Practice AP Environmental Science questions on fracking, methane in well water, groundwater contamination, water safety, and emissions.
Read the following article from the Fremont Gazette and answer the questions that follow.
Natural Gas from Rock
The Marcellus Shale is a large domestic natural gas reserve that could meet the United States energy needs for 25 years. The 350-million-year-old geologic formation stretches from New York to West Virginia on land that is largely undeveloped. It was once thought that it was too difficult to extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale, but new drilling technology allows energy companies to tap this vast reserve. The natural gas is removed by a process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. During this process, the shale is drilled and millions of gallons of water, sand, and chemicals are pumped into the shale at high pressure, shattering the shale and releasing the natural gas trapped within. While some of this water remains below ground, contaminated water is also stored in ponds, trucked to wastewater treatment plants, or disposed of by spraying it on nearby land.
Identify and describe TWO water-related environmental problems associated with fracking.
(4 points: 1 point for each identification and 1 point for each description)
Students may earn a point for either identifying a problem or describing a problem. However, if an issue is identified, it must be linked correctly to its description in order to earn 2 points.
Identification of the problem
(2 points maximum)
Description
(2 points maximum)
Groundwater contamination
- Fracking liquids or chemicals can
contaminate drinking water or groundwater.
- Liquid waste stored in waste lagoons can
leach into groundwater (aquifer).
- Drilling can allow methane (or natural gas) to seep into groundwater.
- Leaks from the well casings can
contaminate the water with either fracking
liquids or flowback liquids.
- Radioactive isotopes used as tracers in fracking fluids can contaminate
Surface water contamination
- Brine (or wastewater) sprayed on roadways
can run off and contaminate rivers,
streams, and lakes.
- Spills of brine (or wastewater) can
contaminate rivers, streams, and lakes.
- Wastewater disposed of in streams and rivers may contain salts, heavy metals, benzene, and/or other components of fracking liquid.
Excessive water use or consumption
- Considerable amounts of water are used in the fracking process. This can result in overdrafts of aquifers.
- Water demands for the fracking process
compete with water demands for drinking
or irrigation (agriculture).