According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has accepted an environmental petition and will now weigh rules related to requiring companies to disclose the types of chemicals they use in hydraulic-fracturing, more commonly known as "fracking."
The EPA's decision comes after the environmental advocacy group Earthjustice filed a petition stating that natural gas drilling companies like Halliburton Co. and Schlumberger Ltd. should reveal what substances they use in their fracking processes. Fracking has become controversial over the possibility that it is contaminating drinking water supplies. Here are some facts about fracking and the controversy surrounding it:
* In areas like Pennsylvania, pockets of natural gas lie captured between layers of shale, which need to be broken in order to tap the resource, according to BBC.
* Water, sand, and chemicals are often injected into the rock layers at a high pressure and by drilling either vertically or horizontally.
* Where is fracking becomes especially problematic and controversial is how the used water and chemicals are disposed off, reported the Huffington Post.
* In Pennsylvania, the waste liquid is only partially treated for environmentally-harmful substances at water treatment plants that are generally not capable of removing all chemicals of concern.
* The partially-treated waste is then discharged into waterways, some of which are sources for drinking water, and initially state officials and energy companies insisted it didn't pose a threat to public health.
* NPR noted that a Penn State report indicated that after monitoring 200 drinking water wells they could not find a statistically significant link between shale gas drilling and methane contamination.
* However, researchers did find higher levels of bromide in private drinking water wells in the area but this was connected to drilling and not fracking.
* In early November, the EPA announced that it would begin probing the impact of fracking on drinking water supplies, according to Yahoo! News.
* Specifically, EPA investigators will try to determine the impact of large-scale water withdrawals as part of fracking on water quality in states where there has been a natural gas boom.
* An article from NBC New York reported that just a few days ago hundreds of environmentalists and homeowners in New Jersey showed up to protest natural gas exploration and development in the Delaware River Basin.
* Despite criticism, the natural gas industry has continued to emphasize the economic benefits of fracking, including creating tens of thousands of jobs for residents and lower prices for natural gas, often used to produce energy and heat in homes.
Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.
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