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Small amounts of benzene alone can contaminate millions of gallons of groundwater used for human consumption. According to the EPA, 10 of 11 US coalbed methane (CBM) basins are located at least partially in areas of underground sources of drinking water (USDW).
EPA also determined that nine or more harmful to human health fracking chemicals are used in normal operations. "These chemicals may be injected (in) concentrations anywhere from 4 to almost 13,000 times" above acceptable amounts.
According to hydrodynamics expert John Bredehoeft :
"At greatest risk of contamination are the coalbed aquifers currently used as sources of drinking water.""(C)ontamination associated with hydrofracturing (can) threaten the usefulness of aquifers for future use."
At issue also is obtaining information on specific fracking chemicals used. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), oil and gas companies won't release what they call "proprietary information."
Current regulations exempt oil and gas drilling from major environmental laws, including the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act, and Clean Water Act.
On March 3, 2011, New York Times writer Ian Urbina headlined, "Pressure Limits Effort to Police Drilling for Gas," saying:
In 1987, congressional lawmakers weren't told about hazardous wastes from oil and gas drilling in an EPA report. Author Carla Greathouse discussed them, but they were excluded.
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