Natural gas drilling blamed for methane in water

Natural gas drilling is being blamed water pollution in several states. In some cases, drilling sends methane gas into nearby water wells and groundwater sources. "Drinking water with methane isn't necessarily harmful," writes Abrahm Lustgarten for ProPublica, "but the gas becomes dangerous when it evaporates out of the water and into people's homes, where it can become flammable. It can also suffocate those who breathe it."

In Dimock, Pa., which has seen much gas drilling into the Marcellus Shale, several wells have exploded. One person was told that if he wanted to take a bath, he needed to open a window because of the high methane levels in his water. It's a story that's not unique to the area. A recent report from Garfield County, Colo., one of the most heavily drilled areas in the U.S., found that gas drilling has affected dozens of wells in the area.

Gas drilling increasingly involves fracturing, which shoots water, sand and chemicals into deep rock formations at high pressure. Critics says the process pushes the gas into aquifers. The gas industry says aquifers are protected by thousands of feet of rock, and that any pollution is just an isolated example, occurring when drillers do not follow regulations. (Read more)