Fracking Chemicals Found in Pennsylvania Groundwater

For the first time since the fracking boom has revolutionized the American oil industry, chemicals used in the process have been found in drinking water raising new questions about the safety of a practice that is already known to be responsible for causing earthquakes.

The New York Times reports chemicals from fracking entering the water supply has been a long term concern about the process, but this is the first time it has been proven.

The study focused on water samples collected in 2012. The samples contained 2-Butoxyethanol, a chemical used in the fracking process that has been shown to cause tumors and cancer in mice. The amount of the chemical is said to be in line with health regulations.

The scientists behind the research speculated that there were two possible causes for the presence of the chemical. The first was a leak from a chemical storage tank in 2009. The second and more cause was the weakness of the well fracking well itself.

Wells below 1,000 feet do not have the same protective casings as wells above that level, and the scientists speculate that this made it more likely for fracking chemicals to seep into rock formations and then pass into the water supply.

The oil industry denies that they have anything to do with the presence of the chemicals. They claim that because 2-Butoxyethanol is also found in cleaning supplies, the presence of the chemical in groundwater cannot be attributed to them.

At the same time however, the water was taken from wells used by three homeowners with drilling near the property. Additionally, the oil company responsible for the wells, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, chose to settle with the homeowners and buy the property, rather than fully litigate the matter in court.

The scientists behind the study also said that when they took samples from wells that were further away from the drilling locations, they did not detect any of the chemicals found in the aforementioned homeowners' wells.