That is what the Associated Press is teasing now. Unfortunately as I type this, that is about all it is saying. Here’s the news from their website, en toto: “CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — EPA abandons plan to confirm hydraulic fracturing is linked to Wyoming groundwater pollution.”
Here’s some background: About 18 months ago the Environmental Protection Agency released a report that found that chemicals used in “fracking,” a natural gas extraction process, may have polluted local aquifers near Pavillion, Wyo. It was potentially the first real evidence to back up environmentalist claims was a danger to groundwater.
The report found:
The EPA cautioned at the time that the results were preliminary:
If the AP report is confirmed, it will be a major boost for the natural gas industry and a shock to environmentalists, who have made opposition to fracking a major crusade. For more on this debate see my column on Matt Damon’s anti-fracking movie Promised Land and my column on dueling pro- and anti-fracking documentaries.
