US Admits -Their Fracking Causes Earthquakes & Polutes Water
 

Earthquake-"Causing Fracking" to Be Allowed within 500 Feet of Nuclear Plants

by Global Research


Nuclear Plants Vulnerable to Earthquakes

The American government has officially stated that fracking can cause earthquakes. Some fracking companies now admit this fact The scientific community agrees. See this, this, this, this and this.

Earthquakes can – of course – damage nuclear power plants. For example, even the operator of Fukushima and the Japanese government now admit that the nuclear cores might have started melting down before the tsuanmi ever hit. More here.

Indeed, the fuel pools and rods at Fukushima appear to have “boiled”, caught fire and/or exploded soon after the earthquake knocked out power systems. See this, this, this, this and this. And fuel pools in the United States store an average of ten times more radioactive fuel than stored at Fukushima, have virtually no safety features, and are vulnerable to accidents and terrorist attacks. And see this.

Indeed, American reactors may be even more vulnerable to earthquakes than Fukushima.

But American nuclear “regulators” have allowed numerous nuclear power plants to be built in earthquake zones:



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Some plants are located in very high earthquake risk zones:

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And they have covered up the risks from earthquakes for years … just like the Japanese regulators did. For example:

• The NRC won’t even begin conducting its earthquake study for Indian Point nuclear power plant in New York until after relicensing is complete in 2013, because the NRC doesn’t consider a big earthquake “a serious risk”

• Congressman Markey has said there is a cover up. Specifically, Markey alleges that the head of the NRC told everyone not to write down risks they find from an earthquake greater than 6.0 (the plant was only built to survive a 6.0 earthquake)

• We have 4 reactors in California – 2 at San Onofre 2 at San Luis Obisbo – which are vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis

For example, Diablo Canyon is located on numerous earthquake faults, and a state legislator and seismic expert says it could turn into California’s Fukushima:

On July 26th 2011 the California Energy Commission held hearings concerning the state’s nuclear safety. During those hearings, the Chairman of the Commission asked governments experts whether or not they felt the facilities could withstand the maximum credible quake.
The response was that they did not know.This is similar to what happened at Fukushima: seismologists dire warnings were ignored (and see this.)

Yet the Nuclear Regulatory Commission doesn’t even take earthquake risk into account when deciding whether or not to relicense plants like Diablo Canyon.

Are They Fracking With Us?

American nuclear regulators are allowing earthquake-inducing fracking to be conducted mere feet from nuclear power plants.

As the Herald Standard reports:

Chesapeake Energy has a permit to frack just one mile from the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station in Shippingport. Whether that is cause for alarm, experts can’t say.
***
“Hydraulic fracturing near a nuclear plant is probably not a concern under normal circumstances,” [Richard Hammack, a scientist at the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory] said. “If there is a pre-stress fault that you happen to lubricate there (with fracking solution), that is the only thing that might result in something that is (seismically) That’s not very reassuring, given that “lubrication” of faults is the main mechanism by which fracking causes earthquakes. (Indeed, the point is illustrated by the analogous fact that leading Japanese seismologists say that the Fukushima earthquake “lubricated” nearby faults, making a giant earthquake more likely than ever.)

And as Akron Beacon Journal notes, fracking is allowed with 500 feet of nuclear plants:

“We’re not aware of any potential impacts and don’t expect any,” said FirstEnergy spokeswoman Jennifer Young today. “We see no reason to be particularly concerned.”
***
[But] experts can’t say if the proposed well so close to two nuclear power plants is cause for concern.
***
DEP spokesperson John Poister told the Shale Reporter that there are no required setbacks specifically relating to a required distance between such shale wells and nuclear facilities, just a blanket regulation requiring a 500-foot setback from any building to a natural gas well.
END


:crap:

continued.......

Re: US Admits -Their Fracking Causes Earthquakes & Polutes Water
 

Our Country Is Being Fracked by the Merger of Government and Big Business

by WashingtonsBlog

The US Government Is Using Its Police Powers to Protect Fracking

Fracking is polluting water all over the country. A new study published in the journal Ground Water predicts that the highly-toxic fluids used in fracking can migrate to aquifers within a few short years.

The government has officially stated that fracking can cause earthquakes. And see this. Some fracking companies now admit this fact.

And yet a new law passed in Pennsylvania will allow doctors to access information about chemicals used in fracking, but will restrict them from sharing that information with their patients. See the writeups by Mother Jones and Truthout.

The director of the Emmy-award winning documentary on fracking – Gasland – was arrested for attempting to film a Congressional hearing on fracking.

Actor Mark Ruffalo was put on a terror watch list after he organized showings of Gasland.

The Washington Post reported in March that the FBI is investigating anti-fracking activists as potential terrorists.

