Fracking Activity Involves Many Carcinogens, Yale Study Shows
Researchers at the Yale School of Public Health have identified a number of fracking chemicals that have the potential to cause cancer. The findings, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, looked at compounds in fracking that can be released into the air and water, affecting nearby residents. Researchers were led … [Read more...]
Study Shows Increased Hospitalization Rates Among Those Living Near Fracking Sites
A study by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University indicates that people who live near hydraulic fracturing drilling sites have a higher rate of hospitalizations for such issues as heart conditions, neurological illnesses, and cancer. The research team was drawn from Columbia University’s Mailman … [Read more...]
Oklahoma Court Rules Homeowners Can Sue Oil and Gas Companies Over Earthquake Damage
In a 7-to-0 ruling last week, the Oklahoma State Supreme Court is allowing homeowners who have sustained injuries or property damage from earthquakes blamed on oil and gas company drilling operations to sue for damages in state courts. This ruling is the first in which the court has specifically addressed whether homeowners could … [Read more...]
Fracking Releasing Hazardous Chemicals into Local Waterways
A new study reveals that two hazardous chemicals—ammonium and iodide—are being released and spilled into Pennsylvania and West Virginia waterways from fracking operations in the Marcellus shale. These substances can have a devastating impact on fish and ecosystems, and they are potentially harmful to human health, Scientific … [Read more...]
Research Study Confirms Fracking as Cause of Ohio Earthquakes
A new study published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America confirms that a fracking operation near Poland Township, Ohio, activated a previously unknown fault in the, causing 77 earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 1.0 to 3.0 in March 2014. On March 10, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources ordered the … [Read more...]
Fracking wells prone to leak, study finds
Leaks from hydraulic fracturing (fracking) wells are more common than the public is being led to believe. According to recent report from TheTyee.ca, believing industry claims that fracking for natural gas and oil is safe and not plagued by leaking wells or other faults is naive. There is ample evidence - even industry insider … [Read more...]
Upstate New Yorkers want Home Rule to ban fracking locally
A group of 53 municipalities in upstate New York are being backed by state organizations in asking an appeals court to allow them to weigh in on the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) debate ongoing there. According to a PressConnects.com report from Albany, N.Y., the group of municipalities alongside the Association of Towns, … [Read more...]
Government report in the middle on fracking drilling risks, benefits
A new report from the Government Accountability Office presents both positives and negatives to hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling. According to an Associated Press report, the GAO released a report this week after reviewing previous studies on the impact of drilling in several states and after meeting with environmental and … [Read more...]
New York’s DEC putting fracking health regulations under further review, drilling delayed until 2013
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo stated this week that a proposed review of the health impact of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling in his state will not delay any proposed activity there. Cuomo, according to a report from NorthCountryPublicRadio.org, told reporters that the plan by the state's Dept. of Environmental Conservation … [Read more...]
Judge Blocks New York Lawsuit Over Delaware River Basin Fracking
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to block proposed hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling in the Delaware River Basin. According to a Reuters report, U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis tossed out a lawsuit brought by the state of New York and several environmental advocacy groups against the Delaware River … [Read more...]
Environmental Group Sues New York For Info Related to Fracking Decision
An environmental advocacy group has filed a lawsuit against the state of New York for failing to turn over public records related to its decision to allow hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling there. According to a Bloomberg report, Environmental Working Group believes the state’s Dept. of Natural Conservation is withholding … [Read more...]
Pavillion, Wyoming Residents Say They’ve Paid a Heavy Price for Fracking
Residents near Pavillion, Wyoming, successfully argued that hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling was unsafe and contaminating their water wells. Tests conducted by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed their fears and since then, the small town of less than 300 people that stood on the doorstep to an … [Read more...]
Approval of Fracking in New York Expected to Spark Legal Battles
As New York prepares to allow more widespread hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling, each side of the contentious debate is preparing for the next round of legal battles. According to a report from North Country Public Radio (N.Y.) out of Albany, the expected post-Labor Day release of regulations governing fracking drilling on … [Read more...]
