Water from a faucet at the Parker's home catching flame. (Screenshot)
Flammable Water Near Gas Drilling Sites in Louisiana
"This only started once they started drilling those wells," said John Parker.
Flammable tap water, a horror the film Gasland brought to the big screen, is reality for one Dixie, Louisiana family.
The Parker family, who resides in the Shreveport-area town near natural gas drilling sites, has "been having issues with their water for about a year," according to local news KSLA. They made the discovery of flammable water in their home when their daughter Sarah Evans was visiting from out of town and took a match to the water on Friday.
"I did it because I'd seen it on TV before and a flame came up," said Evans. She then headed to her brother's house next door, which shares the same private well, and found she could also ignite the water coming out of the faucet there. "His water blew up and caught the fringe of the curtains, that is how high the flames came up."
The family is also blaming the water for making their other daughter, 17-year-old Meaghan, pass out once while doing dishes.
The Parkers say the fault lies with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, which operates in the area, for leaking methane into their wells. "This only started once they started drilling those wells," said John Parker.
Anadarko says it will do testing to see if there is a leak, and has delivered cases of water to the Parkers to be "good neighbors."
KSLA has video:
KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana News Weather
__________________
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just days away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Flammable tap water, a horror the film Gasland brought to the big screen, is reality for one Dixie, Louisiana family.
The Parker family, who resides in the Shreveport-area town near natural gas drilling sites, has "been having issues with their water for about a year," according to local news KSLA. They made the discovery of flammable water in their home when their daughter Sarah Evans was visiting from out of town and took a match to the water on Friday.
"I did it because I'd seen it on TV before and a flame came up," said Evans. She then headed to her brother's house next door, which shares the same private well, and found she could also ignite the water coming out of the faucet there. "His water blew up and caught the fringe of the curtains, that is how high the flames came up."
The family is also blaming the water for making their other daughter, 17-year-old Meaghan, pass out once while doing dishes.
The Parkers say the fault lies with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, which operates in the area, for leaking methane into their wells. "This only started once they started drilling those wells," said John Parker.
Anadarko says it will do testing to see if there is a leak, and has delivered cases of water to the Parkers to be "good neighbors."
KSLA has video:
KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana News Weather
__________________
Flammable tap water, a horror the film Gasland brought to the big screen, is reality for one Dixie, Louisiana family.
The Parker family, who resides in the Shreveport-area town near natural gas drilling sites, has "been having issues with their water for about a year," according to local news KSLA. They made the discovery of flammable water in their home when their daughter Sarah Evans was visiting from out of town and took a match to the water on Friday.
"I did it because I'd seen it on TV before and a flame came up," said Evans. She then headed to her brother's house next door, which shares the same private well, and found she could also ignite the water coming out of the faucet there. "His water blew up and caught the fringe of the curtains, that is how high the flames came up."
The family is also blaming the water for making their other daughter, 17-year-old Meaghan, pass out once while doing dishes.
The Parkers say the fault lies with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, which operates in the area, for leaking methane into their wells. "This only started once they started drilling those wells," said John Parker.
Anadarko says it will do testing to see if there is a leak, and has delivered cases of water to the Parkers to be "good neighbors."
KSLA has video:
KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana News Weather
__________________