Fracking: 617888九五至尊娱乐, Policy, and 人

什么是水力压裂法?

水力压裂是一种用于从地下页岩地层中提取石油或天然气的技术. 水的混合物, sand and chemicals is injected at high pressure into the rock, 使其断裂(裂纹). This allows oil and gas contained in the rock to be recovered, often from sources that were previously inaccessible or uneconomical to explore. 而行业通常使用“水力压裂”一词来指代特定的压裂步骤, 这个词也经常被用来指代非常规油气开发的整个过程, 包括钻井, 注射, 生产, 废物处理.

水力压裂并不是一项新技术, 但是最近的技术进步, 如水平钻井, have spurred a rapid expansion of fracking in the United States. 美国.S. Department of 能源 projects that by 2040, nearly half of U.S. 美国48个州的天然气生产和一半以上的石油生产将来自采用水力压裂法的地方.

权衡水力压裂法的利弊

Both the risks and the benefits of fracking are controversial, 社区需要617888九五至尊娱乐的帮助来筛选相互矛盾的叙述，并关注证据.

往好的方面想, fracking proponents point to benefits such as lower energy prices, reduced global warming emissions compared to coal, 更强大的经济. Critics point out that natural gas, 虽然优于煤炭, 难道水力压裂法不是应对617888九五至尊娱乐变化的灵丹妙药吗, 经历了一个繁荣和萧条的周期，破坏了东道国的特色，使其资源紧张.

反对者指出了公众健康问题和水污染等环境危害, 空气污染, and increased earthquake risk near fracking sites; fracking advocates counter that all energy technologies have some environmental impact, and that there is not enough evidence to justify fracking restrictions.

2013年7月，通过刘易斯. Branscomb论坛, 617888九五至尊娱乐, 517888九五至尊娱乐, and Community Decisions on Fracking, 我们召集了顶尖617888九五至尊娱乐家, 政策制定者, 记者, and community advocates to consider what is known (and unknown) about fracking, and the implications for public discussion, 政策和治理.

水力压裂的事实: an information gap

我们对水力压裂法的理解并不总是与这项技术的快速发展保持同步，而行业在弥合这一差距方面也做得很少. 我们2013年的报告， Toward an Evidence-based Fracking Debate，调查了我们对水力压裂影响的了解，并指出了获得更完整信息的障碍.

The exact composition of fracking chemicals, for instance, may be a mystery. 在许多地方，法律并不要求公司披露其压裂液中的成分，而且公司经常可以通过声称特定的化学物质是受保护的商业秘密来逃避要求.

Information on environmental impacts of fracking operations is often inadequate. 公司可能会阻止研究人员在水力压裂地点监测空气或水质，甚至在这些数据可用的地方, 缺乏基线研究(在钻探开始前测量条件)可能会使人们难以准确确定水力压裂的影响.

针对压裂作业造成损害的公司提起的诉讼可能会进一步阻碍信息的流动, 因为案件和解通常包括保密协议，防止案件中使用的617888九五至尊娱乐数据被公开.

水力压裂技术政策: a regulatory patchwork

政府采取了哪些措施来确保水力压裂不会损害人类健康或环境? The answer depends on where you live.

而一些联邦环境法律可能被用来规范水力压裂, 这些法律通常存在漏洞，使石油和天然气行业不受其规定的约束. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts, 安全饮用水法, 以及《617888九五至尊娱乐》都是包含此类豁免的联邦保障措施.

结果是, regulation is mostly left up to the states, and state laws regulating fracking vary widely. 在一些州, 例如, disclosure of fracking chemicals is entirely voluntary; in others it is required, 但前提是要打好井, and the requirement usually includes a trade secret exemption. 截至2013年, 只有8个州通过了要求在水力压裂场地进行基线水质测试的法律, and just two required ongoing water quality monitoring.

These policy gaps can be mutually reinforcing. 在怀俄明, 例如, because there is no law requiring baseline water testing, 居住在水力压裂地点附近的居民必须自己进行测试，但要遵守有限的化学物质披露法, it is difficult to know exactly which chemicals to test for.

我们2015年的报告， Managing the Risks of Unconventional 石油 and Gas Development, reviews the range of tools that local officials can use, depending on state laws and other factors, to manage the impact of fracking operations in their communities.

水力压裂的决定: what communities and scientists can do

If you live in a community facing decisions about fracking, there are many ways you can make a difference, 加强讨论, 推进以617888九五至尊娱乐为基础的政策. 我们的工具箱, 617888九五至尊娱乐, 517888九五至尊娱乐, 《617888九五至尊娱乐》, offers a wealth of ideas for effective ways to get involved. Some key suggestions from the toolkit:

• 问关键问题 about the effect of fracking operations on public health, 环境, 当地经济, 和生活质量.
• Look for reliable information sources to help you answer these questions.
• 识别关键利益相关者 in your community who are likely to influence policy.
• Learn about the local, state and federal regulations that are relevant to fracking decisions.
• If you are a scientist or technical expert, 让你的专业知识可用 to community groups, the media, and 政策制定者.