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Review blames fracking for water contamination in Pavillion

A new independent review of the E-P-A study on hydraulic fracturing in Pavillion confirms the link between water contamination and fracking. The review was requested by a conglomerate of environmental groups.

One of the criticisms of the E-P-A study was that it was poorly conducted science, and therefore, put forth unreliable conclusions. But the hydrologic consultant who did the review, Tom Myers, says the E-P-A did goodwork.

"The EPA did a good job utilizing the data that they had available to them and utilizing the information that they had. I mean, they should keep studying, it and become firmer with the results, but one cannot say it is not sound science, because I certainly think it is."

Myers cited the area’s unique geology, inappropriate well designs, and inadequate well construction as causes for the contamination. He concluded, in words stronger than the EPA’s, that there could be no other source for the contamination in Pavillion’s wells other than fracking.

Irina Zhorov is a reporter for Wyoming Public Radio. She earned her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MFA from the University of Wyoming. In between, she worked as a photographer and writer for Philadelphia-area and national publications. Her professional interests revolve around environmental and energy reporting and she's reported on mining issues from Wyoming, Mexico, and Bolivia. She's been supported by the Dick and Lynn Cheney Grant for International Study, the Eleanor K. Kambouris Grant, and the Social Justice Research Center Research Grant for her work on Bolivian mining and Uzbek alpinism. Her work has appeared on Voice of America, National Native News, and in Indian Country Today, among other publications.
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