cross-posted at annoyedomnivore.wordpress.com
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released a report Congress commissioned in 2010 to study the impact of fracking on drinking water, the conclusions of which are somewhat muddied. A 2004 EPA study stated that fracking posed no threat to drinking water, a conclusion that led to the exemption of the oil and gas industry from protections laid down by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974. The strictures of the SDWA require continuous monitoring of public drinking water systems for contaminants and an issuance of an annual “Consumer Confidence Report” to customers, which would identify the contaminants and explain potential health impacts. George Bush and Dick Cheney used the 2004 study to promote and pass legislation, widely referred to as the “Halliburton Loophole", to specifically exempt hydraulic fracturing from the SDWA as well as the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act.
The oil and gas industry has claimed victory with the publication of the new EPA study. They point to a conclusion reached by the EPA that fracking had no “widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water.” Environmental groups, however, also claimed victory by pointing to another part of the study that said “fracking could contaminate drinking water under certain conditions, such as when fluids used in the process leaked water into the water table.” The study did find isolated cases of water contamination. The facts concerning which specific chemicals are used in the fracking process, combined with the EPA’s finding that “approximately 9.4 million people [live] within one mile of a hydraulically fractured well,” would cause one to logically assume that water sources could easily be contaminated.
And public drinking water could be compromised by these chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing: methanol, used in antifreeze, paint solvent and vehicle fuel, can, if swallowed, cause eye damage or death. BTEX compounds (benezine, toluene, xylene and ethybenzene), found in gasoline, can cause cancer, bone marrow failure or leukemia. Diesel fuel, which was specifically targeted by the EPA’s 2004 report, as “the greatest threat” to underground sources of drinking water. Lead, which has been long established as particularly harmful to children’s neurological development. Hydrogen fluoride, a lethal dose of which is 1.5 grams. Naphthalene, a carcinogen found in mothballs. Sulfuric acid, the lethal dose being one teaspoon. Crystalline silica, a carcinogen found in concrete, and formaldehyde, a carcinogen with a lethal dose of one ounce. These few chemicals are known to be used in the fracking process, while many more chemicals are listed as “proprietary.”
But as the Obama administration unilaterally supports hydraulic fracturing, as will the Clinton administration, this process to extract oil will remain. At the very least, then, oil and gas companies should be required to adhere to the regulations specified by the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) is proposing a bill that would eradicate the Halliburton Loophole. The Focused Reduction of Effluence and Stormwater runoff through Hydraulic fracturing Environmental Regulation, or the FRESHER Act, “would create national standards to protect water resources.” Senator Cardin released a statement saying that “recent advances in technology have helped America become more energy independent that ever before. Our rise in energy independence has, unfortunately come with dangerous deregulation of oil and gas companies…The FRESHER Act is a needed safeguard to ensure oil and gas companies cannot pollute our water.”
Indeed, the EPA, in its recent report, stated that flowing water caused by rainstorms can pick up large amounts of pollutants and carry them as “stormwater runoff” into rivers, streams and other waterways. Oil and gas construction (pipelines, wellpads, waste pits) can be sources of sediment and toxic runoff and it was identified in the report that “siltation is the largest cause of impaired water quality in rivers.” The FRESHER Act would require that oil and gas companies get a stormwater permit and have a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan to eliminate illegal discharges into water sources. Colorado and Wyoming already have a permit requirement, and in these states with a large oil and gas presence there reportedly are no complaints from the industry about this requirement. It’s a modest bill that simply closes the loopholes that have prevented regulators from conducting oversight and kept the public unaware of any measures taken by a particular company to avoid pollution, or not.
The oil and gas industry did put pressure on the EPA over the design of its study, and blocked the agency from gathering data from direct monitoring of fracking operations. But the fact is that the EPA did confirm cases of water contamination and focused on communities that have been complaining about water problems for years. EcoWatch calls the EPA study an “incomplete and inadequate study [that] is an embarrassment to the Obama administration and the EPA,” but it has apparently led to a call to close the loopholes that protect the industry from regulation. The FRESHER Act, if passed, at least will shine a brighter light on hydraulic fracturing, which may, in the end and over time, cause its demise, and perhaps encourage a stronger focus on alternative sources of energy.
Recipe of the Week
This dinner and lunch staple is super easy, fast and delicious. You can change the ingredients to suit your tastes. An excellent hot weather meal.
Black Bean and Corn Salad
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbl. lime rind, minced
1 tbl. lime juice
2 tbl. red wine vinegar
1.5 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped cilantro
4 green onions, chopped
Combine all ingredients and serve over a green salad. I also added a little left over Mexican cheese I had on hand – cheddar would also be good. Tomatoes would also be a good addition.