A controversial natural gas production technique is contaminating drinking water in tens of thousands of homes, according to a study.Scientists collected 68 drinking water samples from near gas drilling sites in Pennsylvania and New York.
They found potentially harmful levels of methane in the water due to its proximity to the process of hydraulic-fracturing, or fracking.
The report, released by the National Academy Of Sciences, said: 'In aquifers overlying the Marcellus and Utica shale formations of north-eastern Pennsylvania and upstate New York, we document systematic evidence for methane contamination of drinking water associated with shale gas extraction.'
Fracking involves releasing natural gas trapped in shale formations by blasting a mix of water, sand and chemicals into the rock. Read More
