Book SummaryAmity and Prosperity, by Eliza Griswold

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Amity and Prosperity

Health and Environmental Impacts Of Fracking On Communities

Pollution in Communities Where Fracking Occurs

This section will explore the various ways pollution affects communities in the wake of fracking, including toxic chemicals leaching into nature and bodies.

Toxic Fracking Chemicals Like Benzene, [restricted term], Arsenic Contaminate Environment

Griswold paints a disturbing picture of how routine fracking practices contaminate the surrounding environment. Waste ponds, intended to hold the toxic sludge produced by the fracking process, often leak, allowing harmful chemicals to leach into the soil and groundwater. The author describes how these ponds, insulated with thin plastic barriers, are prone to damage from spills, heavy trucks driving by, and even animals entering them. She details the cleanup efforts at the Yeager site in Amity, Pennsylvania, where Range Resources was forced to remove 4,250,000 pounds of contaminated soil due to leaking waste pits.

Furthermore, the author highlights specific toxic chemicals detected in the environment and in the bodies of those living nearby. Benzene, [restricted term], arsenic, and ethylene glycol are just a few of the substances she documents through water, soil, and blood tests. Griswold explains how these contaminants, many known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors, seriously threaten human health, especially for children whose developing bodies are more vulnerable to their impact. The author details how these toxins don't just stay in the water; benzene and [restricted term], both VOCs, easily move from water into the air, creating a further risk of exposure through inhalation.

Context

• Cleaning up contaminated sites can be complex and costly, often requiring extensive soil and water treatment to remove hazardous substances.
• Leaks can lead to disputes between energy companies and local communities, with residents often facing challenges in proving contamination and seeking compensation or remediation.
• Extreme weather events, such as heavy rain or flooding, can lead to overflow or structural failure of waste ponds, increasing the risk of contamination.
• Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves injecting high-pressure fluid into subterranean rock formations to release natural gas or oil. This process can introduce various chemicals into the environment.
• Some of these chemicals can interfere with the endocrine system, which regulates hormones in the body. This disruption can lead to reproductive, developmental, and immune problems.
• Children are more likely to engage in behaviors such as playing on the ground and putting objects in their mouths, which can increase their risk of ingesting or coming into contact with contaminated soil or dust.
• Children's metabolic pathways are not fully developed, which can affect how their bodies process and eliminate toxins, potentially leading to a higher accumulation of harmful substances.
• Once in the air, these compounds can contribute to air pollution and smog formation, affecting not only local environments but also potentially traveling long distances and impacting broader regions.

Health Impacts: Illnesses, Birth Defects, Cancer

This section will examine the range of health problems reported by those living near fracking sites, using the experiences of Stacey Haney, her children, and her community to illustrate the potential human costs.

Lack of...

Amity and Prosperity Summary Fracking Conflicts in the Law, Politics, and Among Stakeholders

This section will examine the legal conflicts and political machinations involved in regulating fracking, highlighting the power imbalances between communities, corporations, and governmental bodies.

Zoning vs. Industry-Friendly Laws: Townships Shield People

Eliza Griswold deftly illustrates the conflict between local communities seeking to protect themselves through zoning and state administrations eager to prioritize economic growth through industry-friendly laws. The author focuses on the struggle over Act 13, a Pennsylvania law intended to strip townships of their ability to regulate drilling through zoning. Griswold details how the law was largely written by the fossil fuel industry itself and supported by Governor Tom Corbett, who received significant campaign donations from energy companies. She explains the efforts of citizens and township officials to fight this law, arguing that it infringed on their rights under the Constitution to safeguard their well-being and their homes' worth.

Griswold portrays the legal challenges led by John Smith, a lawyer from Washington County, representing several townships, including Robinson, in their fight against Act 13. Smith...

Amity and Prosperity Summary Fracking's Social Impacts: Divisions, Displacement, Economic Changes

This section will examine the broader social consequences of the rapid growth of fracking, including how it disrupted communities, displaced residents, and altered the social fabric of Amity and its surrounding areas.

Transient Workers Disrupting Towns, Driving Up Housing Costs

Eliza Griswold portrays the social disruption that the influx of transient workers brought to places such as Amity. The arrival of thousands of energy workers created a surge in need for housing, driving up rents and making it difficult for longtime resident to find affordable places to live. She describes how Stacey Haney, forced out of her home due to contamination, struggled to find an affordable rental that would accommodate her children and animals. She documents the increasing strain on local resources, including water supplies, as towns attempted to absorb the new arrivals.

Beyond economics, Griswold also explores the cultural clash between newcomers and longtime residents. She details the rise in crime rates, including DUI's, theft, and assault, connected to the transient worker population. She explains how the atmosphere of local gathering spots, like the Rinky Dinks Roadhouse, changed as...

Amity and Prosperity Summary Moral and Ethical Concerns of Fracking's Human Cost

The final section of this book guide will examine the larger ethical and moral questions that arise from fracking, exploring how the pursuit of economic growth and energy independence are often pitted against the health and well-being of local communities.

Growth and Energy Independence Prioritized Over Health and Environment

Eliza Griswold compels readers to confront the moral compromises at the heart of hydraulic fracturing, showing how the drive for economic growth and energy independence often takes precedence over the health and environmental well-being of vulnerable communities. The author highlights how both the Obama and Trump administrations emphasized the advantages of the fracking surge while downplaying its potential risks. She details how the promise of jobs, lower energy costs, and reduced dependency on overseas oil was used to justify fracking, even when contamination and health problems were evident.

Griswold explores the ways in which the fossil fuel sector, along with complicit government agencies like the DEP, have deliberately obfuscated the facts, concealed information, and employed aggressive tactics to silence those speaking out against fracking. She...