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EPA's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing and Drinking Water

Current Status:
Comment Period Closed
Jursidiction
National - EPA
Summary
EPA is working to complete a detailed study on the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and drinking water. This study will likely replace a badly-flawed, industry-dominated literature review issued in 2004 which failed to seriously assess these risks. Encouragingly, EPA's Science Advisory Board has recommended that EPA take a holistic, life-cycle approach to the new study.
Updates

On February 9, 2011, EPA released a draft proposal of the study and sent it to the Scientific Advisory Board for review. Comments from the public will be accepted until the March 7-8, 2011 public meeting on SAB's analysis.

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On September 28, 2010, the EPA's comment period on the study's scope closed.

On June 24, 2010, the SAB released its recommendations, which advise EPA to take a comprehensive, thorough look at hydraulic fracturing, and frequently reflect environmentalists' recommendations.

On April 14, 2010, the Sierra Club, and several other environmental groups, testified at the Science Advisory Board's hearings, urging a comprehensive new look at hydraulic fracturing.

In March 2010, EPA asked its independent Science Advisory Board to assess its proposd study design.

Keywords
moratorium, exploration, water, fracking, EPA
Comment Deadline
2010.3.08

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