Linking Fracking to Water Pollution

Water contamination is a serious issue in the United States right now and needs to be addressed.  Hydraulic fracturing has been used in the U.S. for over ten years and researchers just now identified contaminants in central Wyoming.  “Fracking,” short for fracturing, is what scientists call the seepage of pressurized liquid being forced to the earth’s surface, thus causing fractures in the rock.

             This is the environmental downside to America’s quest for oil.  The drilling industry is just on one big treasure hunt; drilling first, asking questions later.  Although excavating for oil and natural gas is important for the U.S. economy to grow, at what cost to the environment will the drilling companies go to in order to ensure economic sustainability?  And is economic sustainability more important than ecological sustainability? 

            The EPA’s findings of hydrocarbons and other trace contaminants in residents’ water supply shows that fracking could be polluting the environment.  Futhermore, the same chemicals that are in the fracking have been detected in the local water supply in Wyoming.  This concludes that fracking is linked to water contamination.  The drilling industry needs to take the environment into account before they start drilling everywhere.  I am curious about how the federal government addresses this issue.  Since it is so key to the U.S. economy, will they just overlook the underlying problem?  What the federal government should do is put a halt to further drilling and come up with a plan to reverse the damage and pollution from fracking.