Texas Fracking Bill Approved By House Would Require Chemical Disclosure

HOUSTON -- Texas could soon become the first state to require drilling companies to publicly disclose the chemicals they use to crack tight rock formations in their search for natural gas.

Legislation approved Sunday night in the Texas House could prompt the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other states to make similar rules. The governor hasn't indicated whether he'll sign it.

At issue is hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." The contentious technique allows oil and gas companies to permeate tight shale formations and release once out-of-reach minerals. Drillers pump millions of gallons of chemically laced water into the ground to break the rock, allowing natural gas to flow.

Many companies refuse to say what chemicals are used, arguing it could harm their competitive edge. Others fear the chemicals could taint groundwater or soil.

Comments

[Michael K Martin]

11:40 AM on 06/02/2011

Hydraulic fracking will always have water contamination risks associated with it. There is a new technology involving LPG (propane like you have in your barbeque), and this method, while you have to pump the gas out more slowly, allows you to recover all of the stuff you put in, plus the natural gas. All I'm saying is that if Fracking has to happen, (and it does) I hope they use a less harmful, less polluting technology.

[wsmith3023]

02:40 PM on 06/02/2011

They have been using CO2 for years. Hey, sequestering CO2 and producing an alternative energy at the same time. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.
Propane is one of the gasses that are produced in gas wells, mostly methane. You might be confusing gas with gas. Natural gas does not need to be pumped out of the ground.
Gas(oline) is a refining waste product that seems to work in combustion engines as well as alcohol. Instead of burning gasoline to dispose of it, they sell it to us at near cost.

[realityCheckInTheMail]

09:47 PM on 06/07/2011

Man, you bring the oil and gas knowledge! You ought to have your own blog, instead of the usual HuffPo nonesense.

[drp103]

03:25 PM on 06/01/2011

Every farmer sitting on a potential fracking site should watch GASLAND.

[TigersBloodNRG]

09:45 AM on 06/01/2011

I don't know if this is some kind of oversight on the part of HUFFPOST, but I went to the Texas legislature's site, and upon searching DID NOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF THIS BILL EXISTING.
PLEASE CITE SOURCES
If this is misinformation, rest assured that it will be exposed. Fracking is dangerous, and should be treated as such, e.g. REGULATION BY INDEPENDENT AGENCY, not in the pocket of the energy companies...

[msater]

02:37 PM on 06/01/2011

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/7561351.html

[Hopethisworks]

09:44 AM on 06/01/2011

Many companies refuse to say what chemicals are used, arguing it could harm their competitive edge.

Nice way to say that we value profits over the safety and well being of our brothers and sisters.

[wsmith3023]

02:47 PM on 06/02/2011

If the gas companies found out what is in each of the companies' frac fluid, they could have a less reputable frac company do the job at a cheaper price. THIS is more of a safety issue. I think that fracturing companies that research out the best methods should be paid for their work, not some shady fly by night fracturing company with 5 employees and no experience in the well thought out procedures done by reputable companies.

[Bryan Rae]

08:58 AM on 06/01/2011

hey guess what they started fracking near to Blackpool northwest England and they have had earthquakes the drilling company admits that this could happen drilling suspended from bbc news at 13.50 bst

[mnyegele]

03:26 PM on 05/31/2011

In addition to injecting a lethal cocktail of toxic chemicals, fracking requires phenomenal amounts of water. Texas is suffering from a severe drought. Where is Texas going to get the water?
Texas may brag about all the businesses its lured from California, but how can you run a business without water? How will a chronic water shortage affect property values?
If I were a smart investor, I'd steer clear of the Lone Star state.

[wsmith3023]

07:51 PM on 05/31/2011

Water is the only and biggest concern. Some lakes are almost empty. There are rampant wildfires. With the chemical disclosures, we are going to find out they are food fillers and a salt.
If there are other chemicals in the frac fluid, the gas well companies are being cheated by their service companies.

[bad spelling grammar]

03:07 PM on 05/31/2011

Perry actually making a decision that somewhat is positive for the environment at the expense of business! WOW I have to say I am shocked but pleased to read this.

