DeGette, Hinchey, and Polis Lead 46 House Members in Support of Fracking Chemical Disclosure Requirements on Public Land

WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO), Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), and Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) are leading a group of 46 House of Representatives members in support of public disclosure requirements for chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing on public lands. In a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, the group described the disclosure requirement as a "critical step forward in encouraging the oil and gas industry to be more transparent and responsibly address the potential implications of hydraulic fracturing on water supplies and public health." In November 2010, Salazar said the Department of the Interior, which has the authority to require disclosure on public lands, is considering such a rule.

“Oil and gas companies continue to assure us that their drilling projects are safe,” said DeGette, “but those same companies refuse to back up their assertions by disclosing the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process. Without disclosure, authorities investigating incidents of concern to communities and residents are unable to prove one way or another the role hydraulic fracturing might have played in the contamination. Natural gas is an abundant and cleaner energy source that we need while incorporating more alternative energy sources into a comprehensive and strategic energy policy for the United States to execute going forward. It is also our responsibility, however, to ensure that its extraction does not come at the expense of the health of local communities.”

"Communities across America have seen their water contaminated by the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process," said Hinchey. "When big energy companies decide they want to drill on public lands, they should have to tell the public exactly what chemicals they're pumping into the ground. We already know of several carcinogens and neurotoxins that are used in drilling process. If the industry had their way, we wouldn't find out about the other chemicals being used until they show up in the water supply. The people have a right to know what is being done to their land and what risks that may carry."

“For too long the Bush Administration let big oil dictate the rules and undercut basic safeguards,” said U.S. Rep. Polis. “I applaud Secretary Salazar’s common sense approach, restoring a much-needed balance in our energy policy. Wherever hydraulic fracturing occurs, public lands or off, we must ensure that the appropriate oversight is in place so we can tell if and when dangerous chemicals are being used, endangering water sources and the public’s health”

Onshore gas wells on Interior-managed lands account for 11 percent of the nation's natural gas supply. Hinchey, DeGette, and Polis introduced the Fracking Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals (FRAC) Act in the 111th Congress to require the disclosure of chemicals used on both public and private lands. The FRAC Act would also close a loophole created in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which exempts fracking from regulation through the Safe Drinking Water Act. Hinchey is also the author of the provision which led to the initiation of an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study on the risks posed to drinking water through the fracking process.

For the text of the letter, click here. 

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