Category Archives: FRAC Act

In states like New Mexico and Colorado, hydrofracking is contaminating the drinking water. The film, Gasland, shows numerous cases of homeowners who sold drilling rights to their land only to find that after the drilling their water became unusable — harming their own living circumstances and totally trashing future land values. Some households displayed black or brownish water from their taps, a few demonstrated that the water contained so much benzene that the homeowner was able to ignite the water as it came out of the tap.

Despite these safeguards, the oil and gas industries successfully lobbied Congress during the Bush administration for exemptions for hydrofracking. (As it happens, hydrofracking is a process used profitably by Halliburton where former vice president Dick Cheney was once CEO.) Hydrofracking was established as permissible with no need to comply with federal environmental safeguards. As a result, Americans must rely on state regulations.

“Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Continue reading →