“EPA: Natural Gas
Fracking Linked to Water Contamination” by Abrahm Lustgarten, Nicholas Kusnetz,
and ProPublica debates whether hydraulic fracking caused underground water
pollution in central Wyoming. Federal environment officials concluded that the
gas drilling process likely caused the water pollution, but the EPA, currently
investigating the situation, has yet release a finalized report. Based on the
findings, many people are questioning the safety of fracking. Environmentalists
are calling for strong federal regulation of fracking, but the drilling industry
has continuously argued for the safety of fracking.
The article
mentions many facts and statistics that lead one to believe in the dangers of hydraulic
fracking. Residents began to complain of browning water soon after nearby gas
wells were fracked and in 2008 and 2010 the EPA found contaminants that likely
resulted from fracking and warned residents against drinking the water and
recommended ventilating their homes because they were at risk for an explosion.
The EPA then proceeded to drill into wells and discovered carcinogenic chemicals
known to be used in fracking. After further investigation, the EPA reported
that the water contamination, was in fact, caused by hydraulic fracking.
This recent
revelation has sparked even more controversy over the potential harms of
fracking. I believe that with evidence like this, there definitely needs to be
stronger federal regulations on fracking. The health of the people in this
community was put at risk for years before the cause of the contamination was
finally discovered and it would be an injustice to let this happen again.
I don't think stopping fracking altogether is a good idea, since that would discourage research into making the fracking process cause less damage to nearby groundwater reservoirs. However, it should not be done in places where the government has control over the water resources, as those belong to the people of the area.
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