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April 7

AP: Pa. seeks more tests for drilling pollution

MARC LEVY, Associated Press

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FILE- In this Dec. 15, 2010 file photo, some of the holding and treatment tanks at the water intake and treatment plant for the Beaver Falls Municipal Authority is seen in Beaver Falls, Pa. The natural gas industry�s claim that it is making great strides in reducing how much polluted wastewater it discharges to Pennsylvania rivers is proving difficult to assess, because of inconsistent reporting by energy companies and at least one big data entry error in the state�s system for tracking the contaminated fluids. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Prodded by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Pennsylvania says it's expanding the scope of water tests for radium and other pollutants from the state's booming natural gas drilling industry.

The Department of Environmental Protection's acting secretary, Michael Krancer, tells EPA that he's requiring additional tests by some drinking-water suppliers and wastewater treatment facilities.

Radium, which exists naturally underground, is sometimes found in drilling wastewater that gushes from drilled wells. Krancer also says he wants to add testing stations on affected rivers.

Krancer says some testing was happening before EPA made its request last month. Officials say earlier tests from seven waterways showed no harmful levels of radium.

Unlike most big gas states, Pennsylvania allows partially treated drilling wastewater to be discharged into rivers from which communities draw drinking water.