11/03/11 2:18pm

Article By: Marty Niland

The Environmental Protection Agency has released the comprehensive plan for its long-term study on the potential effects of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water supplies.

The agency announced last year that it will study the natural gas extraction technique, which involves injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals into the ground to break up underground rock formations and release trapped gas. The aim of the study is to determine whether the process, also called "fracking," affects drinking water supplies.

The study will focus on shale formations but will also touch on coalbed methane and tight sand reservoirs. It will look for effects on drinking water throughout the water use lifecycle, from acquisition through wastewater treatment and waste disposal. Reserachers will use existing data, as well as field studies and computer modeling.

The field studies will take place in areas where fracking has already occurred as well as places where future fracking operations are scheduled.  The locations from studies on past activity, or retrospective studies, will take place in Dunn County, ND, Wise County, TX, Bradford County, PA, Susquehanna County, PA, and Washington County PA, which are all in shale formations. Coalbed methane studies will take place in Las Animas County, CO, and and Huerfano County, CO.

The studies on future activity, or prospective studies, will take place in DeSoto Parish, LA, and Washington County, PA, which are both in shale formations.

A preliminary report is due next year, and the complete study results are set to be released in 2014.