Secretary of Energy Says Fracking Can Be Done Safely

Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz told reporters at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor that hydraulic fracturing can be done safely.

“I still have not seen any evidence of fracking per se contaminating groundwater,” Moniz told reporters, adding that natural gas could be used as a “bridge to a low carbon future” as it releases about one-third to one-half as much carbon dioxide as other fossil fuels.

In addition, the Energy Secretary said there has been no evidence the drilling technique causes groundwater contamination. According to The Daily Caller, a recent Energy Department study found no evidence of groundwater contamination from natural gas drilling sites in western Pennsylvania. In fact, the study found that fracking fluid stayed nearly a mile below drinking water supplies.

The article also noted that the Environmental Protection Agency has failed on three separate occasions to link groundwater contamination to fracking, most recently abandoning a study on the issue in Pavillion, Wyoming. The agency is currently working on a separate nationwide study on fracking, which won’t be completed until 2016.