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# Letter to Reader: Lighting water on fire
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/lighting_water_on_fire_1906100946/
- Published: 2010-06-19T10:45:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:00:41.000Z
- Description: A letter to readers from the Environmental Working Group promoting Josh Fox's documentary Gasland, on hydraulic fracturing and contaminated water supplies, ahead of its HBO broadcast on June 21.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Environment, Health News, #vivvo-import

Dear Reader:

It seems counterintuitive, but yes, it's possible for water to catch on fire, even inside people's homes. These fires are caused by natural gas drilling, an environmentally risky practice that's contaminating water supplies in communities across the country.

Gas drilling relies on a process of special concern known as hydraulic fracturing or "fracking." **In fracking, companies like Halliburton inject, at high pressure, into each well up to 8 million gallons of water and toxic chemicals (like kerosene and diesel fuel).** This fluid fractures underground formations, unlocking natural gas that had been trapped. But at what cost?

Groundbreaking filmmaker Josh Fox takes a closer look at natural gas drilling and fracking and their effects on communities in his award-winning documentary*Gasland.*

***Gasland* will air on HBO Monday, June 21 at 9 PM.**[**Click here to watch the gripping trailer.**](http://action.ewg.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=8wAtExDhJXSF9d3N6dr9T%2BdTrmAw6uSE&ref=foodconsumer.org)

After Fox was offered $100,000 to lease his land to a drilling company, he set off on a cross-country journey to investigate the environmental risks of fracking. During his 24-state trek, he uncovers alarming facts about the natural gas industry, health problems as a result from this contamination and (not surprisingly) loopholes in federal environmental regulation.

**This is an issue EWG has been investigating for years, and we hope you will be able to watch this enlightening documentary on HBO Monday, June 21 at 9 PM.**

"I leaned heavily on EWG's research on natural gas extraction techniques as source material for*Gasland*," said Fox. "EWG's advocacy for safer drilling brings heft to arguments urging lawmakers at the local and national level to address the astounding lack of regulation of natural gas drilling," Fox said.

Want to hear from Josh? [**On Tuesday, June 22 at 2 PM join us on EWG's Enviroblog for a live chat with *Gasland's* filmmaker, Josh Fox, and EWG natural resources staff.**](http://action.ewg.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=lB2bLXHaFP%2BfJwB3527ZrPB1M%2FFN38Vp&ref=foodconsumer.org) You won't want to miss this opportunity to discuss the award-winning documentary and the terrifying effects of drilling on our water.

Sincerely,

Ken Cook  
President, Environmental Working Group