States’ Fracking “Gag Rules” Have Doctors Worried
Doctors throughout the country are raising concerns about confidentiality agreements they are being made to sign in order to properly treat patients who have been exposed to chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) natural gas drilling. According to a report from American Medical News, physicians claim that the agreements … [Read more...]
Report Says New York Set to Allow Fracking After Labor Day
Environmental regulators in New York are set to allow hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for natural gas in the state and guidelines for drilling should be available just after Labor Day. According to a CBS News report, the decision is being met with the same skeptical optimism that it’s faced across the country, with some people … [Read more...]
Cabot Oil & Gas Near Settlement of Dimock Fracking Lawsuit
Several dozen homeowners in Dimock, Pa., have reportedly reached a settlement with a leading hydraulic fracturing (fracking) driller they blamed for contaminating their water wells with explosive levels of gas and toxic chemicals. According to an Associated Press report, the details of the settlement are being kept confidential but … [Read more...]
Pennsylvania Fracking “Gag Rule” Draws Legal Challenge
A Pennsylvania doctor has filed suit alleging the state's so-called fracking "gag rule" will force him to violate medical ethics. Alfonso Rodriguez, a doctor in Luzerne County who often treats patients exposed to fluids used in hydraulic fracturing (fracking), claims the law's confidentiality requirements would compromise his … [Read more...]
Fracking Industry Paying Scientists for “Unbiased” Research
Faced with growing public skepticism on the safety of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling, the natural gas and oil industries have taken to influencing purportedly unbiased research with handsome cash gifts to complying authors. A WIRED.com report this week shows how the natural gas and oil industries are working in key … [Read more...]
David Letterman Blasts Fracking in TV Rant
On his show last week, late-night TV host David Letterman spent about two minutes going on an unprovoked rant against hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling. Fracking drilling is threatening the safe drinking water supply available to New York City and other areas in the Mid Atlantic region and recent decisions by the state … [Read more...]
Nationwide Says it Won’t Cover Fracking Damage
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. will not cover damages incurred from the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) process. According to an AP report this week, Nationwide is the first major insurance company to recognize the risks associated with fracking drilling and, through leaked internal emails, has said it would not cover damages … [Read more...]
CDC Warns Workers at Fracking Wells Face Danger from Silica Sand
Federal health officials have issued a warning regarding the use of silica sand in the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) process. According to a Reuters report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said late last week that workers at active fracking wells face a serious health hazard from overexposure to silica sand. … [Read more...]
Environmental groups align to oppose New York’s proposed fracking drilling
A group of national and local environmental advocacy groups plan to fight proposed rules in New York that would allow hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling in limited areas. According to a report from The New York Times, even the limited allowance of fracking drilling in portions of New York state has drawn the ire of several … [Read more...]
Legal Pressure, Price Woes Cripple New York Fracking Efforts
Mounting legal pressures and a drop in natural gas prices has considerably slowed hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling production across the country. According to a report from NYaltNews.com, local efforts in the state of New York have almost crippled efforts to frack land sitting atop the massive Marcellus shale formation … [Read more...]
New York Property Owners Challenge Binghamton Fracking Ban
A group of five landowners is challenging one New York state community’s ban of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling. According to a Reuters report, the landowners believe the Binghamton, N.Y., city council and Mayor acted against proper protocol when voting to ban fracking drilling the the city. Instead, they feel the city … [Read more...]
Scientist Calls for Federal Regulations for Fracking Pollution
Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling should be governed by federal regulations because its pollution has no awareness of state boundaries. That theory was entered into the record this week at a hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform by a Cornell University scientist studying the effects of … [Read more...]
Fracking Boom Changing Way of Life in Pennsylvania’s Northern Tier
In just a few years, the impact of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling on northeastern Pennsylvania is hard to miss. Thousands of natural gas wells have been opened in that area specifically in the last five years as companies look to exploit the vast Marcellus shale formation about two miles below the surface and take … [Read more...]
Dept. of Interior Unveils Rules for Fracking on Federal Land
The Obama Administration has finally established an initial set of rules governing hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling on federal public lands. According to a Reuters report, the Dept. of Interior announced the unveiling of these rules Friday morning and they represent the first federal regulations on the drilling process … [Read more...]
