Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
the EPA is finalizing new standards to control emissions from upstream oil and gas
operations that would reduce fugitive methane by 13 percent in 2015 and 25 per-
cent in 2035.
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In places such as Silt, Colorado, hydrofracking has allegedly caused serious health
problems. In 2001, a gas well being fractured near the home of Laura Amos blew
out, tainting her water supply with 2-BE. Amos developed a rare adrenal-gland tu-
mor. State regulators fined EnCana Corporation, the operator, $99,400 because gas
was found in Amos's drinking water. The company disputed this but did not fight it
in court. Other state regulators said hydrofracking was not to blame, claiming that
that the 2-BE that had poisoned Amos came from household cleaning products. In
2006, Amos accepted a multimillion-dollar settlement from EnCana, which also
bought her property. As part of her settlement, she signed a nondisclosure agree-
ment and has refused to discuss the case further.
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One reason for a lack of hard evidence about such cases is that once they have
ition of fracking that does not include other aspects of the process, such as poorly
drilled wells and leaking methane—steadfastly deny that hydrofracking pollutes air
and water. This stance enrages opponents, who cite a litany of fines and penalties
by regulators against frackers, and complain that the drillers' lack of transparency
puts public and environmental health at risk.
Several research organizations and journalists have suggested that industry and
governmental pressure have made reporting on hydrofracking difficult, and that en-
vironmental reports may have been censored. In 2011, the
New York Times
repor-
ted that the results of a 2004 EPA study may have been censored due to political
mental threats due to hydrofracking, but the final report changed that conclusion.
