by: PBS
Water Contamination from Shale Gas Drilling
Hydraulic fracturing, the growing practice of drilling for the natural gas embedded in shale rock formations deep below the Earth’s surface, may be contaminating water in many places. Critics of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, suspect that the chemicals used in shale gas drilling can leak into groundwater supplies. Landowners in shale gas drilling areas have reported foul smells in tap water, and toxic chemicals, such as benzene, have been detected in water from wells near drilling sites. In some cases, tap water can even be set aflame because it is contaminated with volatile chemicals because of shale gas drilling.
Many of the chemicals used in fracking, such as benzene, are hazardous. Long-term exposure to such chemicals can have serious health consequences. However, the industry has been reluctant to disclose the chemicals used in shale gas drilling, for fear of revealing proprietary information to their competitors. But people living near shale gas fracking operations have a right to this information, especially if any of these chemicals could poison surrounding water supplies.
Our firm is aggressively investigating the problem of water contamination from fracking in shale gas drilling. If you live in a community where such shale gas drilling is occurring and suspect that water supplies have been tainted, we want to hear from you. Please contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
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