EPA Launches National Study of Hydraulic Fracturing (hooray)

[ensho]

http://www.propublica.org/feature/epa-launches-national-study-of-hydraulic-fracturing


Responding to reports of environmental contamination <1> in gas drilling areas across the country, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will conduct a nationwide scientific study <2> to determine if the problems are caused by the practice of injecting chemicals and water underground <3> to fracture the gas-bearing rock.

The study, announced Thursday but hinted at for months, will revisit research the agency published in 2004 <4>, which concluded that the process of hydraulic fracturing <5> did not pose a threat to drinking water. The 2004 report has been widely criticized, in part because the agency didn't conduct any water tests in reaching that conclusion.

-snip-

The 2004 report was used by the Bush administration and Congress to justify legislation exempting hydraulic fracturing from oversight under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The exemption came to be known in some quarters as the "Halliburton loophole" and has inhibited federal regulators ever since.

-snip-

More than 50 members of the House of Representatives have co-sponsored the Frack Act <9>, a bill that would reverse the drilling industry's exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act and allow the EPA to regulate fracturing if it chose to do so. The Frack Act also would require companies to disclose the chemicals pumped underground in the process -- information that is usually protected as trade secrets. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is also conducting a separate investigation <10> of hydraulic fracturing's impact on water resources.
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I just hope the study doesn't drag on too long. the people of Pennsylvania's (and others)health concerns can't wait. babies are being born, kids are growing.

[NYC_SKP]

1. That exemption was wrong, deadly. Time to turn it around. Great news! nt

[Javaman]

2. I hope they this works out.

If ignorant on this topic check out these links...

http://www.billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_dd0755ae-9b64-11de-8eef-001cc4c002e0.html

and

http://buttonvalley.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/fracking-stinks/

[TwilightGardener]

3. Good--it's unfathomable to me that they can pump millions upon millions

of gallons of toxic brew deep into the earth and not disclose what's exactly in it. "Trade secrets" my ass. They're probably all using the same shit and just don't want to reveal it for fear of being regulated and held responsible for contaminated ground water. I hope they find clear connections between poisoned wells and their drilling and are forced to cough up MILLIONS of bucks in liability and damages. Maybe that will slow down the gas rush a little. And just where are they getting the massive amounts of water to drill, to begin with, in dry states like Colorado? Gov officials in this state are constantly warning homeowners that we're all going to run out of water, there's a crisis, etc.--so why are gas co's allowed to use so goddamn much?