Careful handling of water polluted by the chemicals used in fracking is a significant issue. The quantities are large compared to non-agricultural water supplies. Fracking water can be responsibly handled but this procedure is costly, analogous to sewage treatment. This makes regulations that require applying Environmental Protection Agency testing standards to fracked water especially important. Fracking can produce pollution problems quickly if the water used isn't monitored by third-party chemists.

Some readers will recall the seismic tremors caused years ago when water wells were being drilled along the Front Range in this area, so geologic studies ahead of fracking are important.

Fracking can be responsible when advance studies are done and the overall process is monitored. I think this is the direction the industry is moving. But the regulations need to be in place and they need to be enforced.