A Department of Energy advisory committee has called for tighter environmental controls on the production of natural gas from shale formations. Concerns have been raised about the potential pollution of groundwater resources when shale wells are hydraulically fractured with chemicals to increase the gas flow.The department's Shale Gas Production Subcommittee called for increased measurement, public disclosure, and improvements in the environmental management of shale gas, which has shyrocketed to nearly 30% of U.S. gas output in the last decade.
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the Senior Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee, stated that, "the federal government wants to increase its control of shale gas -- although states regulate most production."
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Posted 10/23/2011
