Texas Approves Use Of Fracking Wastewater To Irrigate Crops - CleanTechnica

The article discusses the controversial approval by Texas to use treated fracking wastewater for irrigating crops, raising significant health and environmental concerns. Fracking involves injecting water mixed with various toxic chemicals—many of which are trade secrets—into underground rock formations to extract oil and methane. This wastewater contains harmful substances, including undisclosed organic surfactants, which are chemicals that help mix oil and water but may pose risks to human health. The secrecy around the exact chemical composition prevents communities and regulators from fully understanding the potential dangers, as exemplified by a Chevron well blowout in Colorado that exposed nearby schoolchildren to unknown contaminants. Proponents in Texas argue that recycling fracking wastewater could alleviate the state's fresh water scarcity and encourage the oil and gas industry to manage their waste more responsibly. However, critics highlight the risks of introducing toxic substances into agricultural irrigation, potentially contaminating crops and the food supply. The article also references a public stunt by a fracking company executive who drank fracking water to claim its safety,