An Associated Press investigation found that in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Texas "hundreds of complaints have been made about well-water contamination
from oil or gas drilling, and pollution was confirmed in a number of
them," Kevin Begos reports for the wire service. That information comes on the heels of a report by the Environmental Protection Agency that analysts say shows the agency is backing off enforcement of pollution from hydraulic fracturing, Valerie Volcovici reports for Reuters.
The AP study found "that Pennsylvania received 398 complaints in 2013 alleging that oil or natural gas drilling polluted or otherwise affected private water wells, compared with 499 in 2012," Begos writes. The state "confirmed at least 106 water-well contamination cases since 2005, out of more than 5,000 new wells. There were five confirmed cases of water-well contamination in the first nine months of 2012, 18 in all of 2011 and 29 in 2010." Some of the wells were completed with horizontal hydraulic fracturing, but it wasn't clear how many.
"Ohio had 37 complaints in 2010 and no confirmed contamination of water supplies; 54 complaints in 2011 and two confirmed cases of contamination; 59 complaints in 2012 and two confirmed contaminations; and 40 complaints for the first 11 months of 2013, with two confirmed contaminations and 14 still under investigation, Department of Natural Resources spokesman Mark Bruce said in an email," Begos writes. "None of the six confirmed cases of contamination was related to fracking, Bruce said."
"West Virginia has had about 122 complaints that drilling contaminated water wells over the past four years, and in four cases the evidence was strong enough that the driller agreed to take corrective action, officials said," Begos writes. "A Texas spreadsheet contains more than 2,000 complaints, and 62 of those allege possible well-water contamination from oil and gas activity, said Ramona Nye, a spokeswoman for the Railroad Commission of Texas, which oversees drilling. Texas regulators haven’t confirmed a single case of drilling-related water-well contamination in the past 10 years, she said." (Read more)
Analysts say the EPA report, released on Dec. 31 by the agency's watchdog, shows that "federal regulators are unlikely to step up enforcement of potential water contamination cases linked to natural gas drilling, despite new concerns about water safety, given a lack of political will and limited resources to pursue such cases," Volcovici writes. "The report said the EPA was justified in issuing an emergency order in 2011, asking the oil and gas driller Range Resources to improve monitoring and provide clean water to a family in Parker County, Texas, whose water supply had been contaminated with methane as a result of nearby fracking. The EPA inspector general also criticized the agency for backing off enforcement of the complaint in 2012."
The EPA in 2012 "inspected 870 energy extraction sites and concluded enforcement actions against just 53," Volcovici writes. "The agency investigated 836 coal-fired electric units for potential air pollution incidents and controlled 461 of them." (Read more)
The AP study found "that Pennsylvania received 398 complaints in 2013 alleging that oil or natural gas drilling polluted or otherwise affected private water wells, compared with 499 in 2012," Begos writes. The state "confirmed at least 106 water-well contamination cases since 2005, out of more than 5,000 new wells. There were five confirmed cases of water-well contamination in the first nine months of 2012, 18 in all of 2011 and 29 in 2010." Some of the wells were completed with horizontal hydraulic fracturing, but it wasn't clear how many.
"Ohio had 37 complaints in 2010 and no confirmed contamination of water supplies; 54 complaints in 2011 and two confirmed cases of contamination; 59 complaints in 2012 and two confirmed contaminations; and 40 complaints for the first 11 months of 2013, with two confirmed contaminations and 14 still under investigation, Department of Natural Resources spokesman Mark Bruce said in an email," Begos writes. "None of the six confirmed cases of contamination was related to fracking, Bruce said."
"West Virginia has had about 122 complaints that drilling contaminated water wells over the past four years, and in four cases the evidence was strong enough that the driller agreed to take corrective action, officials said," Begos writes. "A Texas spreadsheet contains more than 2,000 complaints, and 62 of those allege possible well-water contamination from oil and gas activity, said Ramona Nye, a spokeswoman for the Railroad Commission of Texas, which oversees drilling. Texas regulators haven’t confirmed a single case of drilling-related water-well contamination in the past 10 years, she said." (Read more)
Analysts say the EPA report, released on Dec. 31 by the agency's watchdog, shows that "federal regulators are unlikely to step up enforcement of potential water contamination cases linked to natural gas drilling, despite new concerns about water safety, given a lack of political will and limited resources to pursue such cases," Volcovici writes. "The report said the EPA was justified in issuing an emergency order in 2011, asking the oil and gas driller Range Resources to improve monitoring and provide clean water to a family in Parker County, Texas, whose water supply had been contaminated with methane as a result of nearby fracking. The EPA inspector general also criticized the agency for backing off enforcement of the complaint in 2012."
The EPA in 2012 "inspected 870 energy extraction sites and concluded enforcement actions against just 53," Volcovici writes. "The agency investigated 836 coal-fired electric units for potential air pollution incidents and controlled 461 of them." (Read more)
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