Hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) is the dangerous method used to extract natural gas from shale rock. Each new well requires millions of gallons of fracking fluid, made up of water, sand and toxic chemicals, injected underground at high pressure to break up the rock and release the gas. The practice risks the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat.
Fracking is a serious threat to our state because it attacks our essentials:
Water: Fracking uses millions of gallons of fresh water; NC already has droughts during summer months.
Health: Fracking fluid contains hundreds of toxic chemicals that pollute our water and air. To date, there are well over 1,000 documented cases of water contamination across the country, and that contaminated water can make people, and animals, sick.
Economy: Most fracking jobs go to people who live out of state; meanwhile, we lose tourisim, agricultural and other jobs from companies that decide to relocate to other areas because of fracking.
Community: The oil and gas industry seeks short-tem gain selling NC's gas, while we are left with a legacy of pollution and decreased property values.
