UT Study: No Link Between Fracking & Groundwater Contamination

In November of last year, the Energy Institute at the University of Texas (UT) announced preliminary findings that hydraulic fracturing does not contaminate groundwater (see this MDN story). The final version of the study has now been released (see a full copy of the report embedded below).

The study is titled “Fact-Based Regulation for Environmental Protection in Shale Gas Development” and focuses on reports of groundwater contamination and other environmental impacts of shale gas exploration and production in states covering the Barnett, Marcellus and Haynesville Shales. It is a detailed and thorough research study, and does not gloss over potential problems with drilling, pointing out that many of the negative issues in shale gas drilling are from oil and gas drilling in general, not specific to horizontal hydraulic fracturing.

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