Students Gather Data For Gas-Drilling Study

FROSTBURG, Md. (AP) -- Some high school students in Frostburg are monitoring the quality of the area's drinking water in anticipation of natural gas drilling.

The Allegany County school board said Monday that environmental science students at Mountain Ridge High School have received a grant of more than $69,000 to collect water samples monthly for several years. The money is from the State Farm insurance company's Youth Advisory Board.

The information that the students are compiling now will become baseline data to determine whether the gas-drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing has any effect on drinking water quality.

Hydraulic fracturing hasn't been permitted in Maryland. A state commission is studying its use in surrounding states to help regulators and legislators formulate policies for safe drilling.

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