Vancouver --- owners of drinking water on fire, what a dramatic scene!

However, scientists say, the energy industry has developed rapidly and highly controversial for the exploitation of underground   Unconventional gas   fracturing technology, has long been unjustly accused of pollution. University of Texas Chip · Grote introduced, according to live in fracturing operations, said residents near the site, combustibles with underground water leakage and other problems, and certainly not just the  Hydraulic fracturing  operations. He chaired a study showed that between fracturing operations and groundwater contamination, "there is no direct link", the results of this study in Thursday's AAAS annual meeting.

Most of the western United States and Canada are using this technology to millions of liters of water and chemicals deep underground injection pump, split rock, in order to extract  shale gas .

This has sparked widespread concerns about groundwater contamination, some land owners that the flammable tap water is contaminated evidence. "They made the water can ignite, there must be a problem," Grote said. But he and his colleagues could not find a combustible tap water and hydraulic fracturing of subterranean depths of several kilometers between what a direct link. After a pair of Texas, Pennsylvania and New York and other places over the area of   hydraulic fracturing study, they found that groundwater contamination can often be attributed to ground leakage and  shale gas  extraction process of the improper disposal of waste.

"The problem is not just caused by hydraulic fracturing," Grote said, after he took one from the University of Texas Institute of Energy-funded study designed to clarify the assumptions and facts. As can be achieved in the coming decades in North America to provide sufficient clean and cheap  shale gas ,  hydraulic fracturing  has been called "agents of change." The Grote said: "I think, in fact it is a revolution." However, considering the great potential influence, he and his colleagues believe that further understand and monitor the fracturing operations generated by the role is very important. In addition to groundwater contamination, there are concerns that the fracturing operations will generate large volumes of wastewater, emissions to the atmosphere of greenhouse gases methane and even stronger relationship to seismic activity.

Fracturing operations are also considered and northeastern British Columbia mild seismic activity. The earthquake magnitude on the Richter 2.5 to 3.5 between not enough to cause damage. "In the process of fracturing wastewater reinjection may lead to small-to medium-scale earthquake," from Simon Fraser University geologist John Ke Laike said on Friday that he would discuss this issue on the meeting. "Earthquake is unlikely to happen, but no one can completely prevent it from happening." He said in an email. Clegg that "water pollution may occur" is the biggest problem. He said: "My advice mainly caused by fracturing the dangers of drinking water and the greenhouse effect."

In Quebec and New Jersey and some other areas, environmental issues have forced the suspension of fracturing operations. Gert said that some regional groundwater contamination can be traced back to before the development of shale gas natural sources. However, due to the lack of groundwater conditions before fracturing operations data, assessment of its impact can only be tough. Clegg said: "fracturing, is the theory behind the technology of a case."