Gas Drilling the Cause of Water Contamination in Wyoming?

"EPA: Natural Gas Fracking Linked to Water Contamination"
by Abraham Lustgarten, Nicholas Kusnetz, and ProPublica

                This article, published in December 2011, discusses the national argument over whether or not hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a cause of water pollution in areas of Wyoming.  Speculation began when residents of Wyoming in the mid-1990s when residents made complaints of foul water.  Later in 2004, residents began to notice that the well water had turned brown shortly after gas wells were fracked nearby.  Due to these incidents, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, tested water samples from residents in 2008 and found traces of contaminants that were used in fracking.  In 2010, the new test results confirmed the previous samples, causing the EPA to caution residents not to drink local water and ventilate their homes when bathing, for the methane found in their water could cause explosions.  EPA officials said that contamination in Wyoming had seeped up from gas wells and contained at least 10 compounds used in frack fluids.  These findings were the turning point in the national debate on whether or not the contamination was actually happening.  Environmental advocates argued for stronger federal regulation of fracking, and members of Congress considered new proposals to regulate fracking and strengthen construction standards to reduce threats to drinking water.  While members of Congress disapprove of the harmful effects of fracking, one member of the Senate, Senator James Inhofe, found the findings, “offensive,” and challenged the investigation.  The results from the tests completed by the EPA contradicted arguments by the drilling industry, such as one by the spokesperson of the gas company, Doug Hock, who denied that the company’s actions were to blame, and that the contamination was naturally caused.  While there is strong evidence suggesting that fracking is the cause of water contamination, agriculture, drilling, and old pollution from waste pits left by the oil and gas industry are also all possible causes.  However, the gas company, EnCana, declining to give federal officials a detailed breakdown of every compound used underground is slightly suspicious.  Unfortunately, without the consistency of similar test results from different testing facilities, there cannot be any facts proving that hydraulic fracturing is to blame for the water contamination in Wyoming.