Fracking is becoming a nasty word for many Americans with underground wells. The term, which is a shortcut for “hydraulic fracturing,” applies to the method of extracting natural gas by injecting the earth with chemically-tainted water to break up underground rocks. But this practice leaves behind pollution that finds its way into underground water supplies that homeowners and renters rely on.

 

Individuals and environmentalists say fracking is causing problems in 28 of the 50 states in the country, leaving Americans with unusable water. The industry’s use of the method has outpaced the ability of state governments to keep up with inspections, creating a situation of insufficient oversight. A Scripps Howard investigation indentified 1,972 pollution and contamination violations in Ohio alone.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Fracking Wells Blamed for Polluted Water; Inspectors Overwhelmed (by Isaac Wolf, Scripps Howard News Service)