[Fire Krotch]

06:20 PM on 06/01/2011

If he signs, but if so, WOW x2.

[praesq]

02:51 PM on 05/31/2011

Fracturing does nothing more than poison the Ground water; and
with fresh water resources diminishing, why would we want to pump BENZINE
a known carcinogenic into the ground water.
Whats even more atrocious, are these commercials with OIL COMPANY
executives SMILING ABOUT THE MIRACLE UNDER AMERICANS FEET I.E. THE
TRAPPED NATURAL GAS.
THESE COMMERCIALS ARE AS ABSURD AS THE DRUG COMMERCIALS THAT
CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS, LIKE CANCER, TO SOLVE YOUR TIRED ASS SYNDROME.

THEY TAKE OIL FROM OUR SOIL AND SHORES AND PAY NO TAXES.
WHAT IS THIS A COUNTRY OF, BY, AND FOR OIL COMPANIES ET AL.

[Malcolm Hensley]

05:10 PM on 05/31/2011

proof,
Accusation, Caps Lock, we can see how you feel, but what do you know other than what you have been told or saw at the movies?

[wsmith3023]

07:54 PM on 05/31/2011

These are gas companies. Oil companies have always pumped the gas back into the ground as there was no profit in natural gas. Gas was important only in keeping pressure on the oil or to be used in a process called gaslift (like the old coffee percolators).

[BillFromDover]

02:06 PM on 05/31/2011

Texas? Are ya frackin' me?

[wsmith3023]

08:17 PM on 05/31/2011

Texas has always held oil, gas and any other industry under their thumbs.
Unfortunately, Texas has about 13,000 square miles of land that is being eroded away because of roads built for thousands of wind generators that have yet to be connected to an electrical grid.

[DebiAtHP]

12:53 AM on 06/01/2011

Where in Texas are these thousands of wind turbines that have yet to be connected to the grid? Are they already standing and just idle? All of the ones I am aware of in West Texas are "hooked in" and sometimes curtailed when the lines are full-but they are building more lines. alot of lines on both ERCOT and SPP.

[POPE INNOCENT]

01:57 PM on 05/31/2011

Your right Dr Mandible!

Fracking causes damage to bedrock and pollutes it.

http://farmwars.info/

[Malcolm Hensley]

02:36 PM on 05/31/2011

not based on the evidence from your link.

[wsmith3023]

07:58 PM on 05/31/2011

Driving gasoline-powered vehicles causes damage to bedrock and pollutes it and the air. Especially bad is the benzene and CO2. Filling up gasoline-powered vehicles pollutes the aquifers due to numerous spills caused by untrained people using the pumps. Driving gasoline-powered vehicles is also destroying the world as we know due to AGW.

[POPE INNOCENT]

08:18 PM on 05/31/2011

Hi W Smith,
Right now I have a ford focus sport that 50-55 mpg from this combo.
Fitch Fuel Catalyst
Piezo Spark Plugs (Sonic) Halo not quite as good.
Tornado Vortec Generator

We could make hemp ethanol from the hemp fiber.

[DrMandible]

01:40 PM on 05/31/2011

Nice to see that the land of cowboys is finally realizing that the free market would require John Wayne to walk around outside in a haz-mat suit.

[wsmith3023]

08:02 PM on 05/31/2011

Frac fluid is made from the same exact chemicals as a popular personal lubricant. Most people apply it when nude. Hydroxyethylcellulose and propylene glycol. Look up the MSDSs if you don't believe me. Oh. Don't use the sand at home.

[realityCheckInTheMail]

09:44 PM on 06/07/2011

Nice!

The "anti-frac" disinformation campaign is the last nail in the "I guess I must not be an environmentalist anymore coffin" for me.

I mean, I want clean drinking water too. But they drilled 1500 of these wells inside Ft.Worth city limits alone (and the water there is just fine).

The frac fissures are what, 50-100 feet long at most. 1000s of feet down! So a 50 foot fissure 5000 feet down is going to destroy the groundwater?

Yeah, mountaintop removal coal mining is destructive, and ought to be banned. But fracing? Throw that out and we might as well go back to the caves.