Why Fracking Is A Crime Against Women: Spontaneous Abortions,
Breast Cancer, And Birth Defects Hydraulic fracturing, or
"fracking," has generated widespread media attention this year.
The process, which injects water and chemicals into the ground
to release "natural" gas and oil from shale bedrock, has been
shown to contribute significantly to air and water pollution and
has even been linked to earthquakes. But little has been
reported on the ways in which fracking may have unique impacts
on women. Chemicals used in fracking have been linked to breast
cancer and reproductive health problems and there have been
reports of rises in crimes against women in some fracking "boom"
towns, which have attracted itinerant workers with few ties to
the community. Toxins in Fracking Process Linked to Breast
Cancer Not only has the chemical cocktail inserted into the
ground been shown to contaminate groundwater and drinking water,
but fracking fluid also picks up toxins on its trip down to the
bedrock and back up again that