2016 AAAS Annual Meeting (February 11-15, 2016)

February 10 - 15, 2016

Does Hydraulic Fracturing Allow Gas to Reach Drinking Water?

Countries around the world are considering the practice of hydraulic fracturing. In the United States, the federal government is deciding how to assure that drinking water is not contaminated by this practice. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a 2015 report on fracking that includes the first national survey of conditions at over 300 wells. This symposium presents the EPA’s findings on well construction and possible pathways to drinking water; the National Academy of Sciences’ study on unconventional oil and gas drilling; and research on the differences between drinking water located near fracked wells compared to other locations.