FracTracker Maps Distribution of Contaminated Water Problems

by Duane Nichols on June 1, 2013

Groundwater Complaints to PA-DEP Compiled by the Scranton Times-Tribune

From the Article by Matt Kelso, FracTracker.org, May 21, 2013

In a May 19th article published in the Scranton Times-Tribune, Laura Legere discusses data that she has compiled from a Right-to-know law request to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP).  

The data show 969 complaints between 2008 and the fall of 2012.  According to the article, 161 of these complaints include determination letters where PADEP indicates some sort of link between oil and gas activity and impacted groundwater supplies. The Times-Tribune data has been geolocated and mapped by the FracTracker Alliance.

One map show groundwater complaints to PADEP from 2008 through Fall 2012. Orange-red dots indicate instances where PADEP has established some connection between drilling activity and groundwater impacts, yellow dots mean that PADEP analysis is still pending, and green dots indicate that PADEP has not established such a connection.

Please note that the locations are not exact, and that in many instances there are multiple records at a single location on the map. Click on “Fullscreen” to access additional mapping tools.

According to our correspondence with Ms. Legere, there are future plans to release the source documents to the public as well, once needs to protect the privacy of the complainants have been addressed.

We have also added this data to our US Map of Suspected Well Water Impacts. See the maps and details here.

Leave a Comment

Previous post:

Next post: