Advances in fracking and horizontal drilling make it possible to access gas and oil deposits previously out of reach. The process has lowered energy prices, created jobs, and reduced emissions. It could also be contaminating ground water from the Rockies of Wyoming to Pennsylvania. It is possible, but people affected by the pollution won't talk.
According to Bloomberg News, after review of hundreds of regulatory and legal files, people who say fracking ruined their water are agreeing to cash settlements or property sale in exchange for their silence. The industry denies these claims.
Fracking is a technology where water, combined with chemicals, is forced through the ground to release oil and gas deposits. At the request of Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently conducting a long-term study of the potential impact of fracking on drinking and ground water.