There will be blood: Crime rates in shale-rich U.S. counties

James, Alexander; Smith, Brooke M.

doi:10.1016/j.jeem.2016.12.004

Cited by 100 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 26 publications

(10 reference statements)

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“…The observations by Bohnenkamp et al () are largely consistent with the conclusions of a nationwide study by James and Smith (), who found positive increases in the rates of aggravated and simple assaults, larceny, and auto theft in shale energy boom counties, especially those in less‐densely populated areas in the shale regions in the U.S. In addition, they also found that the number of registered sex offenders in particular moved disproportionately to rural boomtowns in North Dakota.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Does Shale Energy Development Mean More Crime? The Case of the Bakken Oil Boom

Lim¹

2018

Growth and Change

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The rise and fall of shale oil production in recent years have led to tremendous economic growth and challenges to shale communities in the U.S. In this study, we attempt to address the inconsistent results in previous studies and shed light on the relationship between rural crimes and shale oil development at the Bakken using county‐level data for Montana and North Dakota from 2000 through 2014. Our results indicated statistically significant evidence of increased aggravated assaults, burglaries, larcenies, and motor vehicle thefts in shale‐oil producing counties during the boom. However, the regression results suggest that the rise in certain violent crime, such as murder, rape, and robbery, is not statistically attributable to the shale oil boom or oil activity, but to increased population in the two states. The crime effect of the boom also grew larger especially after 2008. The results point to some evidence of social disruption in rural communities undergoing rapid shale oil development. More importantly, the Bakken's crime experience also suggests a number of critical needs for shale energy regions nationwide.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 79%

Does Shale Energy Development Mean More Crime? The Case of the Bakken Oil Boom

Lim¹

2018

Growth and Change

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“…21 Preliminary statistical evidence suggests increased crime in shale-rich counties in recent years (James & Smith 2014). In contrast, Feyrer et al (2014) find no consistent patterns regarding aggregate crime in producing counties; some individual types of crime may have increased in some counties, but the analysis cannot reject relatively small (or no) increases, even for the highest-producing counties.…”

Section: Local Boomtown Disamenitiesmentioning

confidence: 98%

The Economics of Shale Gas Development

Mason

Muehlenbachs

Olmstead

2015

Annu. Rev. Resour. Econ.

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In the past decade, innovations in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have fueled a boom in the production of natural gas (as well as oil) from geological formationsprimarily deep shales -in which hydrocarbon production was previously unprofitable. Impacts on U.S. fossil fuel production and the U.S. economy more broadly have been transformative, even in the first decade. The boom has been accompanied by concerns about negative externalities, including impacts to air, water, and quality of life in producing regions. We describe the economic benefits of the shale gas boom, including direct market impacts and positive externalities, providing back-of-the-envelope estimates of their magnitude. The paper also summarizes the current science and economics literatures on negative externalities. We conclude that the likely scope of economic benefits is extraordinarily large, and that continued research on the magnitude of negative externalities is necessary to inform risk-mitigating policies.3 INTRODUCTIONIn the latter part of the 20 th century, a small group of determined entrepreneurs (supported by decades of federal and private research and development investments) chased a dream -that they would be able to extract meaningful, economically valuable amounts of natural gas from shale deposits (Zuckerman 2013). These individuals were broadly ridiculed at the start, but when their determination paid off and large amounts of gas began to flow from the wells they had drilled, critics in the industry changed their tune. The methods used to unlock these enormous deposits include hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking"-the injection of water under high pressure to fracture lowpermeability shale -along with horizontal drilling. Both techniques had been used in the past; fracking was used commercially as early as 1950, and horizontal wells were common by the late 1970s (King 2012). But innovations in their joint use proved the key to unlocking massive stores of natural gas, which have transformed important parts of the U.S. economy.The substantial increase in economically recoverable reserves, mostly thus far in North America, has led to lower prices for residential and commercial consumers, increased reliance on natural gas to generate electricity, and increased reliance on natural gas as an input to industrial production (U.S. Energy Information Administration 2011, 2014a). As abundant shale gas displaces coal in electricity generation and other industrial uses, the shale boom could also have positive implications for local air pollution and the greenhouse gas emissions that are changing the global climate. At the same time, concerns have been raised about the potential for fracking's water intensity to place pressure on agricultural and municipal use of fresh water, as well as aquatic ecosystems. The chemicals added to the water before fracking, as well as significant wastewater produced, have prompted worries about the contamination of aquifers, rivers, and streams. Air quality impacts from the practice have a...

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“…Indeed, in a public health review of hydraulic fracturing conducted in December 2014, the New York Department of Health came to the following conclusion: Crime has also increased in communities that surround these developments. James and Smith [70] showed that "shale-rich counties experienced faster growth in rates of both property and violent crimes including rape, assault, murder, robbery, burglary, larceny, and grand theft auto". The study stressed that policymakers need to be prepared ahead of time in certain boomtown communities.…”

Section: F Castro-alvarez Et Al Renewable and Sustainable Energy Rementioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability lessons from shale development in the United States for Mexico and other emerging unconventional oil and gas developers

Castro-Alvarez

Marsters

Baridó

et al. 2018

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

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A B S T R A C TMexico's recent energy reform (2013) has provided the foundations for increased private participation in attempts to offset or reverse the country's continued decline in fossil fuel production. This country is currently on path to becoming a net energy importer by 2020. Conversely, in 2015, and for the first time in over 20 years, the United States (US) became a net oil exporter to Mexico. One of the strategies being pursued by Mexico to prevent an impending supply-demand energy imbalance is the development of shale resources using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques. Hence, an evaluation of the inherent risks associated with hydraulic fracturing is crucial for Mexico's energy planning and decision-making process. This paper draws lessons from the recent 'shale boom' in the US, and it analyzes and summarizes the environmental, social, economic, and community impacts that Mexico should be aware of as its nascent shale industry develops. The analysis seeks to inform mainly Mexican policy makers, but also academics, nongovernmental organizations, and the public in general, about the main concerns regarding hydraulic fracturing activities, and the importance of regulatory enforcement and community engagement in advancing sustainability. Furthermore, using the US as a case study, we argue that development of unconventional oil and gas resources in Mexico could lead to a short-term boom rather than to a dependable and sustainable long-term energy supply. Our analysis concludes with a set of recommendations for Mexico, featuring best practices that could be used to attenuate and address some of the impacts likely to emerge from shale oil and gas development.

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There will be blood: Crime rates in shale-rich U.S. counties

Cited by 100 publications

References 26 publications

Does Shale Energy Development Mean More Crime? The Case of the Bakken Oil Boom

Does Shale Energy Development Mean More Crime? The Case of the Bakken Oil Boom

The Economics of Shale Gas Development

Sustainability lessons from shale development in the United States for Mexico and other emerging unconventional oil and gas developers

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