Do you know how many natural gas wells are operating in your state or near the watershed that supplies your drinking water? You should.
Most of those wells rely on a process known as hydraulic fracturing (or natural gas fracking) that employs toxic chemicals to crack open shale beds and release methane gas. Both the chemicals used in fracking and the methane gas released pose a risk to local water supplies and the health of those who live nearby.
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Source: Al Granberg/ProPublica
Community groups, individual citizens, and public officials have a right to know which chemicals are used in the fracking process. This report, The Right to Know, the Responsibility to Protect: State Actions Are Inadequate to Ensure Effective Disclosure of the Chemicals Used in Natural Gas Fracking, lays out what an effective chemical disclosure policy would look like, highlighting four key elements:
With the amount of capital and technical expertise that oil and gas companies control, we have a right to demand the highest standards of construction, equipment operations, disclosure, and safety in the pursuit of new energy resources. The responsibility to ensure these standards are met rests with government.
Read the report in medium-resolution PDF format [6 MB]
Read the report in high-resolution PDF format [7.5 MB]
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