In response to a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, a federal judge has ordered the Department of the Interior to make documents available showing how much fracking is really going on in the Gulf. In addition to information on how many wells are being fracked in the Gulf, this ruling could give the public a better idea of how much toxic waster water is being dumped into Gulf waters. This waste water is filled with toxic chemicals and is used, under intense pressure, to crack the sea floor in order to reach the oil deposits underneath. Similar techniques are used for onshore fracking, and both present possibly catastrophic consequences. In an article, our own Jonathan Henderson stated “(T)he seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico is not flat; it is full of canyons and ridges and steep inclines and declines (and) (T)here’s faults; it’s unstable, and any activity that industry engages in on the seafloor, it can have effects that could be catastrophic.” An attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity stated the fracking waste water (and pollution) is a threat to marine animals.The Gulf of Mexico and its shoreline have had enough pollution due to the actions of the oil and gas industry, and fracking the seafloor can only increase the likelihood of another oil disaster. This ruling in favor of the Center for Biological Diversity’s request for information won’t necessarily stop fracking in the Gulf, but at least give the public a better idea of what exactly what is going on.Bryan Clarey is a Media and Communications Intern with Gulf Restoration Network.
