EPA: No Broad-Scale Drinking Water Pollution From Fracking

After a long-term look into the effects of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have found the practice is likely not polluting drinking water supplies, according to National Public Radio. They say the number of documented impacts from the practice has been low when compared to the number of fracking wells in the country.

Scientists at the agency analyzed more than 950 different sources of information on hydraulic fracturing to make the find. The in-depth review involved scientific papers, technical reports and interviews with stakeholders. It was completed at the request of Congress.

Though EPA scientists say there is likely not a widespread drinking water pollution problem related to fracking, they did find some vulnerabilities related to the practice. These include amounts of water required for fracking in dry areas and the unstable constructions of some wells.