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EPA: States Doing a Good Job Regulating Hydraulic Fracturing
The states are doing “a good job already” regulating hydraulic fracturing, a top U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) water official says, contradicting those who want to impose new federal regulations on this proven technology that safely extracts oil and natural gas.
 Steve Heare, director of EPA’s Drinking Water Protection division, also noted that he had not seen any evidence that the hydraulic fracturing process had contaminated any water supplies. The senior federal environment official was attending a state regulators conference in Washington, D.C. this week. (See the EPA official comments on state regulators.)
Heare’s comments were consistent with the statements by several EPA water and compliance officials at a U.S. Senate committee hearing in December. When asked if they could identify any instances of water contamination tied to hydraulic fracturing, EPA’s Peter Silva, Cynthia Giles and Matthew Larsen were not able to cite even one example, according to the hearing transcript.
After conducting an exhaustive study of hydraulic fracturing over a five-year period, EPA announced in 2004 that it found “no evidence” of alleged contamination.
Some environmental groups and members of Congress support legislation that would authorize EPA to regulate the practice, under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Acts, something that the SWDA was never intended to do.
Hydraulic fracturing (sometimes called “fraccing”) is a well completion technique that uses high-pressure fluid – a mix of mostly water and sand and small amounts of chemicals – to break apart compact rock and release hydrocarbons. It is a safe, proven technology that opens the door to new supplies of domestic energy that were previously inaccessible or uneconomic to develop.
Hydraulic fracturing (sometimes called “fraccing”) is a well completion technique that uses high-pressure fluid – a mix of mostly water and sand and small amounts of chemicals – to break apart compact rock and release hydrocarbons. It is a safe, proven technology that opens the door to new supplies of domestic energy that were previously inaccessible or uneconomic to develop.
The Montana Petroleum Association, Inc. is a voluntary, non-profit trade association, serving a membership of oil and natural gas producers, gathering and pipeline companies, petroleum refiners, service providers and consultants.
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