Hydraulic Fracturing Stakeholders Meeting Presentation: Gas Drillers

Hydraulic Fracturing Stakeholders Meeting Presentation: Gas DrillersBy: Alana Hughes, Cadelia Evans, Haley Osborn and Timothy Tovar

Good For JobsHydraulic fracturing is good for the economy because it provides thousands of people like us with jobs. It also provides drillers with a steady income that starts from $12 to $17 an hour. Fracking has supported around 12,600 full time jobs since 2008, paid $512 million in salaries and benefits to workers and has generated almost $2.9 billion in total economic output.

Working ConditionsWe work all year round no matter what the conditions are like. There are many loud noises so it is difficult to communicate making conditions sometimes dangerousWe work around potentially toxic chemicals such as kerosene that is likely to contain benzene, a known human carcinogen that is toxic in water levels larger than .005 ppm and have to constantly cover our whole bodies and wear special shoes.

Safety Hazards of FrackingRadioactive wastewaterRadon: With radon exposure, the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., the radon present in the shale will readily mix with the gas and travel with it through pipelines into the homes.Smog: Exhaust from trucks and industrial equipment increases smog in both rural locations and travels downstate to decrease air quality in regional urban environments. Workers are exposed to all sorts of Chemical contamination of drinking water: When fracking, fluids seep from them to connect with underground fissures, previously abandoned wells, and natural faults and fractures, the contaminants and methane can migrate over long distances into underground water ways and fresh drinking waterWhat makes fracking jobs so often deadly? Energy industry workers perform physically demanding labor using heavyand sometimes dangerousequipment. Is this why fracking is a fatal job all too frequently? A study the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) suggests otherwise. The researchers found that the most common fatality for energy workers was traffic accidents, followed by being struck by an object. Other causes of death varied according to the role played by the workercontractor, well servicing company employee, or operator. The study also found that workers employed by small companies have five times the fatality rate as workers from large companies.

The Final Fracking OptionFracking isnt harmless, but we could not function in the United States without it. It provides thousands of jobs, the businesses prosper, and the consumer gets its needs. The United States wouldnt have its necessary oil supply without us working. We would like better working conditions though, its hard, and the chemicals can be dangerous at times. We know we are doing the community a service, but any help will be greatly appreciated

Works CitedVaughan, Vicki. "Eagle Ford Is Helping Fuel Area's Economy." San Antonio Express-News. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. ."EARTHWORKS." EARTHWORKS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. .