EPA links Hydraulic Fracturing with Groundwater Pollution

In a draft report made public last week, the US Environmental Protection Agency linked hydraulic fracturing with groundwater contamination in Wyoming _ a first-of-its-kind conclusion by the federal agency that could trigger new scrutiny of the practice used to extract oil and natural gas nationwide.

The EPA announced its findings as part of a three-year probe into possible groundwater contamination in Pavillion, Wyo. 

In a draft report, the agency said it had discovered synthetic chemicals — including glycols and alcohols — associated with gas production and hydraulic fracturing fluids inside deep water wells in the region.

Although the study is limited to a gas field in Wyoming and is only in a draft form, the EPA’s finding could be a game changer for the oil and gas industry, which has insisted that hydraulic fracturing is safe and should be regulated solely by state officials, rather than the federal government.

Read More from Fuel Fix HERE

Read the EPA Draft Report HERE