Government Energy Policy, Business and Technology

EPA changes its stand on fracking, says it can harm drinking water in ‘some circumstances’

The Washington Post: A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency suggests that hydraulic fracturing does have the potential to affect drinking water resources in the U.S. The report represents a shift in the agency’s previous conclusions, published in a draft report in 2015, which suggested low impacts from fracking.

The final report, released Tuesday, relies on a review of more than 1,200 previously cited scientific sources, as well as new research conducted for the report and an independent peer review by the EPA’s science advisory board. The report finds a range of possible impacts from fracking, from temporary changes in water quality to the complete contamination of drinking water wells.

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