oil and gas exploration is destroying the Colorado River and causing an increase in demand for water west of the Continental Divide for farmers. Doe said rivers are over-appropriated now and when the west is out of clean water, agriculture will suffer, according to the Coloradoan.
* Above-ground transport of fracking brine water offers additional threats to the environment, according to the No Fracking activist group website. The mud left underground that cannot be pumped out in an economic fashion may cause pollution of wellheads.
* A push for drilling exploration of Niobrara shale caused a significant increase in fracking in the past several years, according to the Coloradoan. Niobrara shale is believed to exist in multiple states, but is not viable for extraction in many locations, according to Colorado Oil and Gas Association CEO Tisha Schuller's statements to the Coloradoan.
* In response to questions about the possibilities of earthquakes in the state similar to those related to fracking in Ohio and Arkansas, Schuller stated the risk is small. She told the Colordoan that even if the earthquakes were directly caused by a disposal well, as soon as the well is closed, the seismic activity ceases.
* Sourcewatch reports that as of 2012, a total of 493,000 natural gas wells exist in 31 states. Residents living near fracking wells have filed more than 1,000 complaints relating to illness, contaminated water, fish and livestock deaths.
* The Lapindo mud volcano in East Java erupts enough toxic mud to fill 50 Olympic size swimming pools and was caused by natural gas drilling, according to No Fracking. The volcanic activity began over four years ago and resulted in 13 deaths and the relocation of more than 50,000 residents.
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