by Jennifer A. Dlouhy

WASHINGTON — Energy companies and environmental groups have more often been adversaries than allies when it comes to hydraulic fracturing, the drilling technique used to unlock natural gas from shale rock nationwide.

But a handful of gas producers and environmental advocates are striving to change that dynamic by collaborating on a plan to step up the safety and regulation of hydraulic fracturing.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting four public information meetings on their proposed study of the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and its potential impacts on drinking water. Hydraulic fracturing is a process that aids access to natural gas or oil from shale and other geological formations.