By michael vivar
Fracking has entered the national conversation in the United States since closer scrutiny of Kamala Harris’ record shows her opposition to the practice.
Fracking (known in the industry as “hydraulic fracking”) is a process for extracting oil and gas. First, a bore hole is drilled deep into a shale rock formation.
Then, a slurry of water, sand and other chemicals are pumped into the bore hole at high pressure, releasing any oil and natural gas deposits within the shale.
Fossil fuel companies support fracking because it opens up oil and gas sources that were previously believed to be tapped out.
Local communities are ambivalent about its implementation. Though it creates local, short-term jobs, it also has negative effects such as water pollution and ground instability.
One reason fracking has become a prominent point of discussion is it’s a source of major contention in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where it mainly affects the white community.
What isn’t widely reported is how fracking affects communities of color in other states where it isn’t as much of a polemical issue.
Black, Latinx and Native Americans in states including Texas, California and New York are at risk of health issues due to fracking.
A study by the NAACP Clean Air Task force has revealed elevated instances of cancer in Black communities with close proximities to fracking facilities and pipelines.
The current deleterious effects of fracking are exacerbated by historically lax environmental health and safety regulatory enforcement for communities of color.