There's a state-wide advocacy group called Environment Texas. Today,
they sent out a report that's calling for a safer alternative to
natural gas drilling in the lone star state because right now they
believe our drinking water is at risk.
This report stems from
an exemption put into the 2005 Safe Drinking Water Act. The clause
reads that the EPA cannot fully regulate gas drilling. Therefore,
there's no law that says drillers have to disclose the chemicals they
use to drill for gas. However, even though they don't have to list what
chemicals are going down the wells, we found out from one drilling
company that they're providing that information anyways.
"Texas
does not require drillers to disclose the fluids they use. So Texans do
not know what chemicals might be threatening our drinking water,"
explains Alejandro Savransky, Field Organizer for Environment Texas.
According
to the group, along with the safe drinking water act, the federal
government doesn’t require gas drillers to publicly disclose fluids
they use in some of their processes... like hydraulic fracturing which
is a common method used in gas drilling.
"While we just don’t
know what exact chemicals are used in gas drilling we know what the
list can include carcinogens, chemicals affecting organ functions, this
is something that should concern many people," says Savransky.
Mark
Merritt with Fasken Oil and Ranch told us this about gas drilling:
"Hydraulic fracturing is responsible for 30% of the domestically
recoverable oil and natural gas and is becoming more important to be
able to economically produce future oil and gas reserves. To my
knowledge, there have been no cases of ground water contamination as a
result of hydraulic fracturing."
Merritt also provided us with this break-down of the fluids
used in fracturing, explaining how 99.5% of fracturing fluids are
comprised of freshwater, the other .5% are additives like acids,
petroleum distillates, citric acid and Isopropanol.
But, even
with a graph and list, Environment Texas says there needs to be lawful
regulation. So, if a mistake happens in the process, drillers are held
accountable.
"We are specifically hoping, we want drillers to
be required to disclose the chemicals that they use and as well as how
much they use. And also, drillers should replace toxic chemicals with
safer alternatives," says Savransky.
But, Merritt was Fasken
says “the railroad commission of Texas already regulates the casing
designed to protect the ground water from contamination. To stop using
this technology would have a dramatic effect upon our industry and
employment and on available energy for the consumer.
Websites from Fasken:
http://www.energyindepth.org/in-depth/frac-in-depth/
http://www.energyindepth.org/in-depth/environment-in-depth/safer-water/
http://www.energyindepth.org/in-depth/frac-in-depth/energy-and-economic-benefits/
Environment Texas:
http://www.environmenttexas.org/
