Hydraulic Fracturing Debate

            Recently in Pavillion, Wyoming, a discovery was made in which underwater groundwater pollution was linked to hydraulic fracturing.  This issue is discussed in Abraham Lustgarten’s article, “EPA: Natural Gas Fracking Linked to Water Contamination.”  This contamination was likely caused by the gas drilling process.  After the discovery, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a statement claiming the pollution of the groundwater in Wyoming was likely caused by gas wells whose contents had seeped up into the dirt.  This contamination of the ground water which was analyzed contained at least 10 compounds which are often used in frack fluids, backing up the EPAs assumption.  Currently there is a national debate on whether or not hydraulic fracking is harming the groundwater.  This discovery could be a huge turning point for environmental advocates because it could cause stricter regulations on fracking. 

            The drilling industry does not believe these claims and insists that hydrologic pressure keeps the harmful fluids from rising in the soil.   They argue “…that deep geologic layers provide a watertight barrier preventing the movement of chemicals towards the surface; and that the problems with the cement and steel barriers around gas wells aren't connected to fracking.”  In addition, when asked about the EPA’s findings, a spokesperson for EnCana, the company which owns the wells in Pavillion, denied that the contamination was caused by the company’s wells.  Instead the spokesperson claimed that the pollution was naturally occurring.

            For more than 20 years, residents of the town Pavillion have been complaining about fouled drinking water.  Some residents have encountered the water in their wells turning brown after fracking, and in response, the responsible gas companies supplied alternate drinking water.   In addition, many samples of the water have been taken, all returning results with trace amounts of contaminants, which are commonly used in fracking.  Residents have also been cautioned by health officials not to drink their water.

            Although this controversy of whether the fracking is to blame for the pollutants in the groundwater has not been settled yet, it is causing much debate.  These discoveries could lead stricter regulations being put in place on hydraulic fracturing.