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Jacki Schilke
This cow on Jacki Schilke's ranch in northeast North Dakota lost most of its tail, one of many ailments that afflicted her cattle after hydrofracturing, or fracking, began in the nearby Bakken Shale.
In the midst of the domestic energy boom, livestock on farms near oil- and gas-drilling operations nationwide have been quietly falling sick and dying. While scientists have yet to isolate cause and effect, many suspect chemicals used in drilling and hydrofracking (or “fracking”) operations are poisoning animals through the air, water or soil.
Earlier this year, Michelle Bamberger, an Ithaca, N.Y., veterinarian, and Robert Oswald, a professor of molecular medicine at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine, published the first and only peer-reviewed report to suggest a link between fracking and illness in food animals.
The authors compiled 24 case studies of farmers in six shale-gas states whose livestock experienced neurological, reproductive and acute gastrointestinal problems after being exposed — either accidentally or incidentally — to fracking chemicals in the water or air. The article, published in “New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health,” describes how scores of animals died over the course of several years. Fracking industry proponents challenged the study, since the authors neither identified the farmers nor ran controlled experiments to determine how specific fracking compounds might affect livestock.
The death toll is insignificant when measured against the nation’s livestock population (some 97 million beef cattle go to market each year), but environmental advocates believe these animals constitute an early warning.
Exposed livestock “are making their way into the food system, and it’s very worrisome to us,” Bamberger said. “They live in areas that have tested positive for air, water and soil contamination. Some of these chemicals could appear in milk and meat products made from these animals.”
In Louisiana, 17 cows died after an hour’s exposure to spilled fracking fluid, which is injected miles underground to crack open and release pockets of natural gas. The most likely cause of death: respiratory failure.
In New Mexico, hair testing of sick cattle that grazed near well pads found petroleum residues in 54 of 56 animals.
In northern central Pennsylvania, 140 cattle were exposed to fracking wastewater when an impoundment was breached. Approximately 70 cows died, and the remainder produced only 11 calves, of which three survived.
In western Pennsylvania, an overflowing wastewater pit sent fracking chemicals into a pond and a pasture where pregnant cows grazed: Half their calves were born dead. Dairy operators in shale-gas areas of Colorado, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Texas have also reported the death of goats exposed to fracking chemicals.
Drilling and fracking a single well requires up to 7 million gallons of water, plus an additional 400,000 gallons of additives, including lubricants, biocides, scale- and rust-inhibitors, solvents, foaming and defoaming agents, emulsifiers and de-emulsifiers, stabilizers and breakers. At almost every stage of developing and operating an oil or gas well, chemicals and compounds can be introduced into the environment.
Cows lose weight, die
After drilling began just over the property line of Jacki Schilke’s ranch in the northwestern corner of North Dakota in 2009, in the heart of the state’s booming Bakken Shale, cattle began limping, with swollen legs and infections. Cows quit producing milk for their calves, they lost from 60 to 80 pounds in a week and their tails mysteriously dropped off. Eventually, five animals died, according to Schilke.
Ambient air testing by a certified environmental consultant detected elevated levels of benzene, methane, chloroform, butane, propane, toluene and xylene -- and well testing revealed high levels of sulfates, chromium, chloride and strontium. Schilke says she moved her herd upwind and upstream from the nearest drill pad.
Although her steers currently look healthy, she said, “I won’t sell them because I don’t know if they’re OK.”
Nor does anyone else. Energy companies are exempt from key provisions of environmental laws, which makes it difficult for scientists and citizens to learn precisely what is in drilling and fracking fluids or airborne emissions. And without information on the interactions between these chemicals and pre-existing environmental chemicals, veterinarians can’t hope to pinpoint an animal’s cause of death.
The risks to food safety may be even more difficult to parse, since different plants and animals take up different chemicals through different pathways.
“There are a variety of organic compounds, metals and radioactive material (released in the fracking process) that are of human health concern when livestock meat or milk is ingested,” said Motoko Mukai, a veterinary toxicologist at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine. These “compounds accumulate in the fat and are excreted into milk. Some compounds are persistent and do not get metabolized easily.”
