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Safety

EPA Issues Subpoena For Drilling Records

by Glenn Hess
November 15, 2010 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 88, Issue 46

EPA says it has issued a subpoena to force energy giant Halliburton to release information on the chemicals it uses in extracting natural gas from shale deposits. Eight other companies have agreed to EPA’s request to voluntarily provide information on the chemical composition of fluids used in hydraulic fracturing, an oil and natural gas extraction process, according to the agency. Congress has directed EPA to determine whether the drilling practice poses a threat to drinking-water quality. Only Halliburton has failed to provide EPA with the information necessary to move forward with this study, the agency says. The drilling companies that have either complied with the data request or committed to do so are BJ Services, Complete Production Services, Key Energy Services, Patterson-UTI, RPC, Schlumberger, Superior Well Services, and Weatherford. Halliburton says the government’s request was overly broad and that company officials have met with EPA personnel to try to narrow the agency’s “unreasonable demands.” EPA also asked the companies to provide information on the impacts of the chemicals on health and the environment and the locations where fracturing operations were conducted.

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