EPA To Consider Shale Gas Wastewater Regulation

To no one's surprise, the Environmental Protection Agency announced in October that it will think about regulating shale gas wastewater. The Department of Energy's shale gas subcommittee - formed at the request of President Obama - provided the impetus to the EPA by noting the "fracking" chemicals contained in the water injected into shale rock formations and the contaminants that "flowback" to the surface both should be looked at more closely in case they are contaminating drinking water sources.