Pennsylvania Gas Companies Dispose Waste into Rivers

The current natural gas boom in the U.S is producing two things: enough natural gas to power the U.S. for more than a decade, and enough toxic wastewater to threaten public health forever.

The Associated Press reports that most states require natural gas drilling companies to bore at least two miles underground to dispose wastewater, making it difficult for drinking water to become contaminated. Pennsylvania, one of the states that sit on top of the Marcellus Shale, a large underground rock formation where trillions of cubic feet of natural gas is located, is the only state that allows natural gas companies to dispose wastewater into rivers and streams. Pouring waste into rivers could lead to toxic drinking water.

Researchers are testing Pennsylvania’s river discharges to determine if the water is hazardous to humans, wildlife and the environment.