TOWARD AN EVIDENCE-BASED FRACKING DEBATE

The report examines the risks associated with unconventional oil and gas development, specifically hydraulic fracturing, in the United States. It identifies significant threats to groundwater and surface water quality, air pollution, and induced seismic activity from wastewater injection. The authors highlight how corporate and political interference—including 'trade secret' exemptions and non-disclosure agreements—hampers scientific research and public knowledge. It critiques the 'patchwork' of state laws and federal loopholes, such as the 'Halliburton loophole,' and recommends mandatory baseline monitoring, full chemical disclosure, and the closing of federal regulatory gaps to protect public health and the environment.

• Unconventional oil and gas development can contaminate groundwater through improperly constructed wells or the migration of fracturing fluids, with some estimates suggesting approximately 3 percent of wells in Pennsylvania are inadequately constructed.
• Surface water is at risk from spills of chemical additives and the improper disposal of wastewater, including illegal dumping of untreated drilling muds and saline wastewater in states like Ohio and North Dakota.
• The process requires vast amounts of water, with a single horizontal well needing between 3 million and 12 million gallons, which can strain local supplies in water-scarce regions like Texas.
• Air quality can be degraded by hazardous air pollutants, particulate matter, and ozone precursors emitted from well sites and truck traffic, increasing health risks for residents living within half a mile of well sites.
• While hydraulic fracturing causes low-magnitude seismic activity, the high-pressure injection of wastewater into Class II disposal wells is linked to larger earthquakes, including a 5.7 M event in Oklahoma in November 2011.
• Socioeconomic impacts include short-term economic booms and job creation, but these may be offset by strained public services, increased crime, housing inflation, and road degradation from heavy truck traffic.
• The extraction of oil and gas contributes to global warming through the leakage of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, with fugitive emissions estimated between 1 and 9 percent of total natural gas production.
• Corporate interests have interfered with government science, such as the EPA's studies on benzene levels and water contamination in Pavillion, Wyoming, and Parker County, Texas.
• Legal settlements and non-disclosure agreements frequently conceal scientific data regarding water contamination, preventing researchers and the public from accessing evidence of industry harm.
• Federal regulation is severely limited by the 'Halliburton loophole' in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which exempts most hydraulic fracturing operations from the Safe Drinking Water Act.
• State chemical disclosure laws are inconsistent; many lack requirements for full disclosure of concentrations and volumes, and most allow companies to withhold information as 'trade secrets.'
• There is a critical lack of mandatory baseline water and air quality monitoring across most states, making it difficult to attribute pollution to specific drilling activities.

APA

Goldman, G., Bailin, D., Rogerson, P., Agatstein, J., Imm, J., & Phartiyal, P. (2013). TOWARD AN EVIDENCE-BASED FRACKING DEBATE. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/fracking-report-full_0.pdf

Chicago

Goldman, Gretchen, Deborah Bailin, Paul Rogerson, Jessie Agatstein, Jennifer Imm, and Pallavi Phartiyal. TOWARD AN EVIDENCE-BASED FRACKING DEBATE. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2013. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/fracking-report-full_0.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Goldman |first1=Gretchen |last2=Bailin |first2=Deborah |last3=Rogerson |first3=Paul |last4=Agatstein |first4=Jessie |last5=Imm |first5=Jennifer |last6=Phartiyal |first6=Pallavi |title=TOWARD AN EVIDENCE-BASED FRACKING DEBATE |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=October 2013 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/fracking-report-full_0.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{goldman2013toward, author = {Goldman, Gretchen and Bailin, Deborah and Rogerson, Paul and Agatstein, Jessie and Imm, Jennifer and Phartiyal, Pallavi}, title = {{TOWARD AN EVIDENCE-BASED FRACKING DEBATE}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2013}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/fracking-report-full_0.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }