High levels of methane found in drinking water near fracking areas

Mike Gallagher

Jun 24, 2013 - 05:38

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$High levels of methane found in drinking water near fracking areas$

Fracking might be responsible for methane in drinking water, says study

Opponents of fracking, which is the process of extracting natural gas from the Earth through hydraulic fracturing, will not be pleased with this new piece of research. Elevated levels of methane and other gases have been found in drinking water near fracking wells in Pennsylvania, in some cases measuring six times normal levels. Jackson's team analyzed 141 drinking water samples from private wells across Pennsylvania. "The bottom line is strong evidence for gas leaking into drinking water in some cases," said Robert Jackson, an environmental scientist at Duke University in Durham, N.C. "We think the likeliest explanation is leaky wells." However, Steve Everley, of the natural gas industry group Energy-in-Depth, said the study is flawed and methane is common in the region. [Source]