State officials in Pennsylvania have been exposed for not revealing the presence of toxic metals in drinking water located near the site of hydraulic fracturing (or fracking).

The revelation came about as a result of a lawsuit claiming that fracking and the storage of resulting wastewater in southwestern Pennsylvania had contaminated water supplies near the Range Resources drilling site and sickened seven people.

Taru Upadhyay, a scientist for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, testified that her laboratory tested for metals in the water but withheld some of the results because the department’s oil and gas division did not request all the information.

Upadhyay said metals were found in the water sample, including copper, nickel, zinc, and titanium, all of which can be harmful to human health. But the findings were not released to the oil and gas division or to the homeowner who requested the tests.

Those being sued are 17 companies, including Range Resources, which is a leading developer of natural gas in Pennsylvania.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Pennsylvania Report Left out Data on Poisons in Water Near Gas Site (by Jon Hurdle, New York Times)

The 10 Scariest Chemicals Used in Hydraulic Fracking (by Michael Kelley, Business Insider)

Fracking Industry Fights Federal Regulation, Preferring Less Well-Funded States (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)