An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study has linked a contaminated Wyoming aquifer to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. This is the process required to make natural gas extraction profitable, as it opens up cracks and pores in rock formations to make the gas flow. Scientists for the EPA stated that high levels of benzene were found in the water beneath Pavillion, Wyoming, which is located on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

 This is not the first time fracking has been linked to water contamination, but it is the first time the Federal Government has liked the two with scientific evidence. The owner of the well is Encana Oil and Gas, and this is also not the first time Encana has been blamed for contamination due to fracking. There have been other incidents of contamination in surrounding states, and many in western Colorado, over the past several years However, up until now, very little action has been taking to address the problem as a whole. There are several states that have been experiencing increased natural gas production recently, as it is a vital part of the U.S.’s energy future, and this makes proper regulation and oversight critical. Water sampling began in the Pavillion area in 2009, and since there have been small amounts of benzene and other toxic chemicals found in the water. The chemicals found did not exceed national drinking water standards in most cases, but either way, residents were advised to get drinking water from other sources. Since Encana was drilling wells in that area, it has been providing drinking water for 21 households at a cost of approximately $1,500 monthly.

Houston based Anadarko Petroleum recently drilled 11 horizontal wells in the Wattenberg Formation, which sits below portions of Colorado’s Front Range. The wells are expected to bring in an estimated $4 billion per year to Colorado’s economy. The reserves are estimated to contain between 500 million and 1.5 billon barrels, with 70 percent of the production in oil, and the remainder being natural gas. This is undoubtedly a positive discovery for the state. There are, however, several factors that must be considered when looking at this picture as a whole.

This discovery will play a significant role in Colorado’s energy economy, but just like with any new energy production, there are critics. The Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund of Colorado stated that this discovery is mixed. Wells require water and fracking to extract the oil and gas, and this has implications on the environment. This will increase the demand for water and also increase the risk of contamination from fracking chemicals. The argument for increased water use must be carefully considered, as the Rocky Mountain West already has limited water and 80 percent of the water used in Colorado comes from the Western Slope but is consumed on the Front Range. These are valid arguments and very real risks, but there is also an argument for job creation and how this discovery will help the local economy. The Wattenberg is not as big as the Bakken in North Dakota, but the economic benefits from the Bakken have been significant for that region, and at an estimated $4 billion annually, Colorado’s economy will likely see many benefits from the Wattenberg discovery. This discovery has also prompted other companies to drill exploratory wells in other areas of Colorado such as El Paso, Arapahoe, Douglas, and Elbert counties. If these exploratory wells are as successful as the Wattenberg Field, Colorado could yield much larger benefits.

The effects of Deepwater Horizon disaster are still being felt in the Gulf Coast region. However, there have been steps made to keep this from happening again, and not just in the Gulf. These types of disasters will be much less likely to happen off of U.S. waters everywhere, thanks to new enforcement announced by the government that it will regulate not only offshore rigs, but also the contractors who own and work on them. The Bureau of Safety Environmental Enforcement’s interim director Michael Bromwich announced these new regulations at an oil conference last week. 

The Obama Administration approved the Keystone XL pipeline that is slated to carry tar sands from Alberta to Texas to be refined into various forms of fuel. There were also over 1000 protestors arrested during the days the protests took place. Among them was President Obama’s chief climatologist, James Henson. The protestors were protesting that the pipeline will put our clean energy future on hold even longer, and instead of sending a message that we must harness energy from the wind and sun, it is ok to continue to get it from deep under the earth’s surface and pollute the air, water, and land that are so critical to humanity.