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North Texas Families Sue Drillers Over Water Contamination

Two families in rural North Texas have sued oil and gas drilling companies for contamination of their water wells.

The state's oil and gas regulator, the Texas Railroad Commission, said in a report that one of the family's well water contained chemicals that may pose "adverse health effects" and an "explosion hazard."  The agency attributed the contamination to a "natural occurrence in the groundwater" and recommended the family vent its water well.

However, a study published by University of Texas at Arlington scientists earlier this year inferred a link between water well contamination and hydraulic fracturing in the Barnett Shale, the massive natural gas field beneath North Texas.

UTA scientists said water samples throughout the Barnett Shale showed elevated levels of cancer-causing chemicals.

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Information from: WFAA-TV, http://www.wfaa.com

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