Evidence of Fracking Dangers Continues to Mount

Despite the denials from fracking companies, the evidence of the dangers of fracking continues to mount.  The latest evidence comes in the form of a study from the journal Seismological Research Letters which links approximately 400 “micro-earthquakes” in Harrison County, Ohio, to fracking.  Some of these quakes registered as high as between 1.7 and 2.2 on the Richter magnitude scale.  Fortunately for Ohioans, the quakes reviewed in this study occurred too deep in the ground to cause severe surface level damage or injury.  But with the ever-increasing fracking activity in Ohio, it is only a matter of time before this dangerous practice leads to disaster.

What is fracking?

As we have discussed before on this blog, the term “fracking” is short for hydraulic fracturing, a process by which energy companies extract or pull natural gas from deep beneath the earth’s surface. During fracking, water and a mixture of up to 600 chemicals, including known toxins, are forced under great pressure deep into layers of underground rock, fracturing the rock and releasing the natural gas trapped inside.  The contaminated water is then pumped back to the surface and trucked away to disposal sites, while the natural gas is collected and eventually sold.

What can I do if I have been injured as the result of fracking activity?

While fracking is being increasingly linked to earthquakes, that is not the only hazard fracking activity creates.  In the past, fracking has led to a variety of injuries, including injures caused by the release of contaminated water, on-the-job injuries to employees, and personal injuries and property damages caused by poorly constructed and maintained fracking sites.  If you have been injured and you believe your injuries were caused by fracking, contact a fracking attorney immediately to investigate your claim.

The Cleveland, Ohio law firm of Lowe Scott Fisher Co., LPA represents injured victims across the state and nationwide.  Call us today to discuss your case.