Fracking threatens public health

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Pat Robertson recently said, “There’s a desire on the part of some, and I think it’s satanic, to destroy America.” Robertson was explaining why so many people dislike Trump.

It may be Satan, but there are many other reasons. Repealing environmental protections for clean air and clean water, attacking scientists to promote ignorance, and approving massive drilling for oil & gas, makes Trump the Fracker-in-Chief. Harold Hamm owns Oklahoma in the same way Kochs own Arkansas. Hamm was cast for Secretary of Energy but Scott Pruitt was an easy choice. What’s up with Oklahoma?

Mind control

Big oil has been running stealth ads in Super Bowl 2017, Fareed Zakaria GPS, and other strategic TV slots. Kochs’ Fueling U.S. Forward opposes electric vehicles. The American Petroleum Institute’s Powering Past Impossible: Oil pumps life, claims petroleum is indispensable. One of the Diamond Pipeline Legal Challenge “donors” called me last week and said, “I need oil, hope your efforts fail!” I didn’t know what to say, but he enjoyed telling me off.

Fracking threats

Hydraulic fracturing is not a drilling process. Fracking shale is done after the hole is completed. Hydraulic fracturing is the use of fluid and material to create or restore small fractures in a shale formation, to increase production from new and existing oil and gas wells.

To extract oil and gas from large areas, L-shaped tunnels, more than one-mile deep and one-mile long, are dug using directional drilling. Once the vertical hole reaches the desired depth, the remote-controlled drill head on the drilling pad digs horizontal tunnels.

Fracking is a process used to poison millions of gallons of fresh water. The fluid used to frack shale is a toxic soup of fresh water, sand, and chemicals. The formula is a trade secret, to bypass EPA Clean Water Act regulations.

Oklahoma

Harold Hamm donates millions of tax-free dollars to the University of Oklahoma to control the faculty and students’ minds. Horsemen of the Apocalypse, “The men who are destroying life on Earth and what it means for our children,” tells the story of Hamm’s Frack-turing Oklahoma. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Waterkeeper Alliance, wrote a powerful introduction starting with Isaiah 24:4-6, “The Earth mourns and withers, the world pines and fades, the land lies polluted …”

Oklahoma is on my mind. From 2005 to 2016, Oklahoma frackers used more than 14 billion gallons of fresh water. Where did the water come from and how was it disposed of? Injection wells are used to store wastewater, creating earthquakes and contaminating drinking water. Norman, Oklahoma, has the largest concentration of Chromium 6, a known carcinogen. Locals don’t drink the tap water. Oklahoma University’s Dr. Sabatini, says the tap water is safe. “At one point, we felt those levels [of arsenic and chromium] were safe, and over time, those are routinely re-evaluated. The arsenic standard was lowered and the city took those wells offline. Chromium is kind of in that same category. If the EPA determines a lower standard, the city will respond.” What? Sabatini felt the tap water was safe? Chromium 6 is like arsenic? Trump’s EPA will decide who dies?

Selling wastewater

Frackers call wastewater produced water, sold as brine to clean and de-ice roads. Frackers do not produce crude oil – they extract fossil fuels from the ground, along with toxic minerals and chemicals, sold at low prices. Truckers are part of the game, they get paid to haul fresh water to wells and deliver produced water.

Praying for water

The first fracking experiment was done in 1947, but crude oil deposits were available and fracking seemed a dumb idea. As conventional oil and gas wells dried up, fracking grew out of desperation. In 2001, the current technique was found in the Texas Barnett shale. Like Satan’s deals, snake oil is a false promise of plenty, which threatens our future. Let’s pray. Lord deliver us from ignorant, vindictive frackers, and protect the water you gave the world, Amen.

A simple solution

Stop fracking, import what we need. We are all at high risk. Lack of drinking water and high temperatures cause dehydration and death.

Dr. Luis Contreras

3 COMMENTS

  1. Extreme heat is deadly, prevent dehydration by drinking water.

    Doctors recommend four gulps of water every 15 minutes, per hour of outdoor activity.

    Most people are aware of the importance of drinking plenty of water, particularly during extreme heat. They also know to avoid caffeinated products and sugary drinks, What they do not know, is how much water they should consume.

    The Four Gulps Rule for Water states that 16 ounces should be consumed for each hour of outdoor activity. That number breaks down to four gulps of water every 15 minutes – hence, the Four Gulp Rule.

    Keep water handy. Whether you’re at your office desk, whether you’re in your car.

    http://fox2now.com/2017/07/20/doctors-encourage-four-gulp-rule-for-drinking-water-in-extreme-heat/

  2. Oil & Gas trump Public Health

    There is a little-known provision that allows certain oil, gas and mining activity to occur in groundwater that would otherwise be protected as a drinking water source.

    EPA developed the aquifer exemption program in the 1980’s when oil and gas interests argued that certain oil and gas development would not be possible if every US Drinking Water were protected.

    Details in the 2017 Clean Water Action report on Oklahoma’s Drinking Water:
    http://www.cleanwateraction.org/sites/default/files/docs/publications/Oklahoma%20UIC%20-%20Clean%20Water%20Action%20-%20spring%202017.pdf

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