The natural-gas boom has caused a secondary boom in debate about the practice of hydraulic fracturing, the method that has greatly expanded U.S. gas reserves. Fracking has stirred much media attention and disagreement, but one non-profit disclosure website may be one thing on which everyone can agree, Talia Buford of Politico reports. (Politico photo)
FracFocus, affiliated with state governments, has been praised by federal lawmakers, industry groups and environmentalists "as a model for states taking the lead in disclosing the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations," Buford reports. The site lets visitors see lists of chemicals used by participating companies. It collects data from wells in 20 states. Some state legislators have named the site in their fracking regulations and the Interior Department is considering using it to help develop its rules for wells on federal lands.
The site was created by the Ground Water Protection Council, a nonprofit made up of state regulatory agencies and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, which advocates state regulation of the industry. Creators said they wanted companies to participate voluntarily. Last month, 212 companies were signed up and data for 13,000 wells from up to 150 companies was available on the site. (Read more)
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