Methane (CH4) is a chemical compound. It is the primary component of natural gas and is the most abundant organic compound on earth. Methane is not toxic and therefore the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not established primary or secondary contamination standards for its presence in drinking water. Methane was first discovered in the 1770’s and is so abundant in areas of Pennsylvania and portions of New York that records of its presence date back to 1795 when local settlers found that water that was flammable due to high methane content.