Raising health and air quality concerns in Texas’ fracking frontier
Synopsis
As shale and natural gas fracking booms in South Texas, a new report raises unsettling concerns about possible related health risks and poor air quality. The Center for Public Integrity collaborated with others in examining nearly 300 complaints filed by residents. Jim Morris, a journalist who contributed to the report, joins Judy Woodruff to detail the findings and respond to the industry’s rejection.
Source: PBS NewsHour
Length: 5:14
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Watch the video and answer the following questions:
The speaker, Jim Morris, is a consultant hired by various fracking companies and was interviewed in order to lessen public concern over potential health issues associated with hydraulic fracking practices.
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The “Eagle Ford Shale” is a large area of Texas that has rich underground deposits of natural gas and shale oil. It is currently
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Fracking is a drilling technology used to extract
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A number of toxic chemicals, which appear to create a variety human sickness and are used during fracking for fossil fuels, are potentially released during the
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Jim Morris, a journalist who contributed to the report, suggested that there is likely a strong correlation between the presence of chemicals used in hydrofracking (such as benzene), and human disease (such as leukemia). However, he makes the point that proving that residents near fracking sites are more likely to develop a lethal disease is difficult in part because:
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