New Jersey Senator Introduces Fracking Regulation Bill
A U.S. Senator from New Jersey is concerned that natural gas drilling via hydraulic fracturing is a threat to his state's drinking water. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, a Democrat, has joined Senator Robert Casey (D-PA) in introducing the "Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act" (FRAC Act) in the Senate. If the FRAC … [Read more...]
Texas Fracking Fluid Disclosure Bill Has Wide Support
The state of Texas is considering a bill that would require natural gas drillers to disclose the ingredients of the fracking fluid that is used in hydraulic fracturing. According to the Star-Telegram, the Texas fracking fluid disclosure bill is supported by both environmentalists and the natural gas drilling industry. Fracking, … [Read more...]
Fracking “Halliburton Loophole” Too Broad, Former Bush EPA Official Says
The regulatory exemption granted to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, that has now become known as the "Halliburton Loophole" went too far, according to a former George W. Bush administration official. Benjamin Grumbles, who served as assistant administrator for water at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), also told … [Read more...]
The Wyoming Fracking Creating Air Quality Problems
Natural gas drilling in Wyoming has created a problem more commonly associated with big cities like Los Angeles, California - smog. According to the Associated Press, Pinedale, Wyoming, located in the Upper Green Valley Basin and close to natural gas fields, has experienced ozone levels that have exceeded Los Angeles on its worst … [Read more...]
Fracking Suspended in Quebec Following Release of Government Report
The Canadian province of Quebec has decided to suspend new natural gas drilling that involves hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, until its environmental impacts are better understood. Environment Minister Pierre Arcand's announcement of the Quebec fracking halt followed yesterday's release of a government report that recommended the … [Read more...]
Pennsylvania Says Radioactive Fracking Wastewater Not Tainting Rivers, but EPA Wants More Tests
Pennsylvania and federal regulators have different views about the dumping of radioactive fracking wastewater from Marcellus shale natural gas drilling into the state's rivers and streams. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says its monitoring of seven state rivers has not indicated the high levels of … [Read more...]
Fracking Injection Wells Closed After Arkansas Earthquakes
Two natural gas drillers in Arkansas have agreed to stop using two injection wells in the state until it can be determined if they are causing earthquakes in the area. The injection wells, located near Greenbrier and Guy, are used to dispose of wastewater from nearby hydraulic fracturing operations. As we've reported previously, … [Read more...]
Oil Fracking Poised to Be Next Big Boom
We've written exhaustively on this site about hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in regards to natural gas drilling, and the environmental problems posed by that extraction method. But fracking can also be used to drill for oil, which may pose some of the same health and environmental risks. According to a report from the Society … [Read more...]
Dish, Texas Takes on Barnett Shale Fracking, Names Six Companies in Lawsuit
The people of Dish, Texas are fed up with natural gas drilling in the Barnett shale, and what it's done to their community. The small Denton County town, home to 200 residents and 60 natural gas wells, has filed suit against six natural gas or pipeline companies, claiming compressor stations associated with hydraulic fracturing … [Read more...]
Dumping of Radioactive Fracking Waste in Pennsylvania Waters Creates Uproar
How natural gas drillers dispose of possibly radioactive fracking wastewater in Pennsylvania has gotten the attention of many in the state. Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat, is asking questions after The New York Times reported that some Pennsylvania natural drillers are shipping potentially toxic and radioactive hydraulic fracking … [Read more...]
Another Fracking Worry: Earthquakes in Arkansas, West Virginia and Texas
Hydraulic fracturing, the natural gas drilling technique that involves pumping fracking fluid at high pressure into the earth to release gas deposits locked in underground rock formations, has long raised concerns about air and water pollution. But now, another potential fracking hazard is gaining notice - earthquakes that may occur … [Read more...]
Fracking Wastewater another Natural Gas Drilling Hazard
Over the past several days, we've been writing about the issues surrounding the wastewater produced as a result of hydraulic fracturing. How the toxic wastewater left over from the natural gas drilling technique is disposed of raises serious questions about the overall environmental safety of fracking. Frackers can send this … [Read more...]