Jacki Schilke
An oil-drilling rig is visible from Jacki Schilke's ranch in North Dakota.
Veterinarians don’t know how long chemicals may remain in animals, farmers aren’t required to prove their livestock are free of contamination before middlemen purchase them and the Food Safety Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture isn’t looking for these compounds in carcasses at slaughterhouses.
Documenting the scope of the problem is difficult: Scientists lack funding to study the matter, and rural vets remain silent for fear of retaliation. Farmers who receive royalty checks from energy companies are reluctant to complain, and those who have settled with gas companies following a spill or other accident are forbidden to disclose information to investigators. Some food producers would rather not know what’s going on, say ranchers and veterinarians.
“It takes a long time to build up a herd’s reputation,” said rancher Dennis Bauste of Trenton Lake, N.D. “I’m gonna sell my calves and I don’t want them to be labeled as tainted. Besides, I wouldn’t know what to test for. Until there’s a big wipeout, a major problem, we’re not gonna hear much about this.”
Fracking proponents criticize Bamberger and Oswald’s paper as a political, not a scientific, document. “They used anonymous sources, so no one can verify what they said,” said Steve Everley, of the industry lobby group Energy In Depth. The authors didn’t provide a scientific assessment of impacts -- testing what specific chemicals might do to cows that ingest them, for example -- so treating their findings as scientific, he continues, “is laughable at best, and dangerous for public debate at worst.” Bamberger and Oswald acknowledge this lack of scientific assessment and blame it on the dearth of funding for fracking research and on the industry’s use of nondisclosure agreements.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the main lobbying group for ranchers, takes no position on fracking, but some ranchers are beginning to speak out. “These are industry-supporting conservatives, not radicals,” said Amy Mall, a senior policy analyst with the environmental group, Natural Resources Defense Council. “They are the experts in their animals’ health, and they are very concerned.”
Last March, Christopher Portier, director of the National Center for Environmental Health at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called for studies of oil and gas production’s impact on food plants and animals. None is currently planned by the federal government.
As local food booms, consumers wary
But consumers intensely interested in where and how their food is grown aren’t waiting for hard data to tell them their meat or milk is safe. For them, the perception of pollution is just as bad as the real thing.
“My beef sells itself. My farm is pristine. But a restaurant doesn’t want to visit and see a drill pad on the horizon,” said Ken Jaffe, who raises grass-fed cattle in upstate New York.
Only recently has the local foods movement, in regions across the country, reached a critical mass. But the movement’s lofty ideals could turn out to be, in shale gas areas, a double-edged sword.
Should the moratorium on hydrofracking in New York State be lifted, the 16,200-member Park Slope Food Co-op, in Brooklyn, will no longer buy food from farms anywhere near drilling operations -- a $4 million loss for upstate producers. The livelihood of organic goat farmer Steven Cleghorn, who’s surrounded by active wells in Pennsylvania, is already in jeopardy.
“People at the farmers market are starting to ask exactly where this food comes from,” he said.
This report was produced by the Food & Environment Reporting Network, an independent investigative journalism non-profit focusing on food, agriculture, and environmental health. A longer version of this story appears on TheNation.com.
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Hydraulic Pressure Fracturing (HPF). Lets at least start with getting the terminology and nomenclature correct ......... Fracking, sounds like Battlestar Gallactica.
HPFwas invented many, many years ago. The primary use was to repair wells that had been producing normally, then slowed to a stop or minimal production levels and the HPF process would return these wells to normal production levels. It was found that oil wells would build up residue from their production and block or clog up the formation around the well bore causing reduced production. HPF and chemicals were applied to fracture the formation closest to the well bore and re-open the formation to return normal production.
Producing from geologic formations that contain hydrocarbons but that can't be produced due to the nature of the geologic formation and how it was trapping the oil & gas within the rock was the problem that gave HPF it's new chance. HPF stepped up to the next level with natural gas and shale plays then it stepped up again with oil shale's and other oil producing formations.
