At the moment, fracking chemical regulations are in a big gray limbo. A big mix of proposed rules, toxicity studies, jurisdiction issues,and business v. activist battles are holding the decisions at bay.
The EarthJustice petition in 2011 is a great case study on the reporting of fracking chemicals. There are a couple of issues with transparency of chemicals. Here are a few, but not all: 1) Variety of regulatory mechanisms. Two main acts seem to be the regulatory drivers for the fracking liquids: Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Safe Water Drinking Act (SDWA). Depending on the petition or case, decisions by agencies or judiciary may only address single issues under certain regs, lacking a comprehensive approach. 2) State and/or federal oversight. States approach subsurface actions, water rights, and chemical reporting very differently across the nation. Additionally, federal agencies are taking different types of actions. For example, the BLM and the EPA are approaching the problems from different angles, setting different precedents. 3) For the most part, the manufacturers of chemicals must report what are in their mixtures. So, the users (unless obligated in that particular state) can add a layer of mystery on their operations by simply not saying what mixture they are using. In essence, if the public doesn't know what 'brand' they are using, the public can't find out what's in it, but the users aren't doing something 'wrong'. On another note, I sincerely hope the parents reconsider letting their kids do this swim meet. On Mon, Apr 1, 2013 at 11:08 AM, David Burg <[email protected]> wrote: > If the fluid is that safe, why do fracking companies still lobbly to make > sure the fracking fluid ingredients remain secret? They have so far been > successful in blocking any legal requirement for requiring such disclosure. > > David Burg > President, WildMetro > > > On Mon, Apr 1, 2013 at 9:51 AM, Michael Halpern <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > > http://blog.ucsusa.org/pennsylvania-high-school-to-host-bizarre-swim-meet-in-fracking-fluid/ > > > > In what one concerned parent is calling "outrageous," the Pennsylvania > > Department of Environment is allowing two eastern Pennsylvania high > schools > > to stage a bizarre boys swim meet this coming Friday-in a swimming pool > > filled with fracking fluid. > > > > The event is being held to demonstrate the safety of the fluid, a > > byproduct of the oil and gas extraction method of hydraulic fracturing, > > otherwise known as fracking. Some politicians have pulled similar > > scientifically questionable stunts to reassure the public that fracking > > fluid is benign. Governor John Hickenlooper (D-CO), for example, went so > > far as to drink a glass of the fluid < > > > http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/13/gov-john-hickenlooper-drank-fracking-fluid-hydraulic-fracturing_n_2674453.html > > > > in 2012. > > <snip> > > > > -Michael > > > > Michael Halpern > > Center for Science and Democracy > > Union of Concerned Scientists > > > > Follow me on Twitter @MichaelUCS<https://twitter.com/michaelucs> > > Read my most recent blog posts<blog.ucsusa.org/author/michael-halpern> > > Call me at 202.331.5452 > > >
