And falling, where once we led we now seek to import foreign businesses or partner up with same!
- Associated Press: No fan of hydrofracking to produce shale gas, this man protested at an April rally in Albany, N.Y. Now a study at Duke University finds an association between the drilling method and high levels of methane in nearby well water
May 12, 2011 - Would you drink the water?"
Somebody asked us that after they heard about a study our scientific team released Monday showing high levels of methane in well water near sites where companies are drilling for natural gas.
Our analysis of 68 private groundwater wells in Pennsylvania and New York will surely fuel the debate over whether the U.S. should pursue natural gas more vigorously as an alternative to such current energy options as oil and coal, whose unfortunate side effects range from Middle East instability to global warming.
Proponents of using more natural gas highlight its abundance, along with other advantages. Critics have their list as well, including potential damage to people and the environment.
Our team found that methane was 17 times higher, on average, in water wells located within a kilometer of active drilling sites, with some of the concentrations dangerously high. Companies at these sites employ a process called hydrofracking to pump water, sand and chemicals deep underground at high pressure. This opens cracks that enable natural gas to flow more easily into the wells. {continued}
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