The EPA study on fracking and drinking water resources (2016)

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See also: The EPA interim study on fracking and drinking water (2015) and Fracking in the United States

Fracking in the U.S.
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On December 13, 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final report requested by Congress in 2010 on the impact of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on drinking water resources. The EPA report stated that there was "scientific evidence that hydraulic fracturing activities can impact drinking water resources in the United States under some circumstances." An earlier draft version of the report, released in June 2015, concluded that fracking had not created any widespread or systemic impact on drinking water. That conclusion was deleted in its final version. Instead, according to Tom Burke, EPA Deputy Administrator, "We [the EPA] found scientific evidence of impacts to drinking water resources at each stage of the hydraulic fracturing water cycle." According to the report, the agency based its study on 1,200 scientific sources, peer review by the EPA's Science Advisory Board, and the input from federal, state, local, tribal, and industry officials. However, the EPA acknowledged that its findings were limited in scope, reporting that "uncertainties and data gaps limited the EPA's ability to fully assess impacts to drinking water resources both locally and nationally."

Findings

The EPA concluded in some circumstances that poorly constructed drilling wells and incorrect wastewater management affected drinking water resources, particularly near drilling sites. According to the report, effects on drinking water "ranged in severity, from temporary changes in water quality to contamination that made private drinking wells unusable." Instances where drinking water resources were more vulnerable included the following:

“	Water withdrawals for hydraulic fracturing in times or areas of low water availability, particularly in areas with limited or declining groundwater resources; Spills during the management of hydraulic fracturing fluids and chemicals or produced water that result in large volumes or high concentrations of chemicals reaching groundwater resources; Injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids into wells with inadequate mechanical integrity, allowing gases or liquids to move to groundwater resources; Injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids directly into groundwater resources; Discharge of inadequately treated hydraulic fracturing wastewater to surface water resources; and Disposal or storage of hydraulic fracturing wastewater in unlined pits, resulting in contamination of groundwater resources.	”
—Environmental Protection Agency

The report focused on the potential impact on these water sources during five stages of the fracking process:

• The acquisition of water to be used for fracking
• The mixing of chemical additives and water to make fracking fluids
• The injection of fracking fluids into a production well to create and enlarge fractures in the targeted production zone.
• The collection of wastewater that returns through a well after the injection of fracking fluids
• The management of wastewater through disposal or reuse.

Reactions

• The American Petroleum Institute (API), which represents the oil and natural gas industry, criticized the EPA report as misleading. "It is beyond absurd for the administration to reverse course on its way out the door. The agency has walked away from nearly a thousand sources of information from published papers, technical reports and peer reviewed scientific reports demonstrating that industry practices, industry trends, and regulatory programs protect water resources at every step of the hydraulic fracturing process. Decisions like this amplify the public's frustrations with Washington," said API Upstream Director Erik Milito. Milito further stated, "Fortunately, the science and data clearly demonstrate that hydraulic fracturing does not lead to widespread, systemic impacts to drinking water resources. Unfortunately, consumers have witnessed five years and millions of dollars expended only to see conclusion based in science changed to a conclusion based in political ambiguity."

• Energy policy in Depth, a website established by the Independent Petroleum Association of America, an oil and gas industry group, endorsed the EPA's conclusion, which it argues reinforces its view that there is no systematic impact from fracking, but also criticized the EPA's role in the report. A spokesperson for the website said, "EPA’s report blows apart the anti-fracking campaign’s most common claim, namely that hydraulic fracturing is polluting groundwater all across America" but that the "EPA did its best to inject politics into this good news by inflating concerns about groundwater, no doubt as a parting thank-you gift to the ‘Keep It In the Ground’ movement." The Keep It In the Ground movement refers to a collection of individuals, legislators, and organizations that oppose future oil and natural gas drilling.

• Food & Water Watch, an environmental group that opposes fracking, said the report confirmed its view that fracking contaminates drinking water. According to the group's executive director, "The EPA has confirmed what we’ve known all along: fracking can and does contaminate drinking water. We are pleased that the agency has acted on the recommendations of its Science Advisory Board and chosen [sic] be frank about the inherent harms and hazards of fracking. Today the Obama administration has rightly prioritized facts and science, and put public health and environmental protection over the profit-driven interests of the oil and gas industry."

• The Sierra Club, an environmental group that opposes fracking, said the report confirmed its view that fracking negatively affects drinking water. According to the group's official statement, "The Sierra Club applauds the EPA for its science-based fracking report, confirming what so many already knew; fracking presents a clear and present threat to our water, our public health, and our communities. For far too long, communities around the country have faced the daily threat of contaminated water, earthquakes, and an uncertain future due to fracking, all while oil and gas companies peddled the false claim that the process was safe. Today’s report ends this charade. No longer will families be told a lie as their health and safety are threatened."

See also

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  Fracking

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  Energy production

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  Water pollution

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  Fracking in the United States