Chesapeake Energy Corporation has suspended the use of “fracking” for natural gas across Pennsylvania after thousands of gallons of toxic fluid began spilling from one of their wells.
Fracking is a drilling technique in which fluid is injected into oil or methane gas deposit at high pressure to fracture rock from above to release liquid or gas from below. This process uses enormous amounts of water which is mixed with toxic chemicals to facilitate the drilling process. The mixture of chemicals used in this technique pose serious environmental and health risks.
Chesapeake Energy has stated that the spill originated in the wellhead, however the cause for the breach is still unknown. The toxic fluid from the spill has quickly spread across farmland and into streams, raising worry about public health, local water supplies, and environmental damage.
This incident is sure to raise support for a natural gas production severance tax that would provide funding for damage caused by drilling. The absence of such a tax in Gov. Corbett’s budget and tax proposal has fostered a great deal of criticism from the public as well as the Pennsylvania legislature. In fact, Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery) plans to introduce a natural gas production severance tax over the next few weeks.
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