A controversial method of oil and natural gas extraction known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has resulted in thousands of spills in four states over a 10-year period, a new study finds. Researchers at Duke University identified 6,648 fracking-related spills in Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Mexico and North Dakota between 2005 and 2014. Fracking uses a high-pressure stream of water, chemicals and sand to tap into rock formations and extract oil and gas deposits. The Duke study found up to 16 percent of fracked oil and gas wells have spills each year. She pointed out that not all spills associated with the fracking process were of hazardous material.

Source: Huffington Post February 24, 2017 00:45 UTC