Case Study Locations for Hydraulic Fracturing Study
In June 2011, EPA identified seven case study locations to help the agency assess the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. The sites identified were selected following extensive input from stakeholders, including the public, local and state officials, industry, and environmental organizations. EPA began field work in some of the selected areas in the summer of 2011.
Two sites are prospective case studies where EPA will monitor key aspects of the hydraulic fracturing process at future hydraulic fracturing sites. They are located in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana (Haynesville Shale), and in Washington County, Pennsylvania (Marcellus Shale). The other five case studies are retrospective, where EPA will investigate reported drinking water contamination due to hydraulic fracturing operations at existing sites, are located in:
- Dunn County, North Dakota (Bakken Shale)
- Wise County, Texas (Barnett Shale)
- Bradford and Susquehanna Counties, Pennsylvania (Marcellus Shale)
- Washington County, Pennsylvania (Marcellus Shale)
- Colorado (Raton Basin)