Drinking

For the second time in less than six weeks, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) has released a draft report that tweaks its landmark assessment last year that hydraulic fracturing (fracking) poses no “widespread, systemic impacts” to drinking water.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) has taken issue with EPA’s conclusion in last year’s landmark report that found hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has had no “widespread, systemic impacts” to drinking water, opening the door for renewed public debate on the subject.

Contrary to earlier federal reports, hydraulic fracturing (fracking) fluids were not a factor at shallow depths intersecting groundwater supplies at Pavillion, WY, according to a draft final report from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

A draft assessment of the potential impacts on drinking water from hydraulic fracturing (fracking), released Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said the agency has found no systemic impacts on drinking water, but it cautioned that there still are risks.

A draft assessment of the potential impacts to drinking water from hydraulic fracturing (fracking), released Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said the agency found no systemic impacts to date to drinking water, but there are “potential vulnerabilities.”

A draft assessment of the potential impacts on drinking water from hydraulic fracturing (fracking), released Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said the agency has found no systemic impacts on drinking water, but it cautioned that there still are risks.

A draft assessment of the potential impacts to drinking water from hydraulic fracturing (fracking), released Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said the agency found no systemic impacts to date to drinking water, but there are "potential vulnerabilities."

The California oil/gas industry and its regulators have gone on the offensive over allegations that drinking water has been contaminated due to lax oversight of underground injection and that hydraulic fracturing (fracking) may have been involved.

Oil and natural gas regulators in Wyoming on Tuesday initiated a rulemaking process for exploration and production (E&P) operators regarding water testing as part of the drilling permit application process.