The state of Pennsylvania hired an Israeli-American company with extensive military and intelligence ties to put out “terror” alerts. The company – ITRR – describes itself as:

The preeminent Israeli/American security firm providing training, intelligence and education to clients across the globe.

ITRR explains:

The Institute of Terrorism Research and Response’s research and analysis center, known as the Targeted Actionable Monitoring Center (TAM-C), is located in Israel. The Targeted Actionable Monitoring Center is staffed with former law enforcement, military, and intelligence professionals experienced in the production and utilization of intelligence products.

ITRR considered opponents of fracking to be potential terrorists.

Fracking companies are also using military psychological operations techniques to discredit opponents (and see this).
Not Just Fracking … Government Using “National Security” Powers to Protect All Big Business

The above is not unique, but part of a trend of using national security laws to protect big companies (more). As just a few of many examples:

Investigating factory farming may get one labeled as a terrorist

The government used national security excuses to prevent reporters and scientists from being able to investigate the BP oil spill. Indeed, the White House pressured scientists to underestimate the size of the spill (and see this and this), and tried to smear scientists who found underwater oil plumes. The government covered up the danger of dispersants

The government’s response to the outbreak of mad cow disease was simple: it stopped testing for mad cow, and prevented cattle ranchers and meat processors from voluntarily testing their own cows (and see this)

The government is protecting the nuclear industry by promoting voodoo science about the safety of radiation on human health, and by covering up what’s really going on. Government is simply acting as a cheerleader for the nuclear power companies. Indeed, nuclear power plants would not be built in a free market: without billions in government insurance, subsidies and guarantees, no one would want to build the bloody things

The government underplayed the huge Tennessee coal ash spill. The former head of the National Mine Health and Safety Academy says that the government whitewashed the whole coal ash investigation

Fraud was one of the main causes of the Depression and of the current financial crisis, but nothing has been done to rein in fraud today. Indeed, the only real action the government is taking in regard to the financial crisis is to help cover up the fraud of the giant banks

As the ACLU notes, Fusion Centers – a hybrid of military, intelligence agency, police and private corporations set up in centers throughout the country, and run by the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security – allow big businesses like Boeing to get access to classified information which gives them an unfair advantage over smaller competitors

Law enforcement agencies spy on protesters and then share the info – at taxpayer expense – with the giant Wall Street banks

In an effort to protect Bank of America from the threatened Wikileaks expose of wrongdoing – the Department of Justice told Bank of America to a hire a specific hardball-playing law firm to assemble a team to take down WikiLeaks (and see this)

One of the best definitions of fascism – the one used by Mussolini himself – is the “merger of state and corporate power“.

We’re pretty much there .........
END

Now I understand why so many Americans that live such "Healthy" lifestyles, die of cancer.... I have wondered about that for a long time. :hmm:

continued.....

Re: US Admits -Their Fracking Causes Earthquakes & Polutes Water
 

Fracking ban lifted: Q&A

As the UK Government lifts a ban on shale gas fracking, here is an explanation of how the process works and why it is so controversial.
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Britain has sizeable resources of shale gas underneath the Pennines, some of the home counties and parts of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, meaning it could be a cheaper alternative to importing fossil fuels. Photo: ALAMY

By Nick Collins, Science Correspondent, The Telegraph UK, 13 Dec 2012

What is Fracking?

Hydraulic Fracturing is a method used to extract natural gas from shale rock formations in which it is trapped.

Engineers drill a hole deep into the rock where the gas is trapped, and then inject a mixture of sand, water and chemicals into the hole at an extremely high pressure.

This causes the rock to split, releasing the gas into the well so that it can be brought up to the surface.

Why bother?

The natural gas, which is produced and trapped in rock formations following the breakdown of organic matter, is in such high demand it is known as "energy gold".
Britain has sizeable resources of shale gas underneath the Pennines, some of the home counties and parts of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, meaning it could be a cheaper alternative to importing fossil fuels.

What's the problem with Fracking?

Fracking has been linked to a variety of environmental concerns including the contamination of groundwater supplies, air pollution and seismic activity, although there has so far been little consensus on any of these points.
One major report earlier this year found that the risk of water sources being contaminated was no higher with fracking than other drilling processes, and that most pollution was due to mistakes made at ground level such as spillage of waste water.
But another study recently claimed that emissions released into the atmosphere during the process could cause headaches and breathing problems in people living up to half a mile away.
The Blackpool earthquake was the first direct evidence of fracking causing seismic activity, but the report's authors argue there is only a minimal risk of a tremor big enough to damage any buildings or people.

What is the current situation in Britain?

Most drilling projects are happening in the US, where the technique has been used for decades, and Britain is at a comparatively early stage of exploration.
Cuadrilla suspended its project in Lancashire following the Blackpool earthquake, but will likely be given the green light to resume provided it complies with new safety provisions.


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