{"id":22545,"date":"2020-10-24T06:26:30","date_gmt":"2020-10-24T06:26:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=22545"},"modified":"2020-10-31T14:36:05","modified_gmt":"2020-10-31T14:36:05","slug":"when-fracking-moves-into-the-neighborhood-mental-health-risks-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/when-fracking-moves-into-the-neighborhood-mental-health-risks-rise\/","title":{"rendered":"When fracking moves into the neighborhood, mental health risks rise"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stephanie Malin<\/a>, Colorado State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Hydraulic fracturing has boomed in the U.S. over the past decade, but unless you live near it, you may not realize just how close fracking wells can be to homes and schools. In Colorado, the wellbore \u2013 the hole drilled to extract oil or gas \u2013 can be 500 feet from someone\u2019s house under current state rules. In some states, like Texas<\/a>, drilling can be even closer.<\/p>\n

For people living in these areas, that means noise<\/a>, pollution and other stressors that can harm physical and mental health.<\/p>\n

People with homes near fracking operations describe vibrations that can make sleep difficult and disturb their pets. Truck traffic<\/a> around wellpads adds to the noise, dust and other airborne pollutants, creating another layer of industrial disruption<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One woman I spoke with had a 30-foot-high sound wall put up around her property, but the parade of semitrucks at all hours still rattled her home, and the sound wall couldn\u2019t keep out the noise. When she opened her bedroom curtains, all she saw was a brown wall where she used to have mountain views.<\/p>\n

As a social scientist<\/a> who studies extractive industries and their environmental justice and health impacts, I have spent years in communities with unconventional oil and gas activity, visiting homes and well sites.<\/p>\n

My research shows<\/a> that living near fracking sites can lead to chronic stress and self-reported depression. These effects often relate to systemic problems associated with the industry.<\/p>\n

Consequences of the fracking boom<\/h2>\n

The boom in hydraulic fracturing started around 2010 and made the U.S. the No. 1 producer of hydrocarbons<\/a> globally. In Colorado, fracking has since helped quadruple oil production and increased natural gas production.<\/p>\n

But that growth has come with consequences. By 2017, researchers estimated 4.7 million people<\/a> lived within 1 mile of an unconventional oil or gas well in the U.S.<\/p>\n

\"An
Hydraulic fracturing uses water, sand and chemicals to fracture rock deep underground and release oil and gas inside.<\/span>
\nVectormine via Getty Images<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Health studies have found respiratory difficulties<\/a> like coughing and wheezing in people living and working near fracking sites. Other studies have found increases in endocrine-disrupting chemicals<\/a> that can affect pregnant women and children<\/a>, including raising the risks of birth defects<\/a> and childhood cancers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Emissions of methane<\/a>, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, have also spiked around oil and gas activity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Less well understood have been the effects on mental health.<\/p>\n

In a new study on the mental health effects<\/a>, I examined multiple communities across northern Colorado, surveyed hundreds of households and visited people\u2019s homes, schools and wellpads.<\/p>\n

Two drivers of stress and mental health harm stood out:<\/p>\n