I blogged about a draft EPA report addressing issues of ground water quality in Pavillion, Wyoming relating to shale-gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing.
There have been a number of reported instances of drinking water contamination in which a link to hydraulic fracturing has been reported. These have been taken seriously enought that the EPA has started a multi-year project funded by Congress to study the problem.
Separately, in response to complaints by domestic well owners regarding objectionable taste and odor problems in wellwater, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has investigated ground water near Pavillion, Wyoming. The objective of the EPA’s investigation was to determine the presence of ground water contamination and to differentiate shallowsource sources (pits, septic systems, agricultural and domestic practices) from deeper sources (gasproduction wells).
EPA, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the State of Wyoming, and the Tribes have announced that they are going to do additional sampling. The EPA has also announced that it is extending the public comment period through October 2012 until additional sampling has been completed. EPA has also delayed convening the peer review panel on the draft Pavillion report until a report containing USGS data is publicly available.
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