As most forms of energy in the US have been going up in price, natural gas has gone in the opposite direction. This is largely the result of a new extraction technique called "fracking," in which fluids under high pressure are used to fracture rock formations deep underground, releasing large volumes of gas that would otherwise be trapped in small pockets. Because of relaxed regulations in some states, the process of fracking boomed before anyone had a clear perspective on its environmental consequences.
Most of the concerns about fracking have focused on the fluids involved in the process, which tend to exit the wells heavily contaminated with dissolved metals and radioactive material. But those may not be the only worries. A study, released yesterday by PNAS, now shows that fracking may be contaminating local groundwater with enough methane to pose a risk of explosion.
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Jennifer Morrison Adrianne Palicki Amanda Righetti Michelle Branch Melissa Howard
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