Home
UUSC

Home » What We Do » Focus Areas » Environmental Justice » Stories

What's the Fracking Problem?

What exactly is hydraulic fracturing? And what can we do about it?

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly called "fracking," is a process that seeks to extract natural gas deposits trapped deep in shale rock formations. Fracking achieves this by injecting water, chemicals, and sediment particles into the rock layers, breaking them apart and allowing natural gas to rise for collection.  

While this process may release natural gas for energy companies, it damages fresh groundwater aquifers, polluting the local drinking water and negatively affecting the surrounding environment. In addition, the energy companies offer little to no information about what chemicals are used in the mixture, risking toxic spills, widespread pollution, and more. 

The lack of transparency in the materials used and the impact of the process (ambiguous at best, incredibly harmful at worst) has started a movement of shareholders, the real owners of the companies. They are demanding to know what the true hazards of the process are and how to bring them to an end.

Investors, including UUSC, are pushing corporations to examine the long-term effects of toxic chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing and related operations on communities, the environment, and the company's reputation. This proxy season, we have co-filed two resolutions — one with ExxonMobil, partnering with As You Sow, and one with Chevron Corp, partnering with Sisters of St. Francis. Both of our partner organizations in these efforts are members of the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility. 

Register on Moxy Vote today so that you can vote on this and other important issues this upcoming proxy season! 

Learn more about fracking:

»

Comments

Fracking

Submitted by Lois Whealey (not verified) on Tue, 03/22/2011 - 9:57am.
Hi Kara, Thanks for your posting. In Ohio,landowners are being contacted to permit drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus and Utica shales, which are more than a mile deep here. Our Rural Action (I was a VISTA with them 1996-98) Energy Committee co-sponsored with Sierra Club and others an informational meeting which covered fracking. The speakers were the State of Ohio Department of Natural Resources injection well specialists. Lots of interesting slides of geology. Wastewater from fracking in NY, NJ and WV is coming to about 30 of Ohio's 170 injection wells. Specialist claims most pollution occurs if the wells are not properly bored and cemented; said none of these Ohio wells have yet proven to have caused contamination to ground water. Thanks for info on the shareholder effort UUSC is supporting. Lois Whealey, Local Rep in Athens, OH PS I have seen "Gaslands"--very interesting 2 year videotaping by Josh Fox from PA. I thought his scariest pics (tap water that will catch on fire from fracking contamination)was mostly from 10 year old wells in Wyoming and elsewhere in the West. Sierra Club and an environment week of films here have broadcast "Gaslands" locally about 5 times in Jan and Feb.
»