water contamination

A study being conducted by the Colorado Geological Survey (CGS) shows the very real potential for groundwater contamination by coal-bed methane production in the Sand Wash Basin area of Moffat County, according to the Craig Daily Press.

Officials for the natural gas industry are quick to point out that a process called hydraulic fracturing has been in use for more than 60 years without a single documented case of groundwater contamination by the chemicals used to make gas flow more freely from wells.

But U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette is just as quick to respond that it’s hard to document contamination when no one outside of the industry knows exactly what kinds of chemicals are being injected along with high-pressure water into wells to force open rock formations thousands of feet below the surface.