EPA Issues Subpoena Regarding Hydraulic Fracturing Study

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that eight out of the nine hydraulic fracturing companies that received voluntary information requests in September have agreed to submit information to help the agency conduct its study on hydraulic fracturing. According to EPA, the ninth company, Halliburton, failed to provide EPA the requested information. As a result, EPA issued a subpoena to the company requiring submission of the requested information.

EPA’s congressionally mandated hydraulic fracturing study will look at the potential adverse impact of the practice on drinking water and public health. The agency is under a deadline to provide initial results by the end of 2012.

On September 9, EPA contatced the nine leading national and regional hydraulic fracturing service providers seeking information on the chemical composition of fluids used in the hydraulic fracturing process, data on the impacts of the chemicals on human health and the environment, standard operating procedures at their hydraulic fracturing sites and the locations of sites where fracturing has been conducted.

Except for Halliburton, the companies have either complied with the request or made unconditional commitments to provide all the requested information.

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