Fracking Contaminates Wyoming City’s Drinking Water Following Abandoned Environmental Investigation

Recent research published in the magazine, Environmental Science & Technology, has found that the water supply in the small Wyoming town of Pavillion to be contaminated by a nearby fracking operation.

Fracking, which is a mining technique involving the injection of water and chemicals into the ground in order to release gas or oil, has been considered controversial due to the risks it poses to water sanitation.

Following complaints from residents about the taste and smell of their drinking water, researchers Robert Jackson and Dominic Digiulio began investigating the fracking operation and sanitary levels of Pavillion’s water supply. The drinking water of Pavillion was later found to contain levels of Benzine over 50 times the allowable limit. Benzine, which is often used in fuel, is a widely recognized carcinogen known for causing leukemia.

The duo also discovered that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had begun an investigation into Pavillion’s water supply almost six years prior. However, the investigation was never published, and was promptly took over and abandoned by the City of Wyoming.

For the 230 people in Pavillion who rely on this water supply throughout their daily lives, this news comes six years too late.

Info Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/apr/07/wyoming-fracking-water-contamination-dangerous-chemicals