Environmental Protection Agency approved chemical use for fracking
Written by Victoria Scialfa on July 14, 2021
Environmental Protection Agency approved chemical use for fracking
By Susan Phillips /StateImpact Pennsylvania
July 14, 2021
A new report reveals the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or “forever chemicals” to frack oil and gas wells.
The non-profit Physicians for Social Responsibility used public records in a report that details the use of the class of chemicals in oil and gas drilling.
Authors of the report say they did not find evidence PFAS chemicals were used in Pennsylvania wells but trade secret laws prevent complete disclosure of fracking chemicals.
PFAS includes more than 9,000 different compounds. Research shows exposure can harm reproductive health, increase cholesterol and may cause kidney and testicular cancer.
“We as human beings don’t have only one source of exposure, fracking might be one but we’re also finding that it’s everywhere so things that are water repellant are used on your outside umbrella or your hiking boots or your carpets,” says Toxicologist Linda Birnbaum, former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
A spokesperson for the American Petroleum Institute says use is limited and at very low levels.
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