On June 4, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a draft study report entitled Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources, which analyzes the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and drinking water. The draft report reflects over four years of work by EPA; is the most robust report on this subject to date; and includes the review and analysis of over 950 published sources and reports, data from at least 20 states and 1,500 counties, and participation by stakeholders from states, non-governmental organizations, tribes, industry, academia, the public, and EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB). This Client Alert summarizes the key findings of the draft report, namely that hydraulic fracturing has not had widespread or systemic negative impacts on the nation’s drinking water.
