Clean Water In the News

Environmentalists continue to pummel Barnett Shale drillers.

Environment Texas released on Wednesday a study questioning whether drilling in the North Texas natural gas field contaminates drinking water. It's a concern we've heard before, and the study doesn't offer any new data. The group gives suggestions for protecting its drinking water from the potential threat.

Whether drilling contaminates drinking water or not, I don't know. But simply posing the question could put drilling at risk, if enough citizens and politicians become concerned. Recent questions on whether the natural gas equipment in North Texas pollutes too much, or whether water disposal wells can trigger earthquakes, could also trigger new regulations of drilling.

Environment Texas said in its press release:

To extract natural gas, drillers often inject a toxic mix of fluids into the ground to create fractures which allow natural gas to flow to the surface. This process can force toxic substances already underground into drinking water. Some of the pollutant laden fluids drillers inject remain underground, and can also end up contaminating water supplies.

The fluids recovered by drillers can contaminate water as well. The recovered fluids are frequently stored in open-air pits, which have the potential to leak or flood, and can overwhelm local water treatment facilities. Also, the amount of water needed for the process- often millions of gallons- may drain local watersheds. In some cases, it has caused streams to run dry.

Natural gas companies have long said water used for drilling doesn't come from drinking supplies and doesn't return to drinking supplies. Therefore, the drilling water cannot contaminate drinking water.

Environment Texas' suggestions could be costly for drillers. The group calls for drillers to upgrade the equipment, tell the public what chemicals the driling water contains, and set aside money to pay for any cleanup.