Benign Fracking? Yeah, Right

Duke University recently published a peer reviewed study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (link here) that Proves, drinking water wells that are near hydrofracking sites are 17 times higher in natural gas than drinking water wells close to wells.  Yes, the study DID find the majority of the gas came from faulty and leaking wells, and could not be correlated Directly to hydrofracking (as covered on Science Friday today, link here), but the lead author Robert Jackson did explain that the higher pressures involved in hydrofracking are very likely the causes of the leaking, cracked wells.   

Jackson described it as similar to the studies on cancer and smoking.  Studies of patients BEFORE they began smoking typically did not exist, and "after" effects are the only observations that could be studied.  In the hydrofracking case however, a plethora of homeowners have come forward to the Duke researchers with PRE-well drilling data on their wells, and will be providing post-drilling data as well, for future studies.

If someone was drilling under my home, I'd me more than a little fighting mad.  I'm glad that most of the western Phoenix valley is 1000 to 1500 feet deep in sand & silt from the multiple Pacific Ocean flooding that occurred here over the last billion years.  And at a million gallons per well of stolen ground water... that's insane and unsustainable.