Increased Oversight of Hydraulic Fracturing Operations Needed to Protect Water Resources

On July 16, 2015, the Office of Inspector General of the Environmental Protection Agency released the report Protecting America’s Waters: Enhanced EPA Oversight and Action Can Further Protect Water Resources from the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing. The report evaluated how the EPA and states use existing authorities to regulate the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on water. The report concluded that EPA could improve its oversight in two respects. First, EPA should improve its oversight of permit issuance for hydraulic fracturing using diesel fuels. Second, EPA needs to develop a plan for responding to the public’s concerns over chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. Download the report here: Protecting America’s Waters: Enhanced EPA Oversight and Action Can Further Protect Water Resources from the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing.