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Environment

GOP Seeks Balance In Fracking Review

by Glenn Hess
October 22, 2012 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 90, Issue 43

Republican members of the House of Representatives Science, Space & Technology Committee are urging EPA to take a balanced approach in selecting the members of a scientific advisory panel that will review an upcoming study on hydraulic fracturing. Set to be released in December, the study is part of the agency’s effort to determine potential links between the oil and gas drilling technique and water contamination. In a letter to EPA, Chairman Ralph M. Hall (R-Texas) and Reps. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) and Andy P. Harris (R-Md.) call on the agency to “consider balance, expertise, independence, and public participation requirements” in its selection of the panel. The letter outlines several concerns with the panel review process, including lack of stakeholder input and the appearance of a lack of impartiality. “Given the importance of this study and the potential implications it could have for oil and gas production in the U.S., we urge EPA to ensure selection of a balanced panel with relevant technical expertise, and one that does not unnecessarily exclude nominees with relevant (and, in fact, essential) industry experience,” the letter states.

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