Idaho Statesman Logo

Natural gas extraction method may be subject to more rules | Idaho Statesman

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services

    • News
    • Boise
    • West Ada
    • Canyon County
    • Crime
    • State News
    • Nation/World News
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Idahoans in the Military
    • Weather
    • Traffic
    • Helping Works
    • In the Classroom
    • Our Community
    • Sports
    • Boise State Football
    • Boise State Basketball
    • Idaho Vandals
    • High Schools
    • Bronco Beat
    • Chadd Cripe
    • Varsity Extra Blog
    • NFL
    • NBA
    • NHL
    • MLB
    • Golf
    • Idaho Politics
    • Elections
    • Government and Business
    • Capitol & State
    • Letters from the West
    • National Politics
    • Business
    • Business Insider
    • Business Columns & Blogs
    • Personal Finance
    • Legal Notices
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Bill Manny
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Guest Opinion
    • Submit a Letter or Opinion
    • Entertainment
    • Events Calendar
    • Restaurant Reviews
    • Arts and Culture
    • Festivals
    • Movie Reviews
    • Movie Showtimes
    • Music
    • Television
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Puzzles
    • Words & Deeds
    • ArtsBeat
    • Outdoors
    • Playing Outdoors Blog
    • Biking
    • Camping
    • Fishing
    • Hiking and Trails
    • Hunting
    • Winter Recreation
    • Living
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Treasure
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Best of Treasure Valley
    • Heart of the Treasure Valley
    • Margaret Lauterbach
    • Tim Woodward
    • Carolyn Hax
  • Obituaries

  • Contests
  • Advertise
  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

News

Natural gas extraction method may be subject to more rules

Mike Lee - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    ORDER REPRINT →

December 07, 2008 05:33 AM

There's a move in Congress to impose tighter regulations on a key process used to recover natural gas in the Barnett Shale.

Hydraulic fracturing uses a mix of water, sand and chemicals to create tiny cracks in the rock and release the gas. But it's been under fire for years from environmentalists who question whether the chemicals are safe.

Barnett Shale drillers said they rely less on gels and other chemicals and more on "slick water" — a mixture of water, sand and surfactants that are similar to those in soap and make the water easier to pump.

Any chemicals they do use — more than 50 compounds are listed in Fort Worth's records — are a tiny percentage of the millions of gallons used in each well and are largely flushed out of the ground, drillers say.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Idaho Statesman

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

And many of those chemicals — like sodium bicarbonate, or ordinary baking soda — are benign.

But others are potentially deadly, and disclosure requirements are lax, environmentalists say. What's more, even the small percentage used in wells amounts to thousands of gallons of potential contaminants, environmentalists say. Once the chemicals are used, they must be disposed of.

A bill by U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., would require companies to disclose the drilling chemicals they use and would subject them to the federal Clean Water Act.

The stakes are high because gas drilling is beginning to push into neighborhoods, near parks and next to water reservoirs in Tarrant County.

"The challenge all communities face is trying to figure out what's going into their air and water, what's going into their soil," said Jennifer Goldman, a researcher with the Oil and Gas Accountability Project.

Industry officials worry, too.

Read the complete story at star-telegram.com

  Comments  

Videos

Some Republicans were against executive power on immigration. Now they aren’t.

Thick snow turns Yosemite National Park into winter wonderland

View More Video

Trending Stories

Vote now for the Treasure Valley athletes of the week (Feb. 11-16)

February 18, 2019 02:31 PM

Police said he was drunk in a crash that injured 17. He wasn’t. 46 years later, he tells his story.

February 18, 2019 03:03 PM

The million-dollar Boise home? Ho-hum. See who’s buying houses for $2 million and up

February 19, 2019 10:18 AM

5A SIC all-conference girls basketball team: Where did your favorite player land?

February 18, 2019 11:55 AM

Boise Hawks’ stadium to host big rock festival. Free beer in ticket price? Cheers, punk

February 19, 2019 11:58 AM

Read Next

Oregon man saw Idahoans trespassing, so he held them at gunpoint until police arrived

Crime

Oregon man saw Idahoans trespassing, so he held them at gunpoint until police arrived

By Nicole Blanchard

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 19, 2019 03:35 PM

A Meridian man and an Boise woman were held at gunpoint by an Oregon man after trespassing at a Durkee residence, according to the Baker County Sheriff’s Office. The Idahoans face burglary, theft charges.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Idaho Statesman

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE NEWS

Judge OKs suit aimed at halting Obama library in Chicago

Business

Judge OKs suit aimed at halting Obama library in Chicago

February 19, 2019 02:53 PM

Politics & Government

Stacey Abrams appearance at voting rights hearing has political overtones, GOP says

February 19, 2019 08:20 AM
The million-dollar Boise home? Ho-hum. See who’s buying houses for $2 million and up

Treasure

The million-dollar Boise home? Ho-hum. See who’s buying houses for $2 million and up

February 19, 2019 10:18 AM
Guns, NASCAR and Masters tickets used as bribes in failed SC nuclear project, feds say

National

Guns, NASCAR and Masters tickets used as bribes in failed SC nuclear project, feds say

February 19, 2019 02:32 PM
‘United Pot Smokers’ weed delivery service sued over ‘confusingly similar’ branding

National

‘United Pot Smokers’ weed delivery service sued over ‘confusingly similar’ branding

February 19, 2019 02:28 PM
Online petition seeks to sell Montana to Canada. ‘Just tell them it has beavers.’

World

Online petition seeks to sell Montana to Canada. ‘Just tell them it has beavers.’

February 19, 2019 12:52 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Idaho Statesman App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Place an Obituary
  • Today's Circulars
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story