Chemical spills are bad but fracturing formations below thousands of feet of formations and cap rock is perfectly safe. It is the close proximity of farm animals and these chemicals with the carelessness of undertrained and uneducated workers that is causing the problem. This can be remedied by making a few examples of Oil & Gas company managers with fines and jail time.
The myth of the dangers of HPF started in Wyoming when an oil & gas company (no names mentioned) drilled a shallow horizontal well with no cap rock above the formation being drilled. The request to drill this well was approved by the state so the well was drilled and Fractured for production. This contaminated the well water in the area and killed livestock. This was irresponsible on the behalf of the oil company and the state of Wyoming.
This article was written trying to blame the actual fracturing of formations for pollution but in reality it is the controllable actions that happen on surface that are to be blamed. The USA needs energy now and it can be produced right here in the USA and produced safely. Notice that this article was careful not to blame the process and only the chemical spills but trying to spead a bad light over the whole process. Do your own research and find out for yourselves.
Well said. And very true.
now i know why my burger made me "gassy",i thought it was just the grilled onions on top !!!
Well I hope this is not as bad as it sounds, because it sounds pretty awful
It has been obvious for decades now that a corrupt to the bone corporate and financial system along with their paid for government have bowed their knees to the green God of money. We will force real change in America or this insane greed will destroy our country. Here are few items that prove this statement to be true.
1.Our big corporations are making record profits from slave labor and paying low to no taxes. They are given special treaties and tax breaks to outsource for slave labor. When the CEO of Disney made 600 million in salary and God knows what in bonuses he had children working in Haiti for 12 cents an hour. This insane, cold blooded greed is destroying our country. We need to force our public owned corporations to pay our minimum wages wherever they go. This would show a little respect for workers and bring back jobs fast.
2. Our big banks with trillions in assets have been getting billions in 0% loans. They are using our own money to rob us by driving up the price of essentials. They do this by manipulating the corrupt commodities exchange. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and one other own 80% of oil futures. Everyone in power knows this and nothing is done to stop it. If the people had a government this could no happen.
3. Many have labored to pay a bank 600k for a 200k house, even when the tax payer backed the loan. All government guaranteed loans would be made directly for a small interest, if we had a government of the people. This would, in the long run, cut house notes by half or more and leave trillions in the hands of our people instead of thieving banks.
4. The capital gains tax where most giant money is made is only 15%. This is insane unless you are a wall street billionaire with no values. The Saudi royal family, in the only year I know about made 250 billion on our rigged market while 401ks were tanking. The Emir of Kuwait has hundreds of billions in that same market. Could this be why we spend precious lives and billions of dollars to defend these two that run their countries like company stores?
5. Banking, wall street, insurance companies, hedge funds and commodities and commodities speculators all have much in common; They take mountains and produce nothing. Also, they share the low tax rate and ownership of our government.
The above are obvious things that could be corrected; But, we hear almost no political or media discussion of our real problems. It is my opinion that we will force real change or go straight on into depression and chaos. There is no way to run a country for 1 or 2% without destroying it for the rest. The pervasive greed and evil we are seeing is like a giant green monster that eats everything in front of it and defecates on everything behind. Sooner or later it will eat it's own tail; But, can we afford to wait for that?
You make very good scence but no body will listen Big money and greed controls this country that I love so much
We eat what farmers grow. If it takes down cows, it can easily take us down. Gosh, I'll be glad of the old days again. Seems no one dies of old age anymore. At this age of 72, I would be upset being a stat of marking me with some crazy disease. Kind of silly saying a person died at the age of 100 because he was a smoker, instead of labeling it as old age.
When the studies cite sources that can be verified i might take a second look at fracking. Secondly, anything that comes out of The Peoples Republic of Ithaca should be taken with a grain of salt. The frackers get the blame for everything. Take Dimock, PA for instance. Fracking was blamed for gas in the drinking water. It was and is said that the water will burn. That, in fact, was the reason that George Washington came to the area in the 1700s to see The Burning Waters.
