No direct link between fracking and water contamination, study claims

Fracking has proved controversial, with claims that the process has contaminated groundwater supplies. Above: The Cuadrilla shale fracking operation in Preston, England, has been blamed for two minor earthquakes in the surrounding region.Photograph: Getty Images

RESEARCH FINDINGS: THE RELEASE of natural gas by fracturing rocks deep within the earth, known as fracking, has no direct connection to groundwater contamination, according to a study released yesterday.

Pollution of groundwater has been attributed to other failures including spills of fracking chemicals at the surface and bad drilling practice, the University of Texas at Austin study indicates.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Vancouver Canada heard a session on fracking, or hydraulic fracturing. This is the practice of drilling into gas-bearing shales and then fracturing them to release the gas by pumping down very high pressure water.

However, fracking has proved controversial over the past few years with widespread claims that the process, which includes pumping down thousands of gallons of chemicals into the wells, has contaminated groundwater supplies in some areas.

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Irish Times.com