Hydraulic Fracturing, also known as Fracking as it will be referred to in this essay, has been very controversial since its introduction in 2012. It involves the pumping of extremely high pressured water into the earth to fracture shale that could not be drilled through with conventional drilling processes. It has recently been claimed that the fracking process is related to the recent rise in seismic shift. Fracking has always had groups arguing both for the process because of its economic gain, and against it because of its negative environmental impact. Natural gas companies should not be able to use fracking near residential areas because the process has been directly linked to earthquakes and homeowners are not being compensated for damages caused to their homes by these earthquakes.

Fracking should not be allowed near residential areas because it has been directly linked to damaging earthquakes. The water that comes back up fracking drill holes is injected into deep underground wells for “safe disposal”. However, this irresponsible disposal is beginning to cause more problems than originally estimated. Members of the KUT News research team have discovered that several university studies have come to the conclusion that “the disposal of drilling wastewater used in fracking has now been scientifically linked to earthquakes”(Connelly). “the culprit of the earthquakes near fracking sites is not believed to be the act of drilling and fracturing the shale, but rather the disposal wells”(Connelly). The water that is placed into the waste wells reduces static friction between tectonic plates and the earth’s crust, causing them to slide around more easily and periodically collide, causing earthquakes.

Fracking should not be allowed near residential areas because homeowner are not being compensated for damages to their homes caused by fracking-related earthquakes. Some of the trouble caused by fracking can be seen in the Reneau family’s story.  Soon after a fracking site was established near their home, “a 5.7 earthquake caused extreme damage to their two-story ranch-style home”(Fracking-Related Earthquakes). These poor people had their home destroyed because of a fracking-related earthquake and must rely on their small home insurance claims to pay for every bit of the damage caused to their home. Don’t let people like this struggle because of a variable that they can not control. It is simply not fair for homeowners like the Reneaus to have to pay for damages caused by these fracking-related earthquakes with their own money. They are not at fault, the natural gas companies are.

While it is easy to see how some people may not put the blame for damage caused by fracking-related earthquakes on the natural gas companies because they are legally allowed to use hydraulic fracturing in areas near homes, but these critics are failing to see that the drastic damages caused to people’s homes and businesses is 100% the natural gas company's fault and that homeowners are not able to control where these companies can use fracking.

In conclusion, natural gas companies should not be able to use the process of fracking near residential areas because it has been directly linked to damaging earthquakes and homeowners are not receiving compensation for damages caused by these earthquakes. I challenge readers to try and put themselves in the shoes of the Reneau family and work together to stop natural gas companies from fracking near residential areas and don’t let them continue to not take responsibility for their actions!

Work Cited
1.Connelly, Kelly, David Barer, and Yana Skorobogatov. "How Oil and Gas Disposal Wells Can Cause Earthquakes." Texas RSS. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.

2."Fracking-Related Earthquakes."EARTHWORKS. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. .