IF ANYONE CAN PROVE BY VERIFIABLE STUDIES THAT FRACKING IS DANGEROUS I MIGHT RECONSIDER MY PRO-FRACKING POSITION! REMEMBER, VERIFIABLE STUDIES!!!!!!!!!
It seems to me that the proof needs to be that it IS safe not to prove that it isn't safe.
So far there is too much circumstantial evidence to show that there is a real risk.
Prove to me that there is no risk.
If it is safe why hide what chemicals are used? Why not be open? Why not be truthful? So far the industry has shown a path of deception.
This whole thing reminds me of Love Canal.
This is for d apple Thank you so much for writing the most sensible post You should run for office I think you would have the taxpayers interest at heart thank you again
Two movies were made base on real stories against big corporations knowingly polluting starring John Travolta (A Civil Action) and Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich). Case in point which is why President Obama called for studies on the pipeline that can create jobs. Noticed that in the (Red) States "Republican Based" filled with corporate greed, Fracking is a problem. Now, North Dakota and other newly discovered oil potential filled ground, the Oil Industry is polluting for that $$$ and destroying lives of farmers and even contaminating water consumed by humans. Aside from Fracking other chemicals are introduced to obtain oil by-products. Until many die or ailments become prevalent then another lawsuit will unfold and force the government to intervene. That's a problem! Those who line up for profit or sell out don't give a @!$%#. In the end we are destroying or polluting the essence of life -water which is becoming a commodity nationwide. Gotta be a Republican thing since they're trying to control all through old white male dominated committees!
How come the President have any thing to say about this.
How come the President does not have anything to say about this.
These are very bad right wing corporations
Your a idiot so shut up....
SOOO.....let's program the stupid idiots that read this into thinking the cause is fracking only because fracking was done in that "area" no proof at all...all speculation....i guess i could say animals are falling ill in areas that have lots of ants or tornadoes...just push a agenda without facts....manipulate and brainwash all the stupid idiots you can.
Speaking of idiots, did you even read the story?
theQ, Why exactly do you think this study is meaningless?
According to this article, there is only this one peer-reviewed report that has been done on livestock and fracking (a practice that uses many chemicals, some of which are very toxic), and we don't know the real rate at which farmers have reported problems—“[R]ural vets remain silent for fear of retaliation. Farmers who receive royalty checks from energy companies are reluctant to complain, and those who have settled with gas companies following a spill or other accident are forbidden to disclose information to investigators. Some food producers would rather not know what’s going on, say ranchers and veterinarians.” We do know spills occur, fracking is exempt from the US Safe Drinking Water Act, other forms of pollution are occurring, and that both regulations and adherence to regulations vary from area to area (You could see some of my other posts on this article for sources that support that last statement).
Based on what I've already mentioned and this next quote, it makes sense that more studies need to be done on livestock and fracking:
"There are a variety of organic compounds, metals and radioactive material (released in the fracking process) that are of human health concern when livestock meat or milk is ingested," said Motoko Mukai, a veterinary toxicologist at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine. These "compounds accumulate in the fat and are excreted into milk. Some compounds are persistent and do not get metabolized easily."
These animals died, because it's in the nature of animals to die. They don't live forever, you know. And for all we know, these animals are the victims of farmers who do not properly care for their animals, and for all we know farmers have been improperly caring for their animals for generations, and that's why they died.
Just to prove my point, I bet if you were to have fracking on Martha's Vineyard, or fracking in the Hollywood Hills, you would still have cases of animals dying. See? Just because there's fracking, doesn't mean that's why animals die.
In fact, I'd like to suggest a government study to prove my theory.
Oh - and please do include some fracking on Wall Street, just to prevent any appearance of impropriety, because impropriety does not happen on Wall Street. I think you all will agree with me on that point.
Animals don't necessarily die because of fracking, because animals die even there isn't any fracking.
