1. Hydraulic Fracking from a Different Perspective
Filiberto Marquez
INTS 3300 – 001
Dr. Gail Bentley
Texas Tech University

2. Abstract
Communities across the United States are affected due to the recent boom in the new and
unconventional methods of extracting oil and gas from deep underground shale rock formations,
better known as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” This paper examines literature and reports
about the gas industry and the effects of fracking in communities economically and also
discusses the environmental impacts that the fracking boom produces. Using Repko’s model for
Interdisciplinary Research along with insights from the disciplines of engineering and
organizational leadership, this paper analyzes quantitative data and policies regarding hydraulic
fracking and the effects it is having in communities, and how local governments and state
governments are dealing with cases throughout their states. This paper sheds light on how state
government targets the socioeconomic benefits of the fracking boom, instead of increasing
regulation policies to protect against the environmental effects that hydraulic fracking presents.

3. The purpose of this paper is to use Repko’s model for Interdisciplinary Research and use the 10
step process with insights from the disciplines of engineering and organizational leadership in
order to understand pros and cons of the issue of hydraulic fracking and the effects it is having in
communities across the United States. The effects range from economical to environmental, and
this paper will discuss both of these effects and how some of the negative association related to
hydraulic fracking can be eliminated slowly with effective and well thought-out plans to execute
the building of these sites that have the potential to produce a positive impact for many
communities and states. In addition, the extraction of oil and gas from the earth can be used to
produce energy for many people, and this will decrease America’s dependence on foreign oil,
and as a result the creation of jobs and opportunities for its citizens in the process. Developing
projects where the local community citizens have an opportunity to be involved in the process,
rather than the usual transient workers that travel to work in these fracking sites. Creating these
projects will allow for the building of safer and better fracking sites that pose less harm to the
environment but most importantly create jobs for the local community and as a result a boom in
the community is reached. In addition oil and gas companies can cooperate with local and state
governments in order to create build a better and safer infrastructure to support the traffic
involved in the fracking process. This will create jobs and ultimately eliminate some of the
economic ills; such as unemployment for local citizens created by the fracking boom.
STEP 1 – Define the problem
Recent hydraulic fracking methods that extract oil and gas from deep underground shale rock
formations, have created in the past decade a profitable method of extraction of natural gas
which creates both economic benefits to regions among the shale gas deposits that extend
throughout the United States, but also environmental risks to those who are in the surrounding

4. areas where fracking is taking place. Many people are affected by this issue of fracking every
day, bringing uncertainties over the methods being used in this market that can cause a lot of
harm to the environment.
Living in a state such as Texas, where fracking is the major process used in the extraction of oil
and gas from the Barnett Shale makes this a complex issue to study and discuss because some of
the risks that come with fracking can be harmful to the environment. The focus statement for this
paper is, to analyze through the understanding of the disciplines of engineering and
organizational leadership a more practical procedure that can be used that will reduce the
environmental threats that fracking sites pose to the environment, but also generate a positive
economic for both local and state governments.
STEP 2: Justify Using an Interdisciplinary Approach
The study presented in this paper is using an interdisciplinary approach, because the issue of
hydraulic is a complex issue that requires multiple disciplines and insights in order to understand
it completely. Due to the economic value that the fracking process holds, this can provide
opportunities to residents in the local communities. Many local governments regulate the
fracking as explained by Joel Minor in his case study in Colorado as, “local governments
regulate the fracking boom through land use ordinances targeting the boom’s socioeconomic
impacts, rather than ordinances that directly regulate fracking or that target the fracking boom’s
environmental impacts” (Minor 2014). In this excerpt we can see Minor point of view on how
local governments are giving the socioeconomic aspect of the fracking process more importance
rather than creating ordinances that directly regulate fracking or that target the fracking boom’s
environmental impacts. This perspective has made room to study ways where both aspects at

