The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recently published the findings of a survey to better understand the occurrence of methane in groundwater across south-central New York. This region is across the border from northeastern Pennsylvania where extensive shale-gas resource development has occurred. This study, which can be accessed on the web, found that methane in groundwater is common across the region. It varies widely in concentration, with the highest methane concentrations found in confined conditions in valleys bedrock.