by Helium01

Created on: July 24, 2009

There is a big push for more natural gas drilling across the country. Natural gas is seen by many as a clean fuel and it is cleaner then its counterpart, petroleum, when it is burned. But the removal of natural gas from the earth can have harsh implications for the immediate surrounding environment and the people and animals that inhabit it.

Many property owners, when approached by natural gas companies, are initially happy at the prospect of drilling on their land. The gas is forced out of the earth through water and pressure which sounds like it should be minimally invasive. However, companies have to add chemicals to that water in order to compress the gas out of the rocks.

That chemical-laced water then seeps into the surrounding earth which can effectively poison ground water. A great deal of the water does not dissolve into the ground and instead needs to be pooled into man-made lakes. At that point the water needs to be treated because it is potentially toxic. The surrounding terrain is then marred by large pools of hazardous waters.

The gas companies to date will not release the amounts of chemicals in their water mixture because they say that it is business information and it would not be fair for lawmakers to force them to disclose company secrets. Property owners and city and county officials have noticed that there is an increase in pollution of ground water in areas where drilling is taking place.

The other concern with natural gas drilling is that it is a large scale operation. It requires large equipment at the site of drilling and many trucks and utility vehicles to transport the gas and the equipment from the site. It can also be very dangerous to the surrounding property if there is a gas leak as fires can spread.

Despite these issues, drilling is gaining more and more in popularity as individuals, cities, counties and states in natural gas-rich areas see it as necessary income in economic hard times. Some state governments are even giving up state land to allow for profit companies to drill. There are large natural gas reserves in Texas, Colorado, Pennsylvania and New York.

The real effects of natural gas drilling are yet to be seen as companies have so far drilled only a small portion of the sites that have been identified. Hopefully, a safer way to drill will be found, and operations of the future will have a minimal impact on the environment.

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