5. hand can be addressed and both goals can be reached, and a positive economic outcome and
environmental safety can be met.
STEP 3: Identify Relevant Disciplines
The issue of fracking can be studied and seen from various disciplines. Some of the disciplines
that automatically come into mind when discussing fracking are that of engineering, business,
political science, history, among others. The two disciplines used in this study is that of
engineering and business (organizational leadership). These disciplines pay an important role
when discussing the issue of fracking and they work well together due to the fact that most of the
components that make up a fracking site require some sort of engineering skill or in some cases
leadership skills. From designing the bit that drills the holes for the wells, to the development of
efficient infrastructure plans, to eliminate traffic that is caused by a fracking site. All of these
components of the fracking site are taken into consideration and developing these ideas which
requires great leadership and guidance will enable to the development of an efficient profitable
fracking site.
STEP 4: Conduct a Literature Search
From an engineering perspective this study analyzes past and current situations that have been
affected by fracking. For example, one of the most talked about negative issue with fracking is in
regards to the risks that it poses to the environment. When discussing the fracking scene
currently in Colorado, Minor says, “The infrastructure necessary for fracking—well pads,
wastewater storage pits, storage tanks, pipelines, compressors, and access roads—fragments
wildlife habitat. Wastewater pits can kill birds and mammals that drink toxic water. Fracking
may pose significant threats to endangered, threatened, and unlisted rare species in Colorado”
(Minor 2014). As we can see infrastructure plays a role in the endangerment of the environment,

6. and that is why improving the methods that are used today must be a priority that needs to be
fixed in order to eliminate some of the pollution that is going to the environment.
Improving infrastructure requires proactive leadership that is willing to be attentive to the needs
of their workers in site but also to cooperation with the local government. Ordinances and funds
are to be created to increase profitability in order to create jobs not only for out of transient
workers, but also for local residents, this play an important role in creating an efficient
infrastructure system. By conducting good leadership skills and business skills some of the issues
as described by Barth in her study as follow; “Examples of negative externalities in connection
with shale gas development include water, air and land contamination; related public health
impacts; wear and tear on roads and other infrastructure; and costs to communities due to
increased demand for services such as police, fire, first responders, and hospitals” (Barth 2013).
As one can see opportunities for employment for many people with different careers
backgrounds are needed due to the increase in population in small communities due to the
fracking boom. Police, fire fighters, EMS, and hospitals are needed and with careful and
anticipated leadership on sites, one can make sure that
STEP 5: Develop Adequacy in Each Relevant Discipline
Engineering views the fracking boom as a method of extracting oil and gas with one of the goals
to produce energy, which is one of the main uses for fossil fuels that are extracted from the earth.
But with these new methods of extraction of oil and gas from the earth comes with many risks
that can hurt people as well as the environment. Such is the case in a small Texas town which
can be described by Dianne Rahm’s study as, “in Dish, Texas blood and urine samples taken
from residents living near Barnett Shale gas wells revealed that 65% of households tested had
toluene in their systems and another 53% had detectable levels of xylene. These chemicals have

7. all been identified in Dish air samples on multiple occasions. EPA and the Texas Commission on
Environ- mental Quality (TCEQ) are looking into air emissions from Barnett Shale gas
operations” (Rahm 2011). From this data it is evident that shows the risks that fracking creates
are real and that they are affecting the population surrounding these fracking sites. Engineering
views that, efficiency is the key in the process in developing an idea or project, but also one of
the values engineering tends to hold is safety. Safety to the people one is providing services to.
The facts presented above show engineering failing due to the exposure of chemicals to the
environment and population. “Safety regulations,” “technical conditions,” and “land restoration
requirements,” are all terms chosen by Minor when describing the engineering methods used,
and the expectations required by the fracking process.
Organizational leadership can be used and described in the same regard to business and the
economic discipline as well. When describing a hydraulic fracking site and the effects that come
with it, the economic value of this site is high. High by the fact that oil and gas is the main
source of energy in the United States. In this paper the economic value of a fracking site is
explained and showed, but theories have been identified in order to relate to efficiency of a
fracking site. When discussing the economics of a fracking site and the value it has the
Keynesian theory suggests and explains that initial direct spending will increase incomes that
will consequently facilitate additional rounds of spending. “Economic resources such as labor
and capital will be put back to use to satisfy the new needs of consumers, and incomes
throughout the economy will increase. It is these economic effects that these two reports attempt
to estimate” (Kinnaman 2011). Keynesian economics guided both government policy makers and
many economists for most of the middle decades of the 20th century, most notably during the
Great Depression, this theory economics is what helped spending on major projects that

