Photo by MrPessimist/flickr
The Potential
Some of this increased traffic is undoubtedly residential traffic. A good portion of it, however, is probably truck traffic, since fracking operations require trucks to bring in water, sand, and frack fluid and bring out waste water and the coveted oil or gas.
Photo by weaverphoto/flickr
The New York study also estimates noise levels at the actual well site, with the drilling process being the least noisy (44dBA at 2,000 feet from the well and 76dBA at 50 feet) and the fracking process being the most noisy (72dBA from 2,000 feet and 104dBA from 50 feet).
The New York study also estimates noise levels at the actual well site, with the drilling process being the least noisy (44dBA at 2,000 feet from the well and 76dBA at 50 feet) and the fracking process being the most noisy (72dBA from 2,000 feet and 104dBA from 50 feet).
For comparison’s sake, a whisper registers a mere 20dBA, diesel truck traffic is around 84dBA, and a rock concert can be over 110dBA. As David pointed out earlier today, those headphones we use to drown the sound of traffic with music can produce decibel levels somewhere between a truck and a rock concert.
The Impact
In considering the impact of noise exposure from fracking, we need to do more than just throw out noise levels and health effects, although this is a great place to start.
First of all, how loud do things have to get before we start seeing effects? Annoyance begins at around 80dBA (just under the level for a diesel truck 50 feet away). At this point, noise can get in the way of conversation and generally just get on our nerves. Plus, constant exposure can cause damage to our hearing. We have guidelines to follow to avoid hearing loss, but what about something like high blood pressure? One study cited above saw elevated blood pressure in people with diabetes who were exposed to mean noise levels as low as 39 dBA at night.
Next, we need to consider how long people are exposed to this noise. What’s the impact from short bursts of noise vs. constant noise? And how about the difference between a well that takes 3 months to frack and a well that has constant activity for years?
Getting back to the National Geographic quote at the beginning of this blog, we can also think about who is most vulnerable. Which local populations will be more exposed? What makes them vulnerable to begin with?
Finally, we can think about cumulative exposure. It’s not just a truck or just a drill that nearby residents hear—it’s a combination of noises, added to the noise they already experience at home, school, and work each day. And how does added noise interact with other stresses or exposures from fracking? Will stress from a population boom influence the effects of added noise? What about the air pollution associated with that extra truck traffic? What is the cumulative impact of all the local costs of fracking, and how do they compare with the benefits?
These are all questions I certainly cannot answer, and as far as I can tell, no one else out there has all the answers right now either. I’m looking forward to seeing the research that can help tie all of these things together. Noise might not matter in the long run… but how do we know if we don’t do the fracking research?
In the meantime, what do you think? What questions have I forgotten to ask here, and where else should the research be headed at this point?