Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 8.02 Natural Resources
Presentation #1 Title
The Dislocation of Side Effects: Fracking Wastewater Disposal in Appalachian Ohio.
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The disposal of fracking wastewater—a toxic mix of water, chemicals, sand, and radioactive substances—has increasingly become an issue of environmental concern. Fracking waste fluids represent a serious risk to aquifers and drinking water resources. Injection wells significantly increase the occurrence of earthquakes, which make the already feared migration of injected waste fluids into aquifers even more likely as the geological structure becomes destabilized. Athens County in the Appalachian part of Ohio has currently four active injection wells and two more in the permit process. While the affected communities have little to no benefit from wastewater injection, actual and potential side-effects include community disruption, increased wear and tear of infrastructure, contamination risks, and growing uncertainty among the populace. For instance, in summer 2012, an injection well in Athens County leaked waste fluids from a cracked holding tank. Consequently, the owner of a nearby organic farm sold his operation out of fear he would lose his organic certification because of water contamination. In my paper, I will explore the impact of wastewater injection wells on individuals and communities in Athens County and how the press reports on it. The case of wastewater disposal shows, so my hypothesis, how side effects of the fracking industry are externalized and dislocated, while there is little public discourse on the actual costs and consequences of this practice.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Bernhard Debatin is professor at Ohio University’s School of Journalism and director of the journalism honors tutorial program. He teaches multimedia/online journalism, media ethics, science and environmental journalism, media theory, and media and diversity.
The Dislocation of Side Effects: Fracking Wastewater Disposal in Appalachian Ohio.
Corbly Hall 244
The disposal of fracking wastewater—a toxic mix of water, chemicals, sand, and radioactive substances—has increasingly become an issue of environmental concern. Fracking waste fluids represent a serious risk to aquifers and drinking water resources. Injection wells significantly increase the occurrence of earthquakes, which make the already feared migration of injected waste fluids into aquifers even more likely as the geological structure becomes destabilized. Athens County in the Appalachian part of Ohio has currently four active injection wells and two more in the permit process. While the affected communities have little to no benefit from wastewater injection, actual and potential side-effects include community disruption, increased wear and tear of infrastructure, contamination risks, and growing uncertainty among the populace. For instance, in summer 2012, an injection well in Athens County leaked waste fluids from a cracked holding tank. Consequently, the owner of a nearby organic farm sold his operation out of fear he would lose his organic certification because of water contamination. In my paper, I will explore the impact of wastewater injection wells on individuals and communities in Athens County and how the press reports on it. The case of wastewater disposal shows, so my hypothesis, how side effects of the fracking industry are externalized and dislocated, while there is little public discourse on the actual costs and consequences of this practice.
