The Environmental Protection Agency announced last week it will bring tanks of drinking water to four homes in Dimock, Pa., that have likely been contaminated by hydraulic fracturing in natural-gas drilling. People in the township have complained of water troubles since April 2009, when some wells were blown up and tap water caught fire, reports Abraham Lustgarten of ProPublica. Lawsuits were filed and state investigations conducted, but the water problem was never resolved.
EPA reviewed water-well data in Dimock and found "dangerous levels" of arsenic, glycols and barium, known carcinogens. The agency plans to test water supplies in 60 more homes, "apparently concerned that contamination may be more widespread," Lustgarten writes. Pennsylvania's top environmental regulator has called EPA's understanding of the Dimock situation "rudimentary," but state agencies haven't conducted studies of the same scope EPA is planning. (Wikipedia maps)
Environmental groups are praising the decision while callingon EPA to "address water contamination concerns in other communities across the country." The agency concluded in December that fracking was likely the cause of groundwater contamination in Pavillion, Wyo. It is conducting a multi-year, national study about the impacts of fracking on water supplies. (Read more)
Environmental groups are praising the decision while callingon EPA to "address water contamination concerns in other communities across the country." The agency concluded in December that fracking was likely the cause of groundwater contamination in Pavillion, Wyo. It is conducting a multi-year, national study about the impacts of fracking on water supplies. (Read more)
No comments:
Post a Comment