On July 16, 2015, EPA’s
Office of Inspector General (OIG) published a report
assessing EPA and states’ legal efforts to protect and manage water resources
from the negative impacts of hydraulic fracturing. As part of this assessment,
OIG pointed out two issues upon which it recommends that EPA and states should
develop interpretive memorandum and permitting guidance: 1) use of diesel fuels
in hydraulic fracturing without a valid permit and 2) public chemical
disclosure. The report is entitled “Enhanced EPA Oversight and Action Can Further
Protect Water Resources from the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing.”
Even though hydraulic
fracturing generally is not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the
use of diesels fuels in the process of fracking is regulated by the Underground
Injection Control program. OIG, however, reviewed various official reports over
the last decade and concluded that many wells were hydraulically fractured utilizing
diesel fuels without permits. Therefore, OIG recommended EPA and states to
address these compliance issues.
As for chemical
disclosure, the report urged EPA to decide whether federal regulations on
chemical disclosure should be implemented as a response to the public concerns.
More information on
hydraulic fracturing regulated under the Safe Water Drinking Act is available
at:
http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/hydraulic-fracturing.cfm#guide.
Written by Chloe Marie - Research Fellow
07/23/2015
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