Diagnosed with Brain Cancer Yet? Thank the Frackers!

A hidden epidemic with little mainstream attention has been ongoing the past few years. Stretching from Oklahoma to the highlands of Appalachia, tens of thousands of people are being diagnosed with all kinds of cancers: brain tumors, leukemias, breast and prostate cancers, as well as liver cancers. As if these folks didn't have enough to worry about, what with Repukes trying to detroy Medicare and Medicaid, they now must face the prospect of steep extra health and medical treatment costs for cancers they never bargained for. Though the industry will deny it, as the toboacco industry used to deny that lung cancer was a result of snoking, the evidence is there.

Thanks to a trio of diligent Democrats: Henry Waxman of California, Diana DeGette or Colorado, and Edward Markey of Massachusetts, we now know the extent of the pollution of our precious watersheds thanks to the hydrofracking industry. The process of "hydro-fracking" which is used to tap into large reserve of natural gas in the United States, uses enormous quantities of fresh water to open fissures in rock to stimulate the release of oil and gas. One such device, in Pennsylvania, is shown in the accompanying image. Hydro-fracking is now attracting more and more scrutiny from lawmakers (and soon the EPA) because of the possibility of the chemicals used in the process contaminating underground sources of drinking water.

Now, thanks to the Dem trio obtaining a hitherto unseen report, we know the extent of potential ground water contamination and what the primary culprits are, and it isn't pretty. In the words of Diana DeGette:

"It is deeply disturbing to discover the content and quantity of toxic chemicals, like benzene and lead, being injected into the ground without the knowledge of communities whose health would be affected."

But why should the fracking industries care, since they're not the ones who'll have to cough up the money for chemotherapy and other treatments for the poor victims. According to the report obtained by DeGette et al, oil and gas companies injected hundreds of millions of gallons of carcinogenic chemicals into wells in more than 13 states from 2005- 09. In one spill in Pennsylvania, site of the photo, tens of thousands of gallons of contaminated drilling water leaked from a well cap and flowed downhill onto a farm property, extirpating a 50' swath of forest and killing a pond - leaving not one single bass or even insect in all of it. Even after the accident, the frack pump is still running.

According to the report, the product of an inquiry by the House Energy and Commerce Committe, fourteen of the nation's most active hydraulic fracturing companies used 866 million gallons of chemical fracturing products, and more than 650 of the chemicals named in the report were known carcinogens, supposedly regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Among the most toxic of the chemicals used (11.4 million gallons in all) were: benzene, toluene, xylene and ethylbenzene.

As we know from Devra Davis' landmark book, The Secret History of the War on Cancer, the first two of these toxic chemicals have well known correlations to brain carcinomas and chordomas. The other two, to liver, breast and prostate cancers. Davis' book is critical in blowing away the smokescreen that organizations like the American Cancer Society (ACS) have used for decades, in blaming people's eating habits and foods for cancers rather than toxic chemicals in the environment. The ruse is easy to understand since it follows capitulation to the attribution error (known from psychology) in assigning the burden of cause to victims, rather than a systemic, out of control toxic energy and chemical industry. This way, guess what? It makes it almost impossible to sue for any kind of monetary satisfaction!

In addition, the report showed 12 of the same companies injected 32.2 million gallons of diesel directly into underground layers, in possible violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Is this really possible? In an era in which we will soon see major water shortages, can this even be remotely tolerated? Meanwhile, a recent New York Times investigation uncovered that not only benzene,but radioactive materials like Iodine 131 was being sent to local treatment plants not designed to handle such effluent. All this while many Americans worry about contamination from the Japanese nuclear power plants!

Thankfully, Rep. DeGette and Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) just reintroduced the FRAC act which will require chemical disclosure from all drilling companies on the agents being used in hydro-fracking. This includes a provision that companies release proprietary information to health professionals if it is needed for a community's treatment. So, if dozens in a community develop leukemia, the paper work can show that one or more companies actually dumped I-131 into the underground layers of the community. This then can be a determinant to guide the treatment plans, just as...say...knowing benzene was injected, will have medical professionals on the lookout for more brain cancers.

Alas, the fly in the ointment ...or maybe the toxic soup...is that Republicans don't want to impose any more additional costs for drilling, or burden the companies with fulfilling costly and possibly litigious provisions. What a bunch of fine citizens they are! How much they care for their fellow citizens! NOT!