Regardless of assurances that it is safe, fracking is proving to contaminate drinking water supplies. News articles in Pennsylvania and Wyoming this week point to the contaminantion of well water by the practice of fracking.
“Fracking poses serious threats to safe drinking water.” Jan Jarrett, president of the environmental group PennFuture, said the news underscores the need for more research and protections in Pennsylvania.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has handed a potent weapon to opponents of shale gas development in North America, as its report of tainted ground water linked to gas drilling in Wyoming lends credence to the worst fears of people living near drilling operations.
It continues to amaze me that regulators fail to make the connection between groundwater sources and the risks associated with gas development.
In order to protect yourself I encourage people living in areas where gas development is proposed to start by purchasing an extensive well water test. I sell the Watercheck which tests for 83 items and costs $185. For those of you who wish to provide a baseline I encourage you to add Boron and Foaming Agents to this well water test for an additional $100. This can provide evidence that these items are not in your well water prior to contamination by gas drilling operations.
Anyone whose water source is well water should test that water regardless of the issue of fracking. If you want to drink healthy water and protect your family then a well water test is a small investment in doing so.
Fracking poses a lot of threats to your drinking water. Thanks for the post.