Background
Hydraulic Fracturing, also known as hydrofracturing or fracking, is the extraction of natural gas from previously impermeable shale. The process uses 1-4 millions of gallons of water withdrawn from streams and rivers, sand, and 20,000 pounds of chemicals injected at high pressure into horizontally drilled wells, some as deep as 10,000 feet below the surface. The pressure causes the shale to crack. These cracks are held open by the sand particles and chemicals to allow the natural gas to escape.