They are encouraging drillers to use tainted coal mine water to hydraulically fracture gas wells in the Marcellus Shale formation, with the twin goals of diverting pollution from streams and rivers that now run orange with mine drainage and reducing the drillers' reliance on fresh sources of water.
In this process, after a well is drilled, pressurized water is injected into the well to fracture the shale and open fissures that enable natural gas to flow more freely out of the well.
This year he completed what is believed to be the first ever fracture stimulation procedure in Turkey: injecting a mixture of water and sand at high pressure down the wells to break up rock and release gas.
The MRC researchers said increased fracture rates could not be blamed on concentrations of fluoride at levels found in water supplies, even when additional fluoride was added.
The process involves pumping water containing small percentages of other materials into the porous shale under pressure to hydraulically fracture it and release the trapped oil and gas.