The natural gas industry and the public have been using the word "fracking" differently.
Industry spokespeople and research scientists who speak of fracking are referring to the process of blasting pressurized water, industrial additives, and sand down a well in order to release natural gas from the geological formation deep underground.
The public, however, tends to think of "fracking" as any and all activities that relate to shale gas extraction. So missteps that might occur during well drilling, preparation, and waste management can be mistaken for flaws in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) itself.
That's why newspapers report on studies that find no link between fracking and water contamination, even though water contamination has been known to occur in shale gas production areas.
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