On the Ballot: What the Frack is Hydraulic Fracking?

What the Frack?

Hydraulic fracturing—commonly called fracking—involves pumping a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals into well bores at high pressure to free gas from tight rock formations thousands of feet below ground, according to the Center for American Progress.

Fracking has been used for about 60 years, and is taking place in 28 states. But with a push to find more domestic sources of oil and gas, the practice is coming more under scrutiny. The investigative team a ProPublica has published a long series of revealing articles — and don't miss the must-watch 2:30 video explaining the fracking process.

Oil and gas industry associations, such as Energy from Shale, say the process is safe. Kimberly Oelze, president of the Illinois Oil and Gas Association, said fracking would create badly-needed jobs in Southern Illinois.

But safety issues abound. Last year, the wastewater byproduct of fracking was linked to about a dozen earthquakes in Ohio, ranging from magnitudes of 2.1 to 4.0.

And there is sharp disagreement over fracking safety for the surrounding water supply as residents in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, New York and other states have expressed concerns about the impact the practice can have on a community's drinking water. In some instances, homeowners living near fracking sites have discovered their tap water is completely flammable. See: Gasland.

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Here at Home

A spokesman with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the agency responsible for regulating the state's oil and gas industries, says fracking isn't common in Illinois.

But that could soon change, particularly in Southern Illinois, where Oelze said companies are buying up leases to extract oil and gas on farmland in Hamilton and Wayne counties. It's important to note that right now, fracking remains unregulated in Illinois.

There is, however, pending legislation in the Illinois Senate that would require companies to disclose the chemicals used during their work. Here's a link to the bill, crafted more than a year ago by environmental groups such as the faith-based organization, Faith in Place. That proposal also has the backing of the oil and gas interests in the state, Oelze said.

Another bill being considered in the House that would set a 12-percent tax on oil and gas revenues. Another proposal would mirror the disclosure measure under consideration in the Senate. (For more information, Progress Illinois has a detailed explanation of the legislative efforts)

So what does this mean for Oak Park?

Natural gas is used in many Oak Park homes and fuels some cars in the municipal fleet. That gas comes into Oak Park from a variety of sources, but a Nicor spokesman tells Patch it's unknown if it's sourced from fracking.

Still, the safety concerns were enough for members of the Illinois Green Party and others to take notice and make the push for the referendum question.

“This is the beginning of a process where we can inform the community, define the problem and see how it can be solved,” said the Illinois Green Party's vice chair Julie Samuels.

But because the local referendum has no force of law, the only way for regulation measures, like the disclosure of fracking chemicals, to take place in Illinois would be for the pending legislative action to become law.

Will those measures pass? We'll see.

Still, expect to see tables pop up at the Farmer’s Market this summer as anti-fracking efforts get into gear, said Bruce Samuels, treasurer of West Side Greens, the local chapter of the Illinois Green Party.

“We’re hoping that we can put pressure on the industry to discontinue the practice and find other ways of finding alternative forms of energy,” he said.