FRACKING SECRETS

Disclosures on fracking lacking, study finds; Firms withholding chemical reports at higher rate

Liz Mineo, December 15, 2015 (Harvard Gazette)

“As the growth of hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking,’ transforms more rural landscapes across the heartland into industrial zones, companies are less willing to disclose the chemicals they inject into the ground…[T]he process of extracting oil and gas from shale beds ― has emerged as a dominant, if controversial, force, bringing jobs and wealth to many communities but also spreading unease about its environmental impacts, notably water contamination. Companies drill into the Earth and inject at extreme pressure a mix of water, sand, and chemicals to fracture rock and release oil or gas…28 states require companies to report the chemicals they use…But the amount of information withheld has increased the past three years…An earlier report by the federal Environmental Protection Agency found that between 2010 and 2012, 11 percent of the chemicals used in fracking were unreported…[Hydraulic fracturing chemicals reporting: Analysis of available data and recommendations for policy makers from Harvard] found that between 2012 and April 2015, that rose to 16.5 percent…” click here for more

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