| Contents |
| Document
Collection Download background documents on the Study. |
Related
Web Sites
Visit other Web sites with information on hydraulic fracturing. |
Submit
Information
Submit information on potential effects of hydraulic fracturing. |
Peer
Review Panelists
Background information on the expert peer review panelists
and their qualifications. |
11th
Circuit Court Decision
Information on the December 21, 2001 decision in support of
EPA's approval of Alabama's program under Section 1425 of
the Safe Drinking Water Act. |
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EPA has completed a study of the possible impacts of hydraulic
fracturing on underground sources of drinking water (USDWs).
The Agency has prepared a draft report on the preliminary results
of its investigation which focuses on hydraulic fracturing used
specifically for enhancing coalbed methane production. EPA used
existing sources of information, and consolidated pertinent data
into a summary report to serve as the basis for the study. Based
on an analysis of the information collected, EPA has preliminarily
found that the potential threats to public health posed by hydraulic
fracturing of coalbed methane wells appear to be small and do
not justify additional study. Comments are due by October 28,
2002.
BACKGROUND
Prior to 1997, EPA had not considered regulating hydraulic fracturing
because the Agency believed that this well production stimulation
process did not fall under the Underground Injection Control (UIC)
program's purview, nor under the jurisdiction of the Safe Drinking
Water Act (SDWA).
In 1994, the Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation (LEAF)
challenged that interpretation because LEAF believed the State
of Alabama should regulate hydraulic fracturing for coalbed methane
development as underground injection. LEAF petitioned EPA to withdraw
Alabama’s SDWA Section 1425 UIC program. EPA rejected LEAF's
petition, and LEAF litigated. In 1997, the 11th Circuit Court
of Appeals ruled that hydraulic fracturing of coalbeds in Alabama
should be regulated under the SDWA as underground injection (LEAF
v. EPA, 118 F. 3d 1467). The State was required to modify its
UIC program, and in December 1999, EPA approved this revision.
Since the 11th Circuit Court's decision, EPA has contacted and
been contacted by citizens who expressed concern that practices
associated with methane gas production from coalbeds has resulted
in contamination of USDWs. EPA has been asked to support legislation
which would exempt hydraulic fracturing from SDWA. EPA will consider
any comments on the data presented in the draft report before
making further decisions concerning the potential regulation of
hydraulic fracturing.
For more information, contact: Leslie Cronkhite, Drinking Water
Protection Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code
4606, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington,
DC 20460; Phone: (202) 564-3878; E-Mail: cronkhite.leslie@epa.gov.
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