See how that logic works?
Case closed.
Now I Get It!
Fracking is still in its infancy in Ohio, but to get a realistic view of what is really happening look up "Melissa Leo brings life to the words of a fracking victim in the Rust Belt"
Ohio is said to have some of the strictest laws regarding fracking, but that is truly not the case...
I read a number of the comments and was stuck by how inane, uniformed, inappropriate and down right silly most of them were. This is a biased story presented by a radical group with an agenda to push. It is not even what passes for journalism in this day and age.
If the government will keep their hands out of our pockets and free up individuals we will fix these problems, if in fact any exist. Solar energy is coming. It is getting cheaper and cheaper. Electric cars are coming along even with all the problems of batteries and their recycling (see exide in the DFW area).
Chill people, the world will not end in 17 days. If it does then nothing matters not even the Iranians who are building atomic bombs to use on us. There is something to worry about! Concentrate on that.
Please give me a little more insight as to how "we" can fix this problam. Where do you live? Suburbia? Keep telling yourself your teabag fairy tales.
We had a farmer in new zealand lose 120 cows just a couple of days ago. Following is an excerpt from the local newspaper, "Taranaki Daily News"
"A Whakatane dairy farmer is rallying farmers across the country to help a South Taranaki couple who had 120 cows die on their farm this week. About 15 vets rushed to the Oeo farm of Chris and Catherine Cook on Tuesday but could not save the dying animals, part of a herd of 600 and worth an estimated $400,000.
Vets are not saying what caused the deaths but have ruled out nitrate poisoning this morning."
The farm is located in Oeo, South Taranaki - also a fracking region.
For those wishing to know more, here is a link to the article - www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/.../Oeo-farmers-lose-120-cows
Well how's your lobbyist today? What you don't have one. Guess you're screwed.
FRACKING is not Drilling for Oil, it Is a most Violent form of Mining for Oil! Fracking Destroys Subsurface Strata that helps make up the Earth’s Crust and Upsets the Equilibrium of other Strata in the Area of the Crust surrounding that being Fracked. Depending upon the severity of Fracking in that immediate area, results of related Strata trying to re-establish its Equilibrium will soon be felt by way of disturbances at the Surface in the form of Tremors or worse. We cannot continue to treat this Earth like it’s our PRIVATE PROFIT GENERATING PLAYGROUND, driven by sociopathic GREED, without expecting it to retaliate! And this Retaliation will soon be in evidence!
The only ones that are for FRACKING, or speak well of it, are those Profiting from it or getting paid to do. With the money available to the Petroleum Industry, they can, and do, hire enough "paid mouths" to make you believe that Fracking is in the national interests! How many gallons of water does it take to recover One(1) Cubic Foot of natural gas? Water that must be so super-contaminated by chemicals to make it useable in the recovery process, as to render it permanently unuseable. Water that will remain so Chemically Corrupted that it will be unfit to flush a toilet. In porous rock, in addition to Dripping Down, this Contaminated Water can also percolate UP into Ground Water and into the root Systems of surrounding Plants and Trees ! I suspect that we will run out of drinkable water, and only God knows what else, while trying to solve our energy problems! Who will be the winner here? I would hazard that there will be None! Except, of course, those who are Profiting from it at the expense of our Environment! If we continue to Sow as we have, there will be nothing left to Reap! Let alone anyone left to do the Reaping!
The report doesn't state whether the affected livestock were only from organic farms or from regular farms. Either way, even now I can hear the sound of lawyers sharpening their pencils in anticipation of all the lawsuits they are going to bring against the deep-pocketed oil and gas companies.
I can assure you, fracking is safe. Obama told me so.
I work with Global Exchange, Community Rights Program, a nonprofit rights based organization in the Bay Area. We are working on a project to ban fracking in California and we are currently gathering multimedia for our campaign. Wondered if we could use your photo amazing photos on our own website/newletters/social media?
Please check us out on the website, and read our blog to know more about our current project!