Does oil and well drilling contaminate drinking water?
People living near drilling facilities in states like Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming seem to think the answer is yes. “We always had beautiful water, then we lost water completely the day they drilled–and when it came back, it was murky, salty, bubbly and smelly,” Ohio residents Mark and Sandy Mangan told Cleveland.com last week. To the west, Wyoming residents are experiencing the same thing. Louis Meeks, a 59-year-old alfalfa farmer, is convinced that energy companies drilling for natural gas in his central Wyoming farming community have poisoned his water. According to Meeks, the water from his tap contains an oily glisten and smells like paint. Meeks, who suffers from pulmonary hypertension and neuropathy in his legs, believes the unnatural looking water has ruined his health. “They have ruined my life,” he told Reuters. “I would like to get out of here.” One thing is preventing him from leaving, though–his house is worth next to nothing. The value of his home has
