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hydraulic fracturing

The New York Times: Industry boos Oscar nod for ‘Gasland’

Posted Mon, 2011/01/31 - 11:21am by RCAP

By JOHN COLLINS RUDOLF

“Gasland,” a film that turns a harshly critical eye on the perils of natural gas drilling, has earned an Academy Award nomination for best documentary.

The Oscar nod guarantees even wider exposure for the controversial film, which uses images of flames leaping from kitchen faucets and polluted streams to make an argument for the dangers of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a drilling technique where water and chemicals are injected at high pressure deep underground to free up previously inaccessible natural gas deposits.

The Rural Blog: As states seek disclosure, drilling companies try more environmentally friendly fracking fluids

Posted Tue, 2010/12/21 - 9:53am by RCAP

Much of the controversy around hydraulic fracturing has centered on whether chemicals used in the process can contaminate drinking water supplies, "but despite an increase in the number of such reports nationally, environmentalists’ claims have been undermined by the fact that no scientific links have been established between fracturing — which involves blasting a solution of water, sand and chemicals deep underground to free natural gas — and reports of contaminated water," John Gramlich of Stateline writes in a good

Eight of nine U.S. companies agree to work with EPA regarding chemicals used in natural gas extraction

Posted Wed, 2010/11/10 - 10:30am by RCAP

EPA conducting congressionally mandated study to examine the impact of the hydraulic fracturing process on drinking water quality; Halliburton subpoenaed after failing to meet EPA’s voluntary requests for information

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Nov. 9 that eight out of the nine hydraulic fracturing companies that received voluntary information requests in September have agreed to submit timely and complete information to help the agency conduct its study on hydraulic fracturing.