Natural Disaster: How did the gas industry get so fracked up?

Natural Disaster:  How did the gas industry get so fracked up? by Ada Kulesza, September 14, 2011, Philadelphia Weekly
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), barium “is used mostly by the oil and gas industries to make drilling muds,” to keep drill bits lubricated. The CDC further reports that: “Eating or drinking … barium compounds can cause changes in heart rhythm or paralysis in humans … vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, difficulties in breathing, increased or decreased blood pressure, numbness around the face, and muscle weakness.” Left untreated, the effects of barium can cause death. …I don’t like cover-ups.