Slick Water: Fracking and One Insider's Stand against the World's Most Powerful Industry (David Suzuki Institute)

The fossil fuel industry and many environmental groups tout hydraulic fracturing — “fracking” — as a panacea, with slick promises of energy independence, greenhouse gas reductions, and benefits to local economies. Yet the controversial technology, which blasts massive volumes of fluids, sand, and chemicals into rock and coal formations, has sparked huge public protests. __Slick Water__ tells the shocking, inspiring story of one woman’s stand to hold government and industry accountable for the damage fracking leaves in its wake.After energy giant Encana secretly fracked hundreds of gas wells around her home and her well water turned to a flammable broth, Jessica Ernst started asking questions. When she put forward evidence that Encana had violated laws by fracturing the community's drinking water aquifer, Ernst was falsely tagged as a bomb-making terrorist and visited by the government’s anti-terrorism squad. Frightened but undaunted, she uncovered a startling history of liability, fraud, and intimidation, along with a willful denial of widespread groundwater contamination. Jessica Ernst’s remarkable story raises dramatic questions about the role of Big Oil in government, society’s obsession with rapidly depleting supplies of unconventional oil and gas, and the future of civil society. The fossil fuel industry and many environmental groups tout hydraulic fracturing — “fracking" — as a panacea, with slick promises of energy independence, greenhouse gas reductions, and benefits to local economies. Yet the controversial technology, which blasts massive volumes of fluids, sand, and chemicals into rock and coal formations, has sparked huge public protests. Slick Water tells the shocking, inspiring story of one woman's stand to hold government and industry accountable for the damage fracking leaves in its wake. After energy giant Encana secretly fracked hundreds of gas wells around her home and her well water turned to a flammable broth, Jessica Ernst started asking questions. When she put forward evidence that Encana had violated laws by fracturing the community's drinking water aquifer, Ernst was falsely tagged as a bomb-making terrorist and visited by the government's anti-terrorism squad. Frightened but undaunted, she uncovered a startling history of liability, fraud, and intimidation, along with a willful denial of widespread groundwater contamination. Jessica Ernst's remarkable story raises dramatic questions about the role of Big Oil in government, society's obsession with rapidly depleting supplies of unconventional oil and gas, and the future of civil society. Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute. "The fossil fuel industry and many environmental groups tout hydraulic fracturing--'fracking'--as a panacea, with slick promises of energy independence, greenhouse gas reductions, and benefits to local economies. Yet the controversial technology, which blasts massive volumes of fluids, sand, and chemicals into rock and coal formations, has sparked huge public protests. Slick Water tells the shocking, inspiring story of one woman's stand to hold government and industry accountable for the damage fracking leaves in its wake. After energy giant Encana secretly fracked hundreds of gas wells around her home and her well water turned to a flammable broth, Jessica Ernst started asking questions. When she put forward evidence that Encana had violated laws by fracturing the community's drinking water aquifer, Ernst was falsely tagged as a bomb-making terrorist and visited by the government's anti-terrorism squad. Frightened but undaunted, she uncovered a startling history of liability, fraud, and intimidation, along with a willful denial of widespread groundwater contamination. Jessica Ernst's remarkable story raises dramatic questions about the role of Big Oil in government, society's obsession with rapidly depleting supplies of unconventional oil and gas, and the future of civil society"--Provided by publisher Annotation The fossil fuel industry and many environmental groups tout hydraulic fracturing -- "fracking -- as a panacea, with slick promises of energy independence, greenhouse gas reductions, and benefits to local economies. Yet the controversial technology, which blasts massive volumes of fluids, sand, and chemicals into rock and coal formations, has sparked huge public protests. Slick Water tells the shocking, inspiring story of one womans stand to hold government and industry accountable for the damage fracking leaves in its wake. After energy giant Encana secretly fracked hundreds of gas wells around her home and her well water turned to a flammable broth, Jessica Ernst started asking questions. When she put forward evidence that Encana had violated laws by fracturing the community's drinking water aquifer, Ernst was falsely tagged as a bomb-making terrorist and visited by the governments anti-terrorism squad. Frightened but undaunted, she uncovered a startling history of liability, fraud, and intimidation, along with a willful denial of widespread groundwater contamination. Jessica Ernsts remarkable story raises dramatic questions about the role of Big Oil in government, societys obsession with rapidly depleting supplies of unconventional oil and gas, and the future of civil society "When Jessica Ernst's well water turned into a flammable broth that even her dogs refused to drink, the biologist and long-time oil patch consultant discovered that energy giant Encana had secretly fracked hundreds of gas wells around her home, piercing her community's drinking water aquifer. Since then, her ongoing lawsuit against Encana, Alberta Environment, and the Energy Resources Conservation Board has made her a folk hero in many places worldwide where fracking is underway. In this powerful work of investigative journalism, Andrew Nikiforuk interweaves Ernst's story with the science of fracking and stories of human and environmental repercussions left in its wake."--Front flap. Canadian biologist Jessica Ernst's ongoing lawsuit against Encana, Alberta Environment, and the Energy Resources Conservation Board has made her a folk hero in many places worldwide where fracking is underway. In this work of investigative journalism, Andrew Nikiforuk interweaves Ernst's story with the history and science of fracking and the technology's growing impact on people, land, and water. Slick Water raises dramatic questions about the role of Big Oil in government, society's obsession with mining low-grade oil and gas formations, and the future of democracy. When Jessica Ernst{u2019}s Well Water Turned Into A Flammable Broth That Even Her Dogs Refused To Drink, The Biologist And Long-time Oil Patch Consultant Discovered That Energy Giant Encana Had Secretly Fracked Hundreds Of Gas Wells Around Her Home, Piercing Her Community{u2019}s Drinking Water Aquifer. Since Then, Her Ongoing Lawsuit Against Encana, Alberta Environment, And The Energy Resources Conservation Board Has Made Her A Folk Hero In Many Places Worldwide Where Fracking Is Underway. In This Powerful Work Of Investigative Journalism, Andrew Nikiforuk Interweaves Ernst{u2019}s Story With The Science Of Fracking And Stories Of Human And Environmental Repercussions Left In Its Wake.--front Flap. The Dress For Less Explosion -- This Much You Should Know -- Fracking Oildorado -- Before Shale : Coal -- A Revolution Under Rosebud -- Criminal Threats -- Banished -- Keys To The Bank -- Fingerprints And Liabilities -- The Police Come Calling -- Kafka's Law -- The Road Of The Dishes -- No Duty Of Care -- The Sisters Of Jessica Ernst -- Epilogue: Completions. Andrew Nikiforuk. Co-published By: David Suzuki Institute. Includes Bibliographic References And Index. From the award-winning author of Tar Sands comes the shocking, inspiring story of an oil and gas industry insiders determined stand to hold government and industry legally accountable for the damage fracking leaves in its wake. When Jessica Ernsts well water turned into a flammable broth that even her dogs refused to drink, the biologist and long-time oil patch consultant discovered that energy giant Encana had secretly fracked hundreds of gas wells around her home, piercing her communitys drinking water aquifer. Since then, her ongoing lawsuit against Encana, Alberta Environment, and the Energy Resources Conservation Board has made her a folk hero in many places worldwide where fracking is underway. In this powerful work of investigative journalism, Andrew Nikiforuk interweaves Ernsts story with the science of fracking and stories of human and environmental repercussions left in its wake. Slick Water raises dramatic questions about the role of Big Oil in government, societys obsession with rapidly depleting supplies of unconventional oil and gas, and the future of civil society.