Fracking, “the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc. so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas.”

Fracking has its positives and negatives. Sadly, the negatives outweigh the positives; however, there is a way to lessen the negatives to a point where they are minimal.

As the definition states, fracking is when chemicals are put into the ground to extract oil and gas. Fracking is efficient because it allows us to use oil that is from difficult to reach places.

Although fracking is useful, and could be used safely, it is unsafe because companies are not taking the proper precautions.

Once the chemicals are pumped into the ground and the oil is extracted, companies should dig a hole, place a liner, and then place the excess chemicals in this make-shift container called the flowback.

Scientists have found proof that fracking without a proper flowback can cause a variety of medical issues. Unfortunately, most companies still aren’t taking proper precaution. I know that adding a liner costs extra time and money, but it is absolutely necessary to keep people safe.

Even worse than not taking the proper precautions, the companies don’t even have to tell you which chemicals they are pumping into the ground. These chemicals, as a result, could be poisoning your water!

If a company comes around and pumps some arsenic into the ground, leaks into your drinking water, and you get lung cancer, you wouldn’t even know that it was your water that poisoned you.

As the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) states, “Companies are not required by any federal law to identify the chemicals they are injecting into the ground as part of fracking, and state disclosure requirements vary widely.”

At least if a law was passed that the company had to tell you what they were doing, you could try and avoid the poison water or at least take some precautions.

Actually, there is a law trying to be passed that forbids fracking on public land. It is called the Fracking Ban Act, and if it is passed, it would solve most of the issues that have been stated previously.

Fracking does not have to be stopped. It is a beneficial way to get oil and gas, which is needed in day to day society. I am not, by any means, saying that fracking should be stopped completely.

However, if fracking is to be continued it needs to be safe. The solutions are so simple. Following through with safety precautions and not putting chemicals near public places are easy ways to prevent illness and death. So why not just do it.