Hydraulic Fracturing Study Faces Criticism At Hearing of House Science Committee

摘要

A study by the Environmental Protection Agency to determine whether the oil-drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing contaminates drinking water is unnecessary or overly broad because there are no confirmed incidents of such contamination, a House committee was told May 11. In defending the study, Paul Anastas, administrator of EPA's Office of Research and Development, said the study did not presuppose that a risk to drinking water exists. Anastas said the study, for which the agency released a draft plan in February, is intended to assess if there are factors that could cause potential harm to people and the environment (42 ER 288, 2/11/11).