The Tribune Review reported Friday a study by Carnegie Mellon University says a water pollution problem in the Monongahela River that may have been linked to Marcellus Shale drilling is going away, but is still elevated in the Allegheny River.

Bromide, which can cause cancer in drinking water, has declined in the Mon, apparently coinciding with a voluntary ban on disposing gas drilling wastewater, researcher Jeanne VanBriesen said Thursday. State officials cited her research in asking for the ban in the spring of 2011.

However, success has not been universal in Western Pennsylvania, said Melissa Rubin, spokeswoman at the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority. Its scientists have still found elevated levels of bromide in the Allegheny River, the authority’s source for its drinking water, she said.

“The pollution in the Allegheny River is just as bad as it always was,” Rubin said. “So although this is a wonderful thing for the utilities that pull water from the Mon River, that’s just simply not — unfortunately — it’s not the case for those that pull from the Allegheny.”

            NewsClips: Bromide Down In Mon, Still Elevated In Allegheny

                                Water Pollution In Monongahela River Dissipating

11/12/2012