(MintPress) – A report compiling information released by key oil companies indicates the widespread use of chemicals in the fracking process have been classified as reproductive, cardiovascular and respiratory toxicants.
The information is nothing new for those tracking the health impacts of fracking, a process by which water and chemicals are injected deep into the ground to break up and allow the extraction of oil.
While legislation has been implemented in some states, including big-oil Texas, loopholes worked into the bill are allowing companies to hide behind disclosure clauses. In Texas, companies are exempt under the law from disclosing chemicals that are deemed “trade secrets.”
The American Legislative Exchange Council, noted as a conservative lobby group, was the architect of the legislation passed in Texas. The bill was actually proposed by Randy Smith of Exxon Mobil at ALEC’s 2011 States and Nation Policy Summit in Arizona.
Even despite the disclosure law, which would technically allow oil companies to hide any chemicals used, they still reported the use of carcinogens. This comes of concern to those who look to protect water systems near fracking practices — not only for wildlife, but for humans.
Now those concerned have an avenue to see what (reported) chemicals are being used in their backyard.
Drawing from more than 27,000 oil industry reports that were issued between January 2011 and August 2012, SkyTruth revealed 11,586 separate cases of classified carcinogens used in 24 states — and it compiled it into the Fracking Chemical Database, available to the public.
Among the reported carcinogens found in the sea of data, three chemicals were reported as most regularly used by oil companies: naphthalene, benzyl chloride and formaldehyde, all of which are known carcinogens.
Naphthalene was the most common chemical, used more than 6,690 times. In terms of its health impacts, it’s classified as a cardiovascular, developmental, liver and respiratory toxicant, as well as a neurotoxicant.
SkyTruth is not saying that these chemicals are making their way into all nearby water supplies, but is calling on more transparency in the process. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to release its study of hydraulic fracturing safety in 2014.
Yet the organization has been criticized in the past with being loose on regulations in the oil industry, specifically when it comes to fracking. The EPA, for example, is not working with drilling companies able to test water contamination at drilling sites.
“In its inability to find a single company willing to test water quality before and after drilling and fracking, the EPA is being thwarted in perhaps the most important part of its study of fracking’s impacts,” the environmental organization, Earthworks, said in a statement.