Local Report Blaming Fracking for Water Contamination is Baseless
A recent report from WFAA attempted to blame a water problem in a southern Wise County subdivision on Barnett Shale natural gas wells without any evidence whatsoever. The reporter, Brett Shipp, interviewed residents of Chisholm Springs who complained of a rotten egg smell and skin rashes.
Despite his best attempt to blame the water problems on Barnett Shale wells, even Shipp had to admit in his report that “no water tests so far suggest the water quality issues are related to gas drilling.” Of course, a casual listener might easily miss that most important admission.
The WFAA report cited a 2015 University of Texas-Arlington (UTA) study, which attempted to link water contamination to fracking in parts of the Barnett Shale, but failed to mention that the UTA study did not examine the water at Chisholm Springs.
The WFAA report reported but ignored the fact that Aqua America, the water provider to Chisholm Springs, had tested the water and reported “We have found no information (supporting the resident’s complaints). Chisholm Springs has consistently met federal and state drinking water standards.”
Bottom line is that the WFAA report contained absolutely no factual information that could link water contamination to Barnett Shale natural gas wells in the Chisholm Springs subdivision and was therefore highly misleading.