8. benefited the public, and a hydraulic fracking site can be seen in this perspective as a project that
can generate an economic gain to a region but to the country as well.
STEP 6: Analyze the Problem and Evaluate Each Insight or Theory
Engineering sees this fracking boom as an opportunity to practice their profession in ways that
can help the public. Fracking is a perfect example of this due to the importance it has to this
country. When discussing fracking risks tend to come up and this generates negative attention
from the public, but due to some of the nature of the business and profession risks cannot be
eliminated but can be avoided. For example, Dianne Rahm when discussing issues with the
infrastructure in Amarillo, Texas and some of the risks that this poor planning created due to
running pipeline close to residential areas. These pipelines provokefearandcontroversy.In2009,
an older pipeline blew up in a suburb of Amarillo, Texas with the force of a magnitude
4earthquake.It sent a column of flames hundreds of feet (morethan60m) into the air and burned
at temperatures in excess of 7000 degrees Fahrenheit” (Rahm 2011). Pipelines are now
being built within feet of residential housing, causing considerable concern. This is something to
take note on and this needs to change in order for fracking to increase in popularity to the public
eye. Safety is one of the main values engineers take into consideration when designing these
facilities and there is always room for improvement. This room for improvement can be seen in
the controversy that has risen as the use of hydraulic fracturing has increased and expanded with
its application to horizontal drilling. “The major issues that are discussed include groundwater
(aquifer) contamination by fracking chemicals, accidental chemical spills, waste disposal, air
quality, the land footprint of drilling activities, pipeline placement and safety, and the amount of
water used” (Rahm 2011). These are some of the issues with the fracking process and this has

9. been a constant issue and now that time has passed states should come up with ordinances to
monitor these activities.
Economic gain and the opportunities that are created by the fracking boom can be seen in Table
1 provided in Kinnaman’s study.
As shown it evident of the economic gains and job opportunities the fracking in different Gas
Shales around the country are creating for local communities. “Pennsylvania economy from the
gas industry, is estimated at $3.88 billion in 2009……….The industry is also estimated to have
contributed 44,098 jobs to the Pennsylvania economy in 2009 and paid $389 million in state and
local taxes” (Kinnaman 2011). This information is valuable because this is blunt statistics
showing employment figures but economic impact of this industry to many states. To add to
these quantitative data Minor says, “Jobs created by the fracking boom are its most frequently
discussed economic benefit. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the oil and gas
extraction sector employed 195,000 people in July 2013. These workers are relatively well
paid—the median annual income for a roustabout (a well pad laborer) was $33,900 in 2012,
which is relatively high among comparable positions” (Minor 2014). To add to this job spillover
jobs in service industries that support oil and gas workers, including janitors, daycare providers,

10. librarians, cashiers, cooks, retail clerks, pharmacists, and bank tellers. This is important because
the value of a fracking project can be seen and all the opportunities that come with.
STEP 7: Identify Conflict Between Insights and Their Sources
One of the biggest conflicts between insights and that it also surround fracking is government
intervention. This can be seen in Rahm article when she is discussing the hydraulic fracking
regulations and she says that, “it falls to the states to exercise authority. Many of the states
involved with the gas boom have taken some action to regulate some aspects of hydraulic
fracturing and horizontal drilling. (Rahm 2011). It is evident by the conservative nature of Texas
for example to not want government regulation in regards to fracking, but this can pose a
problem and this is where conflicts between insights occur. For example, Rahm explains a piece
of legislature in Texas regarding water usage, “The Railroad Commission allows a company to
use as much groundwater as it needs to complete a well (Railroad Commission of Texas, 2011b).
Drillers that wish to use surface water do need to apply to TCEQ for a permit” (Rahm 2011)
Even though a permit is needed by companies the catch is in “as much groundwater” this can be
harmful because fracking requires tons of water and most of the time that water will not be
treated correctly and has the potential to harm the environment which is something that most
scholars and people are fighting against.
There are also costs associated with traffic congestion and road damage that is created by
fracking and this affects the infrastructure of states. The heavy truck traffic required for shale gas
development is known to cause air quality issues and significant road damage. “It was recently
reported that the Texas Department of Transportation told industry representatives and elected
officials that “repairing roads damaged by drilling activity to bring them up to standard would

