Sen. Inhofe: “The Obama Administration has it right: there are no documented cases of ground water contamination from hydraulic fracturing”

Despite the long and abundantly clear record of environmental safety that hydraulic fracturing has maintained for more than a half-century, some who oppose the responsible development of traditional, job-creating American energy forms – including clean-burning natural gas – continue to wage all-out war on the technology. That battle continued in earnest today up on Capitol Hill.

These agenda-driven attacks persist even though independent studies have determined that fracking has never contaminated groundwater. Heck, even Carol Browner – energy czar to President Obama and former EPA chief under President Clinton – has come to the same conclusion on fracturing’s environmental safety.

Today, though, a major blow was delivered to those who are working tirelessly to stop responsible shale gas development here at home, as well as the tens of thousands of good-paying jobs and billions in economic activity that this production is generating.

At a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing earlier today, U.S. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) asked senior EPA and USGS officials a pretty simple question:

“Do any one of you know of one case of ground water contamination that has resulted from hydraulic fracturing?”

Crickets. Actually, these folks responded eventually. And what they said may (not) shock you:

Peter Silva (EPA Water Chief): Not that I’m aware of, no.

Sen. Inhofe: Ms. Giles?

Cynthia Giles (EPA Compliance Administrator): I understand there’s some anecdotal evidence, but I don’t know that it’s been firmly established.

Sen. Inhofe: So the answer is no, you don’t know of it.

Cynthia Giles nods.

Sen. Inhofe: Alright, Mr. Larsen?

Matthew Larsen (Assoc. Director for Water, EPA): I’ll have to respond in writing, I don’t, I’m not aware of all of our studies on that topic.

Click HERE to view online footage of this exchange.

Also, Sen. Inhofe says this in a statement that was released earlier today following the hearing:

“The Obama Administration has it right: there are no documented cases of ground water contamination from hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is a safe production technique that is thoroughly regulated by the states. We have a 60 year history to prove it.

“With the unemployment rate at 10 percent, we need to put people back to work. Imposing more bureaucracy and regulation will destroy jobs and stifle opportunities for those looking to find a job. The oil and gas industry employs 6 million people in the U.S. I want to see that number go up, not down.”