Environmental Issues: Water

Water Main Page

All Documents in Water Tagged hydraulic fracturing

Hydraulic Fracturing Can Potentially Contaminate Drinking Water Sources
Fact Sheet

Communities across the country are concerned about the risks that oil and gas production using fracking poses to drinking water sources, and scientists and environmentalists are increasingly concerned about groundwater and surface water contamination that may be associated directly or indirectly with fracking. NRDC opposes expanded fracking until effective safeguards are in place.

Documents Tagged hydraulic fracturing in All Sections

Leaking Profits
The U.S. Oil and Gas Industry Can Reduce Pollution, Conserve Resources, and Make Money by Preventing Methane Waste
Overview

Methane makes up as much as 90 percent of natural gas, and significant amounts of methane are wasted when natural gas is extracted by fracking or other techniques. Preventing the leakage and venting of methane from natural gas facilities would reduce pollution, enhance air quality, improve human health, and conserve energy resources.

State Hydraulic Fracturing Disclosure Rules and Enforcement: A Comparison
Legislative Analysis

This analysis provides a comprehensive comparison of existing disclosure requirements for states with hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, operations. It finds more than half of the states with hydraulic fracturing activity currently have no disclosure requirements at all. Of the existing state rules, none provide comprehensive disclosure. Enforcement of state rules is also found to be uneven.

Risky Gas Drilling Threatens Health, Water Supplies
The rapid expansion of natural gas drilling across the nation endangers human health and the environment.
Overview

The oil and gas industry is seeking to expand natural gas production across the nation, as new technology makes it easier to extract gas from previously inaccessible sites. NRDC supports establishing a fully effective system of safeguards for hydraulic fracturing to protect our health and land and is committed to working with the federal government, states, communities and industry to put these safeguards into place right away.

For additional policy documents, see the NRDC Document Bank.
For older publications available only in print, click here.