11. ‘conservatively’ cost $1 billion for farm-to-market roads and another $1 billion for local roads.
And that doesn’t include the costs of maintaining interstate and state highways” (Barth 2013).
As shown it is evident that due to increase in interest in economic gain, other aspects of society
are affected, that is the case with infrastructure. To gain from the fracking boom a price must be
paid and that is the costs associated with infrastructure.
STEP 8: Create Common Ground
To address the conflict between regulation of fracking and the risks associated to it can be
resolved or taken to attention and use the technique of extension. “Extension in an
interdisciplinary sense refers to increasing the scope of the “something” that we are talking
about……involves addressing differences or oppositions in disciplinary concepts and or
assumptions (Repko 2012). Addressing this conflict this way will allow for local government to
have authority in the creation of legislature regarding fracking, but also when creating those
ordinances to keep in mind the safety of the environment and eliminate them completely through
higher regulations and standards.
Addressing the costs created by the heavy truck traffic due to the economic fracking boom the
technique of organization can be used. This creates common ground by clarifying how certain
phenomena interact and mapping the casual relationships (Repko 2012). In order for this to
happen and work organizing better execution plans when building and prepping for a venture
such as fracking is. For example, timing the creation of a fracking site months before so local
government can organize and create jobs in order to build and improve the infrastructure and
reduce costs of constantly fixing the roads. This will ultimately create jobs before the fracking
boom gets to the community allowing for an economic gain in the local community making all of
these projects valuable for all members of the process.

12. STEP 9: Construct a More Comprehensive Understanding
Through this research conducted, we can see how hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling of
shale gas is playing an important role in many aspects of life; such as socioeconomically but also
in the organization of the cities and its infrastructure. The trouble, though, goes in two directions,
Pro-drilling states and companies finding themselves in conflict with the federal government
with the policy making regarding hydraulic fracturing, while anti- drilling forces find themselves
in conflict with drillers and advocates of drilling. This dispute will not be resolved any time
soon. Both the pro-drilling and anti-drilling groups will continue to use the courts and the
political or administrative powers at their disposal to win their goals, as we have seen in the past.
State governance over these issues is a possible solution. Having a state that regulates the
operations going on in its land is the answer. The answers the problem because this will allow
the state to monitor the fracking going on in the state, but doing this right and abide by tests and
regulations that decrease harms to the environment will make this fracking boom an era to
remember where state and local governments looked for the well-being of its residents but also
there state as well.
One of the other results of living and working in a hydraulic fracturing site is traffic. Traffic is a
perfect example of this. Roads need to be fixed due to constant the truck traffic caused by these
sites. Roads are an essential part to the functionality of one of these sites. Extreme level of truck
traffic is unsuitable in most municipalities, especially on smaller, relatively isolated rural roads
where most oil and gas development takes place. Given the infrastructure costs and major
accident risks posed by fracking traffic, suggesting that local government official work together
with state officials to impose some sort of program that preps, or gets ready the local community
for the heavy traffic to come that is associated with fracking. Doing this will allow for jobs to be

13. created in the local community before the fracking site arrives, but it also eliminates the heavy
costs of billions of dollars that are associated with these ventures.
STEP 10: Communicating the Results
As the fracking boom increase many issues and opportunities come with and state and local
governments need to continue to move forward and create legislature that will benefit both the
state and the citizens. Giving rights to the states over its natural resources gives the United States
more time to think about other issues, such as civil rights, immigration among others. Ultimately,
designing and executing plans to increase public opinion about fracking is going to be tough, but
this can all change by making the fracking process less pollutant to the air and water systems.
The economic value of fracking is important and fixing every process used and related in some
way or form needs to be improved so economic gain is achieved, but also the United States
dependence on foreign oil is decreased. The material out in the scholarly world unfortunately
does not have a lot of data regarding housing projects and population waves relating to the
fracking boom that I felt were sufficient for the study. This aspect was the original topic to look
at because I feel that the housing industry in the fracking boom needs work, but fortunately
housing falls under infrastructure, and soon a more in depth study can occur. Housing is
interesting because government intervention may take place and that will be something else the
states and the federal government need to discuss.

14. References
Barth, J. M. (2013). The economic impact of shale gas development on state and local
economies: benefits, costs, and uncertainties. In New solutions: A Journal of
Environmental and Occupational Health Policy, (pp. 85-101).
Kinnaman, T. C. (2011). The economic impact of shale gas extraction: A review of existing
studies. In Ecological Economics, (pp.1243-1249).
Minor, J. (2014). Local Government Fracking Regulations: A Colorado Case Study. In Stanford
Enviromental Law Journal, (pp. 59-120).
Rahm, D. (2011). Regulating hydraulic fracturing in shale gas plays: The case of Texas. In
Energy Policy (pp. 2974-2981).