Fact Checking The USA Today: Hydraulic Fracturing is a Critical, Environmentally Proven Energy Production Technology
| USA Today’s Claims … | … At Odds With The Facts |
| “Studies have shown that fracking has contaminated drinking water supplies with carcinogens and radioactive elements.” (USA Today Editorial, 3/15/11) | Taury Smith, NY State’s Top Geologist, “a self-described liberal Democrat”: “He said he has been examining the science of hydrofracturing the shale for three years and has found no cases in which the process has led to groundwater contamination.” (Albany Times Union, 3/14/11)Fmr. PA DEP Sec. and Fmr. PennFuture CEO John Hanger: “It’s our experience in Pennsylvania that we have not had one case in which the fluids used to break off the gas from 5,000 to 8,000 feet underground have returned to contaminate ground water.” (Reuters, 10/4/10)Taury Smith: “As it turns out hydraulic fracturing itself appears to be safe.” (WNED-NY, 3/15/11)EPA: “The [2004 EPA] study determined that fracturing posed ‘little or no threat'” to groundwater. (E&E News, 2/24/11)”Obama Administration: “No Documented Cases of Hydraulic Fracturing Contamination” (U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing,12/8/09)Association of American State Geologists President: “There have been no documented cases of drinking water contamination that have resulted from hydraulic fracturing.” (Regulatory Statements on Hydraulic Fracturing, 6/09)Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: “There have been no verified cases of harm to ground water in the State of Alaska as a result of hydraulic fracturing.” (Regulatory Statements on Hydraulic Fracturing, 6/09)Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: “There has been no verified instance of harm to groundwater caused by hydraulic fracturing.” (Regulatory Statements on Hydraulic Fracturing,6/09)
Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources: “There have been no instances where the Division of Oil and Gas has verified that harm to groundwater has ever been found to be the result of hydraulic fracturing.” (Regulatory Statements on Hydraulic Fracturing,6/09) Louisiana Dept. of Natural Resources: We are “unaware of any instance of harm to groundwater in the State of Louisiana caused by the practice of hydraulic fracturing.” (Regulatory Statements on Hydraulic Fracturing, 6/09) Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality: “There is no indication that hydraulic fracturing has ever caused damage to ground water.” (Regulatory Statements on Hydraulic Fracturing, 6/09) Oklahoma Corporation Commission: “We have no documentation of such an instance.” (Regulatory Statements on Hydraulic Fracturing, 6/09) Railroad Commission of Texas: “Though hydraulic fracturing has been used for over 60 years in Texas,our Railroad Commission records do not reflect a single documented surface or groundwater contamination case associated with hydraulic fracturing.” (Regulatory Statements on Hydraulic Fracturing, 6/09) South Dakota Dept. of Environment and Natural Resource: “In the 41 years that I have supervised oil and gas exploration, production and development in South Dakota, no documented case of water well or aquifer damage by the fracking of oil or gas wells, has been brought to my attention. Nor am I aware of any such cases before my time.” (Regulatory Statements on Hydraulic Fracturing, 6/09) Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: “No documented cases of groundwater contamination from fracture stimulations.” (Regulatory Statements on Hydraulic Fracturing,6/09) |
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