Fracking Regulations in the Country

Fracking Regulations in the Country

Suheila Musani

Accounting & Management Information Systems

December 7, 2014

Audience: Policy Makers in the United States

Topic: Fracking and Natural Gas Extraction

The purpose of this briefing paper is to educate and inform the country’s policy makers about the loopholes in the regulations and laws concerning the practice of hydraulic fracturing in the United States. This brief describes how this practice is exempt from key federal environmental regulations, and the benefits and risks behind this loophole and fracking in general.

Executive Summary

This briefing paper is written to discuss the black and white shades of hydraulic fracturing, a gas extraction method which has been rapidly growing popular in the last few years. It has several advantages resulting from carrying it out, including lower carbon emissions, more abundance in electrical energy sources, lower overall energy costs and cleaner energy. At the same time, however, its negative impacts are extremely strong and could be the cost of taking people’s lives. They include the integration of toxic and poisonous chemicals into the extraction part of the process, as well as the emissions of some common natural air pollutants which result from the extraction. Both sides have strong reasoning which should be taken into account when writing and implementing policies for the country.

The brief discusses the two sides of this controversy; why fracking is beneficial and should be exempt from environmental policy regulations verses the risks resulting from this exemption. A recommendation to the country’s policy makers is also presented after taking both arguments into consideration, and is one step which could be taken to create an overall safer country.

Introduction & Background

Engineers have discovered several methods of gaining access to energy sources during the 20th century, and still continue to advance in those methods. One of the most...