EPA Study Finds No 'Widespread' Impact on Drinking Water

Hydraulic fracturing can contaminate drinking water but has not caused "widespread" impacts, U.S. EPA found in a highly anticipated study released today.

The landmark findings, published in a final draft still subject to public comment and peer review, assessed the potential "life-cycle" effects of fracking -- from water acquisition to injection to wastewater management -- and identified vulnerabilities in the process that have led to contamination of surface water and groundwater in several cases.

"Of the potential mechanisms identified in this report, we found specific instances where one or more mechanisms led to impacts on drinking water resources, including contamination of drinking water wells," EPA said in an executive summary.  "The number of identified cases, however, was small compared to the number of hydraulically fractured wells."

The report upsets the industry line that fracking has never contaminated drinking water but concludes that the evidence does not indicate "widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United States."

Read more at EPA Study Finds No 'Widespread' Impact on Drinking Water