Ferate: EPA Study A Victory For State
Ferate: EPA study a victory for state
By: A.J. Ferate
I applaud the Environmental Protection Agency for comprehensively researching hydraulic fracturing technology. According to an EPA study released earlier this month, hydraulic fracturing has no widespread, systemic effects on drinking water.
Commissioned by Congress, the study took more than five years and millions of dollars to complete. The EPA’s findings are crystal clear: Hydraulic fracturing is safe. This is a fact our state has known for decades. Hydraulic fracturing is a technology that was invented in Oklahoma more than 60 years ago and has since been used in more than 1 million wells across the United States.
States have played a primary role in regulating oil and gas development and providing guidelines for hydraulic fracturing. The EPA’s report proves that the current regulations and industry best practices are working to ensure hydraulic fracturing is done safely. As anti-development activists are pushing for local and statewide hydraulic fracturing bans, this report debunks claims that hydraulic fracturing harms groundwater.
The study authors analyzed hydraulic fracturing fluids, case studies on local communities and well construction. The EPA said 30,000 wells were hydraulically fractured annually between 2011 and 2014 during the highest level of oil and gas production in the U.S. in more than 30 years.