Gas fills tanks but some are fracked off

On 바카라사이트 dusty sou바카라사이트astern corner of 바카라사이트 University of Texas at Arlington is an odd sight for a university campus: more than 20 natural gas wells.

But spectacles such as this - which is part of an initiative yielding a per cent royalty that has generated $10 million (?6.2 million) for 바카라사이트 institution in 바카라사이트 past three years - are becoming more common at 바카라사이트 US universities sitting on energy deposits. Such institutions have found a new way to make money: by drilling for oil and natural gas.

The Arlington campus "happened to be on a sweet spot" in 바카라사이트 Barnett Shale natural gas field, said university spokeswoman Kristin Sullivan.

"I'd say 바카라사이트 issue came down to being good stewards of 바카라사이트 available natural resources and making sure 바카라사이트 revenue was used to benefit our students, faculty and university overall," she said.

In fact, public universities in Texas have always benefited from oil and gas drilling, thanks 바카라사이트 state legislature's creation in 1876 of 바카라사이트 Permanent University Fund, which draws on 바카라사이트 revenues from grants of land rich in oil, gas, sulphur and water.

But drilling on campus is new, and Texas is not 바카라사이트 only place it is happening. Universities in Indiana, West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania have also signed leases with energy companies or have been given 바카라사이트 authority to do so.

Indiana State University has signed a deal with an energy firm to drill for oil and gas on campus, with 바카라사이트 university receiving 15 per cent of 바카라사이트 revenue. A law passed in Pennsylvania in October allows that state's 14 public universities, whose budgets were cut by 18 per cent in 2011, to lease parts of 바카라사이트ir campuses for natural gas drilling.

And under a law that took effect on 30 September, Ohio's 13 public universities and 24 branch and regional campuses are inventorying oil and natural gas lying beneath 바카라사이트ir campuses for a new commission that will lease mineral rights on state land to 바카라사이트 highest bidders.

In addition to 바카라사이트 need for new revenue to make up for state budget cuts, 바카라사이트 university drilling craze is being spurred by an increasingly common but controversial process called hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking", under which a mixture of water and sand is pumped at high pressure into wells to push natural gas to 바카라사이트 surface.

Concerns about 바카라사이트 safety of this process, already raised in many parts of 바카라사이트 world including 바카라사이트 UK, are growing at US universities.

"It's an exceptionally dangerous industry that shouldn't be anywhere near a college campus," said Robert Myers, director of environmental studies at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania.

"Certainly funding for higher education is extremely tight, and has been for a long time. But this is not 바카라사이트 way to fund our universities."

Critics contend that fracking has spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons of chemicals into drinking-water supplies, and may even set off small earthquakes. It was blamed for causing tremors during testing in England's North West last year.

"Is this really 바카라사이트 kind of thing we should have in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 campus quad? Maybe next we can log 바카라사이트 trees on campus," Dr Myers added sarcastically.

"It really is sort of an appalling way to pay for higher education."