Reading assignments

From ProPublica.org:

Beyond Fracking: Experts Challenge Safety of Exploratory Wells, Vertical Drilling

For more than two years, the natural gas drilling debate has focused primarily on the use of hydraulic fracturing in horizontal wells. But expert testimony submitted for a government hearing next month challenges long-held assumptions about the safety of deep vertical drilling and exploratory wells, which operate in many states with limited regulatory oversight.

And…

EPA Says Gas Drilling in Texas Contaminated Water and Presents ‘Threat of Explosion’

The Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency order yesterday accusing a natural gas driller of contaminating water supplies in North Texas and giving the company 48 hours to provide potable water to those affected.

In a letter sent to the drilling company, Range Resources [1], [PDF], the agency said it had determined an “imminent and substantial endangerment” to a public aquifer through methane contamination related to the company’s oil and gas operations in the area. Two private wells had already been contaminated, according to the EPA:...

There will be a quiz.

Later