As new energy resource extraction techniques like fracking (for background read this) increase, so should federal safety regulations. The New York Times has recently uncovered a series of unpublished EPA reports that show the dangerous effect that fracking has on local water supplies. Studies show an increased cancer risk among populations who live around areas where radioactive drilling waste is dumped. Frightening statistics about human and environmental health risks related to fracking are IGNORED BY REGULATORS while oil companies continue drilling for natural gas and stuffing their wallets. Read the New York Times article here. And read one of the never-reported studies here.

Now, for some news stories about water and the environment:

In Tucson, saving the bath water too: Arizona moves toward graywater conservation systems in response to threats of drought.

Fish pedicure safety in question: Health officials are “currently investigating if there are any potential risks of infection associated with the commercial use of fish spa pedicures in the UK.” The latest pampering craze involves dunking one’s feet in a tank filled with small fish that eat dead skin.

New Orleans water pipes need to be replaced not patched: Even though the government has patched over 86,000 leaks since Hurricane Katrina, the amount of cracks in the local water infrastructure system per year is still 30% higher than before the hurricane. “Now the city is seeking federal assistance for a major overhaul of its deteriorating water supply network.”

California’s Regulators turn blind eye to groundwater pollution from dairies: A new report from Food and Water Watch “outlines how serious the contamination of groundwater systems near Central Valley dairies has become. Not only are the pollution levels frightening, but so too is the lack of care shown by the agency in charge of protecting groundwater supplies.”

T. Boone Pickens, founder and chairman of BP, raised some eyebrows during his interview with Jon Stewart on the Daily Show last week. Mr. Pickens expressed the opinion that America needs to focus more on natural gas energy sources instead of depending on foreign oil. When Stewart pointed out the environmental and health dangers of the natural gas extraction technique called fracking, Pickens said, “…they always say [fracking] contaminates the aquifer …I’ve never seen that happen. I’ve fracked 3,000 wells in my life. I’ve never seen anything damaged.” Here’s the clip:

While I think Pickens is right in his argument that America needs a long-term energy plan, I think his claims that fracking has never caused any damage to water sources is an outright lie.
Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking, is a process that can be used to retrieve natural gas. Invented by Haliburton, fracking involves blasting millions of gallons of water mixed with chemicals deep underground to crack open the rocks and release natural gas.
Scientific studies vary (studies funded by energy companies will have different results than impartial ones) and the issue is still very controversial, however many contend that fracking pollutes water above and below ground and also depletes aquifers. With hardly any federal regulation on the drilling technique, people living in communities nearby drilling sites are falling ill and can be more susceptible to cancer after drinking high volumes of chemically contaminated water over time. If there were flammable fumes coming out of my tap like some of the people interviewed in the Academy Award-nominated documentary about fracking called Gasland, I think I would disagree with Pickens’ claim that nothing has been damaged as a result of fracking.