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Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” refers to the process of injecting a mixture of materials (including water, sand, chemicals, and gases) into the ground at high pressures to extract oil and natural gas. 

A sludge pit containing chemical by products of a fracking operation. photo © Jeff Widen

In a shallow well, a single fracking operation can require several thousands of gallons of water. This pales in comparison to slickwater fracs, which can each require injecting up to 500 million gallons of water into shale gas formations! In obtaining the massive quantities of water they need, fracking companies further deplete our already scarce water resources. The water used to fracture wells typically contains various chemicals to increase the effectivness of fractures and to protecting drilling/drainage equipment. In many cases, the chemicals and compounds used in fracking fluids are extremely toxic to humans and other animals.

Despite its widespread use, fracking is an unpredictable and often uncontainable process, and there is no regulation at either the state or federal level requiring fracking companies to fully disclose the chemicals they use.

Fracking fluids – many of which contain extremely toxic chemicals and compounds – can seep into underground drinking water supplies. Moreover, when uncontained fracking fluids flow back out of wells, they can contaminate surface soil, air, and above-ground water resources.

These risks are especially prevalent in Colorado, where oil and gas drilling is at an all-time high.

The 2005 Energy Bill amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to exempt oil and gas drillers from recording and reporting the chemicals and compounds they use in fracking fluids. This recently created "Halliburton loophole" jeopardizes human and environmental health and also threatens the safety of public drinking water.

However, thanks to Colorado Representatives. Diana DeGette and Jared Polis, there are currently two bills (H.R. 2766 and S. 1215) proposing to reverse this special treatment of oil and gas drillers. Both bills would restore the Safe Drinking Water Act by requiring tracking and regulation of fracking fluids, and -- despite industry claims -- are not project to cost the region jobs.

Although oil and gas drillers complain that these measures are too costly and would inhibit oil production, these bills would merely require that oil and gas drillers report the ingredients used in their fracking fluids. Furthermore, states would not be overly burdened by this legislation because fracking regulation could be easily included in pre-existing permit processes for oil and gas wells.

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