U.S. Geological Survey Report Released: Dissolved Methane in New York Groundwater, 1999—2011

Yesterday the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released a report, titled Dissolved Methane in New York Groundwater, 1999—2011, Open-File Report 2012-1162. In the brief six page report available here, and authored in conjunction with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the survey was designed to monitor naturally occurring instances of methane in drinking water in "low-permeability bedrock such as the Marcellus and Utica Shales."  The justification for this report stems from,

newly developed techniques involving horizontal drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing [which] have made it possible to extract previously inaccessible natural gas . . . The use of hydraulic fracturing to release natural gas from these shale formations has raised concerns with water-well owners and water-resource managers across the Marcellus and Utica Shale region (West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and parts of several other adjoining States).  In order to manage water resources in areas of gas-well drilling and hydraulic fracturing in New York, the natural occurrence of methane in the State’s aquifers needs to be documented.

The information contained in this report was compiled from information available from the
USGS's National Water Information System (NWIS). In particular the link for information on Groundwater should be helpful.

Related Resources

New York, Hydraulic Fracturing (Hydrofracking), Pace L. Libr. LibGuides (Sept. 5, 2012), http://libraryguides.law.pace.edu/aecontent.php?pid=227170&sid=2082504.