America's Water Future and Deep Energy
2012
Lindstrom, Bernie R
Recent technological advances and an increasing demand for energy have led to an international surge of deep shale gas and oil hydraulic fracturing operations. Since 2006 natural gas and oil industries expanded the use of hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas and oil from deep shale deposits. Increased drilling operations throughout the United States led to a frenzy of discussions, debates, and protests concerning potential impacts to the environment, and human health. Environmental experts and several reports to Congress state that oil and gas shale development will adversely impact water resources. Chemical and material byproducts introduced to water in the process could enter public drinking water. Nation and state governments, city mayors, and river compacts imposed major restrictions, banning drilling operations, increasing inspections, and began the process to revise regulations. This paper analyzes the sustainability of clean water, and the importance of energy. It identifies open strategic issues concerning public health that require immediate attention and provides recommendations for a strategy leading to increased water security to protect clean water for the public in an era of deep energy extraction.
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