WATCH: Abrahm Lustgarten on The Rachel Maddow Show

Nov. 16, 2011, 12:04 p.m. EST

Fracking — a process where chemicals, sand and water are injected into the ground at high pressure to release the natural gas underneath — has become quite the controversial topic, especially in Wyoming where residents have complained about water contamination and other health concerns for years.

Several experts have long suspected drilling activities in the area were to blame, and new EPA water tests have confirmed this — finding carcinogenic chemicals associated with fracking in a Wyoming aquifer.

ProPublica's Abrahm Lustgarten broke the story last week. He was a guest on The Rachel Maddow Show last night to discuss his findings and where he sees fracking regulations going in the future. You can watch the full segment below. And you can read more about fracking, a topic Lustgarten has been covering since 2008, on ProPublica's series page.

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