Environmentalists warn that EPA plan to continue allowing oil and gas companies to dump unlimited amounts of fracking chemicals and wastewater directly into the Gulf of Mexico violates federal law. In a letter sent to EPA officials, attorneys for the Center for Biological Diversity warn that the EPA permit for Gulf water pollution discharges fails to consider how dumping wastewater containing fracking and acidizing chemicals would impact water quality and marine wildlife.
The EPA is endangering an entire ecosystem by allowing the oil industry to dump unlimited amounts of fracking chemicals and drilling waste fluid into the Gulf of Mexico,” said Center attorney Kristen Monsell. “This appalling plan from the agency that’s supposed to protect our water violates federal law, and shows a disturbing disregard for offshore fracking’s toxic threats to sea turtles and other Gulf wildlife.”