Legislators and environmentalists continue to press their concerns regarding the potential hazards of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing (fracing). This article has a brief and clear description of the process of fracing (pronounced fracking) for those of us who have been wondering what this is all about. Federal legislators would like get this practice regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Chris Tucker, a lobbyist for a group of energy producers and royalty owners asks, "Why is 60 years that fracing has been used, why now? Why is everyone pissed off now?" Everyone is 'pissed off now' because of the recent development of the Marcellus Shale for the production of natural gas. The Marcellus Shale lies beneath a large portion of the United States, including such states as Louisiana, New  York, Arkansas Wyoming and Pennsylvania, among others. The drilling activity on the Marcellus Shale has thus increased the use of fracing to access the wealth beneath the surface. Tucker goes on to answer his own question, "...once the Marcellus Shale came out and it was clear that this was huge, it all came to the forefront."

Legislators, environmentalists and others worry that the chemicals used in fracing, already shown to be harmful to humans and other species, could leach into anc contaminate the ground water supply.