The Issue
Fracking
EWG’s investigations highlight the inherent risks of the current boom in drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations and empower citizens and lawmakers to work for better regulation.
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The Latest on Fracking
The U.S. Geological Survey has warned New York state regulators that their plan to allow drilling and hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale could endanger private water wells, municipal aquifers and New York City’s drinking water supply.
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During last night's State of the Union address, President Obama appeared ready to throw the full support of his administration behind the expansion of natural gas drilling operations throughout the country, largely ignoring the outrage and worry expressed by those in affected communities.
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The federal Environmental Protection Agency's detection of arsenic, a known human carcinogen, barium and other contaminants in the well water of homes near natural gas drilling operations in Dimock Township, Pennsylvania, should prompt a nationwide investigation of drilling-linked water pollution.
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EWG warns that New York state lacks the resources and knowledge to protect public water supplies from hydraulic fracturing. EWG’s comments respond to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s draft environmental impact assessment of fracking and proposed regulations of natural gas drilling
Read MoreWe've all seen (or at least heard of) the movie "Erin Brockovich" in which a bold and fiercely determined mom takes on a chemical company for exposing a small town and the families and children that live there to toxic chemicals that have been linked to cancer. It's Academy Award winning material.
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People are messy. So is nature. And what people do when nature unleashes its fury often makes things worse.
The staff at Environmental Working Group took a look at the major environmental news stories of the year and came up with two lists: the Top 10 Good News stories and the Top 10 Bad News stories.
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Gas drilling companies routinely warn their investors of a litany of possible disasters – such as leaks, spills, explosions, bodily injury and even death – but regularly fail to mention these risks when persuading landowners to sign leases for drilling rights, an Environmental Working Group investigation found.
Read MoreAs natural gas development has pushed into populated areas, gas drillers have consistently disclosed to shareholders and potential investors daunting lists of possible mishaps, including leaks, spills, explosions, bodily injury, limited insurance coverage – and death
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According to a report by the Associated Press, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has concluded the natural gas extraction process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, could be responsible for groundwater contamination in Wyoming.
Read MoreSince George Washington crossed the Delaware in 1776, the river has become an iconic American image. Nearly 16 million people rely on the Delaware river for drinking water, and every year 5.4 million Americans swim, fish, camp, hike and explore its 330 miles of pristine, un-dammed water.
Read MoreSince George Washington crossed the Delaware in 1776, the river has become an iconic American image. Nearly 16 million people rely on the Delaware river for drinking water, and every year 5.4 million Americans swim, fish, camp, hike and explore its 330 miles of pristine, un-dammed water.
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Dusty Horwitt, EWG senior counsel, testifies before the New York City Council Committee on Environmental Protection about the health and financial risks of fracking, particularly potential danger to New York City's water.
Read MoreWhen it comes to drilling in the Marcellus Shale, the natural gas industry leaves no stone unturned.
Read MoreA Department of Energy advisory panel’s draft report has insufficiently examined in depth the health and safety issues raised by natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing, according to a detailed assessment by Environmental Working Group.
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Few Californians realize that the highly controversial shale gas and oil extraction process known as hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” has been taking place in their state for more than 50 years.
Read MorePeople across the country are rightly concerned about natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing near their homes. Thanks to new technologies, the exploitation of shale gas formations has expanded rapidly and now accounts for nearly 30 percent of U.S. natural gas production.
Read MorePeople across the country are rightly concerned about natural gas drilling and fracturing near their homes. Thanks to new technologies, the exploitation of shale gas formations has expanded rapidly and now accounts for nearly 30 percent of U.S. gas production.
Read MoreIn a draft report on the increasingly controversial practice of shale gas drilling, the Secretary of Energy’s Advisory Board Subcommittee sidestepped the crucial question of whether hydraulic fracturing technology should remain exempt from most federal environmental regulation.
Read MoreTwenty eight scientists from 22 universities in 13 states have signed a letter objecting to the makeup of an industry-dominated advisory panel named by Energy Secretary Steven Chu to examine safety and environmental issues linked to natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.”
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