Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

EPA Says No Evidence That Fracking Has "Widespread" Impact On Drinking Water

Posted by samzenpus on from the go-ahead-and-drink-it dept.

sycodon writes: A long-awaited EPA report on hydraulic fracturing concludes that the extraction process has "not led to widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water resources." The report also cautions of potential contamination of water supplies if safeguards are not maintained. "The study was undertaken over several years and we worked very closely with industry throughout the process," Tom Burke, EPA's science advisor and deputy assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Research and Development, said on a conference call hosted by the agency.

4 of 266 comments (clear)

  1. Oops ... by CaptainDork · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... and we worked very closely with industry throughout the process.

    --
    It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    1. Re:Oops ... by rtb61 · · Score: 5, Insightful
      The game is in the wording "We did not find evidence that these mechanisms [of potentially affecting water] have led to widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United States,". There are more than a MILLION fracking wells because by it very nature it's reach is not great and well after well must be drilled. So consider a grid of wells, say 100 x 100, that is 10,000 wells. So obviously in the middle no problem, contaminating the crap out of the water but no one there to drink it. Only the wells on the perimeter are the problem so percentage games bullshit. See 100 x 100 grid, 9,604 perfectly fine (still creating a problem but no one drinking that water, hence it is not 'drinking' water) and only 396 are a problem, now that is only about 4%. See no widespread problem, bwa hah hah.

      Now keep in mind how slow ground water spreads 'Water at very shallow depths might be just a few hours old; at moderate depth, it may be 100 years old; and at great depth or after having flowed long distances from places of entry, water may be several thousands of years old', http://water.usgs.gov/edu/eart.... Families of tomorrow poisoned by the psychopathic greed of today because that water from the centre of contaminating fracking fields with thousands of wells will move over time and it will end up killing thousands.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  2. Revolving Door: Monsanto and the EPA .. by nickweller · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "The two largest private sector sources for these EPA positions are Monsanto and Waste Management Inc. Since the creation of the EPA in 1970, at least twelve high-level employees of the agency also have one of these two companies on their resume." ref

  3. Biased by Albinoman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From reading the comments already on here, why not just admit there's no amount of proof you work accept. Let's face it. If you're unwilling to trust EPA than there's no one you would trust.