EWG has released an interesting report on the combination of chemicals involved in fracking. The report can be found below.
http://www.ewg.org/research/california-s-toxic-fracking-fluid-chemical-recipe
EWG used a 2013 California law (SB 4) requiring disclosure of all chemicals used to boost production from oil wells by fracking or similar methods to review what the companies were putting into the ground. The drilling companies reported using 197 unique chemicals in 691 oil wells from December 2013 through February 2015. The fracking fluids typically contained two dozen or more different chemicals. EWG’s analysis1 found that they included:
- 15 listed under California’s Proposition 65 as known causes of cancer or reproductive harm
- 25 likely to contain impurities of Proposition 65-listed chemicals
- 5 that the European Union has associated with an increased risk of cancer
- 6 associated with reproductive harm
- 3 linked to clear evidence of hormone disruption
- 12 listed under the federal Clean Air Act as Hazardous Air Pollutants known to cause cancer or other harm
- 93 associated with harm to aquatic life.
About me: Sean McClure is currently a Federal Employee with over 15 years of experience working at the White House, Department of the Treasury, USAID, and Department of State. He has traveled extensively to 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.