Government agencies are perfectly willing to admit that oil and gas drilling is a source of air pollution and toxic wastewater, but they haven't been willing to enact stricter regulations. Oil and gas drilling has skyrocketed over the past 8 years, with nearly 120,000 new wells in operation -- almost half of the total number of wells created since 1980. Ninety-nine percent of these new drilling operations are in six Western states whose water supply is already threatened by drought and over-usage. The chemicals injected into the ground during drilling have been cited by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management as dangerous contaminants, yet oil and gas companies still enjoy obscene exemptions under federal law. The Environmental Working Group hopes that new Interior Secretary Salazar will act swiftly with congress to limit hazardous drilling and protect the pristine lands of the American West.