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New Paltz, NY – One sticking point among those debating the expansion of natural gas drilling in New York has been over the disclosure of chemicals used, as companies split through layers of earth in a process known as hydraulic fracturing. WAMC's Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Greg Fry reports that new recommendations to the federal government call for more disclosure of those chemicals...
An advisory board to US Energy Secretary Steven Chu released its recommendations Thursday, highlighting the need for increased transparency and a focus on best practices for shale production.
The first of four key recommendations from the board had to do with full disclosure of the chemicals used in fracturing fluids. Many states have already issued requirements regarding disclosure, and have considered the subject before allowing drilling to move forward. John Conrad with the Poughkeepsie-based consulting firm Conrad Geosciences says there's been some confusion on this subject, and he says many companies are willing to disclose the chemicals they use during drilling. Conrad, a public supporter of expanded gas exploration, says many energy companies are in favor of disclosure, and are even doing so voluntarily.
However, there has been public opposition by industry officials to measures like the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals, or FRAC Act, which, among other steps, would require that disclosure by companies. Conrad says the recommendation by the energy department's subcommittee may be due to the fact that shale gas exploration has gotten so much public attention. Conrad says that fracking fluids are often supplied by service companies. He says those companies may have preferred to keep their formulas secret from one another.
Conrad points out that the advisory board highlights the limited possibility for those chemicals to do harm, in the way some who have protested the process believe could happen.
Industry organizations like the Marcellus Shale Coalition, and Independent Petroleum Association of America, expressed optimism about the recommendations, and joined in support of the push for more disclosure.
Bruce Ferguson with Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy, an organization against the hydraulic fracturing process, says it's unacceptable to allow the process to happen, without full disclosure - to authorities, and to the public. Ferguson says if someone is fracking near his unfiltered private water well, he'd like to know what chemicals are going in there, so he can make his own informed decision. He says that should be in addition to whatever tests state regulators may order.
Website like fracfocus.org have shed some light on the process. At that site, browsers can search well sites, and the chemicals used at those sites. While there was cautious optimism among those who don't support hydrofracking, one concern expressed by Ferguson, along with Congressman Maurice Hinchey, was the overwhelming number of advisory board members who are linked financially to the natural gas industry. The board also made recommendations on air and water quality, and the need for more research and development.
Recommendations from DOE Advisory Board
Statement from Congressman Maurice Hinchey