Fracking Can Contaminate Drinking Water

[FuzzyLumpkins]

It took nearly a decade, but former EPA scientist Dominic DiGiulio has proved that fracking has polluted groundwater in Wyoming

Former EPA scientist Dominic DiGiulio never gave up.

Eight years ago, people in Pavillion, Wyo., living in the middle of a natural gas basin, complained of a bad taste and smell in their drinking water. U.S. EPA launched an inquiry, helmed by DiGiulio, and preliminary testing suggested that the groundwater contained toxic chemicals.

Then, in 2013, the agency suddenly transferred the investigation to state regulators without publishing a final report.

Now, DiGiulio has done it for them.

He published a comprehensive, peer-reviewed study last week in Environmental Science and Technology that suggests that people’s water wells in Pavillion were contaminated with fracking wastes that are typically stored in unlined pits dug into the ground.

The study also suggests that the entire groundwater resource in the Wind River Basin is contaminated with chemicals linked to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fracking-can-contaminate-drinking-water/

whoops!

[CosmicCowboy]

Again, it applys to surface contamination from badly designed or executed disposal and not the actual act of fracking itself.

[boutons_deux]

1000s of tons methane, etc, leak from these "capped" wells, old wells, etc, etc. No problem, they're just "badly designed", (and unregulated, unpoliced as paid for by BigCarbon, just like BigCoal's coal ash isn't "toxic waste")

[Nbadan]

I don't think CC gets is the problem is deregulation...these companies come in make some big $$$$ and leave, all with the protection of most state governments and against local property owners...for instance, we know fairly certain that fracking contributes to low level earthquakes...at least, there is a very strong connection, but homeowners can't sue frackers when this shift cause the foundation in their home to crack or their well to run dry...