Disclosure of Radioactive Fracking Wastewater Prompts Outcry
A hydraulic fracturing expose published over the weekend by The New York Times continues to spark controversy and calls for reform. The Times' fracking investigation, which drew on thousands of previously secret government and industry documents, reported that potentially unhealthy levels of radioactive chemicals in the wastewater … [Read more...]
Secret Fracking Documents Show Radioactive Wastewater Threatens Drinking Water
A blockbuster New York Times investigation of hydraulic fracturing has uncovered a cache of undisclosed government documents that show fracking wastewater containing radioactive chemicals and other toxic substances is being discharged into rivers and streams that serve as sources of drinking water. According to the Times, these … [Read more...]
Explosion at Pennsylvania Fracking Site Sparks Huge Fire, Injures 3
An explosion and fire at a Marcellus shale hydraulic fracturing site in southwestern Pennsylvania injured three men last night. According to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the fire at the Chesapeake Appalachia LLC natural gas well site burned for almost four hours before being extinguished. The fire broke out about 6:15 p.m. at … [Read more...]
New York Natural Gas Drilling Lawsuit Claims Pollution of Water Wells
A natural gas driller in New York's Trenton Black River limestone formation has been accused of contaminating water wells. A lawsuit filed by nine Big Flats families is seeking unspecified compensation and punitive damages from the natural gas driller, Anschutz Exploration Corp. and its subcontractors. The lawsuit was filed with the … [Read more...]
Fracking Fluid Spill Reported in Michigan
A fracking fluid leak from a Michigan natural gas well has some calling for a review of the state's drilling regulations. According to a Bloomberg News report, the leak was discovered either Monday or Tuesday at a natural gas well in Michigan's northwestern Lower Peninsula. Presidium Antrim West LC, which drilled the well, said it … [Read more...]
EPA Proposes Broad Fracking Study
It looks like an investigation of hydraulic fracturing set to be launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will take on a broad scope. According to a report from ProPublica, the agency is proposing that it take a look at every aspect of the natural gas drilling technique. If the EPA's draft study proposal is … [Read more...]
Fracking Suspected in Arkansas Earthquakes
Some residents of Guy, Arkansas believe hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, could be causing small earthquakes in their area. Guy is located in Arkansas' Fayetteville shale, center of the state's natural gas drilling boom. Drillers started fracking there several years ago. According to a report in The New York Times, shortly after … [Read more...]
Frackers Allowed to Violate Pennsylvania Natural Gas Drilling Regulations
Some Pennsylvania natural gas drillers appear to be violating state environmental regulations by failing to submit "well records" to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in a timely manner. According to a ProPublica report, some drillers performing hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus shale have waited months - sometimes … [Read more...]
EPA Fracking Study May Not Bring New Regulation
A soon-to-be launched study of hydraulic fracturing, also called fracking, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is no guarantee that the natural gas drilling technique will be subject to more federal regulation, the head of the agency said yesterday. The fracking study was ordered by Congress, and since March, the EPA … [Read more...]
Natural Gas Drillers Illegally Used Diesel Fuel in Fracking, Lawmakers Claim
Natural gas drillers engaged in hydraulic fracturing used diesel fuel in fracking fluids, according to a new report from Democrats in the U.S. Congress. The natural gas drilling companies failed to get approval from the government, the report said, something that appears to violate the Safe Drinking Water Act. Halliburton Co. and … [Read more...]
Fracking Operations Suspended by Talisman after Pennsylvania Blowout
Talisman Energy, a major Marcellus shale natural gas driller, shut down its hydraulic fracturing operations throughout North America for an eight day period following a well blowout in Pennsylvania. The Calgary, Canada based company resumed its fracking operations on Wednesday. The blowout, which Talisman characterized as a … [Read more...]
Fracking Lobby’s Green Claims May be Overstated
Hydraulic fracturing proponents almost always point to the supposed environmental benefits of natural gas to back up their support for the fracking industry. But it is becoming clear that natural gas - especially when it is extracted via fracking - is not as green as its supporters would like us to believe. According to a report on … [Read more...]
