Why didn’t Groat disclose his financial ties in the study? And did he fail to tell anyone at the University about it?

Federal workplace watchdogs are warning that the boom in “fracking” is now exposing oilfield workers to hazards they can inhale.

Earlier this year, a study led by Dr. Charles “Chip” Groat for the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin made headlines for saying there was no link between fracking and groundwater contamination. (When we reported on the study in February, we noted that the study also found some serious issues around the safety […]

Earlier today we reported on a series of quakes rattling Johnson County, outside of Fort Worth, Texas. The quakes haven’t caused any significant damage, but for a part of the state that has historically been seismically quiet, they’ve come as a surprise. There happen to be dozens of disposal wells — deep injection wells used for disposing […]

In December, Texas enacted fracking disclosure rules, which require drilling companies to itemize what chemicals they use in the hydraulic fracturing process. Any well that got a permit from February 1, 2012 on has to make the disclosure on the website FracFocus.org. But there was an exception for “trade secrets,” chemicals that are part of a […]

The Department of Interior announced some new rules today for the drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” on federal lands. The rules require companies drilling in those areas to disclose what chemicals are used in the process, but the chemicals aren’t disclosed until the well has already been fracked. There are also two […]

After several unusual personal loans came to light, the CEO and chairman of Chesapeake Energy, one of the biggest players in the world of fracking for natural gas, is now just CEO, according to the company. In a program called the “Founder Well Participation Program,” Aubrey McClendon was allowed to purchase an interest in each […]

Well, the time has come for federal regulation of fracking, a drilling practice in widespread use across Texas. Up until now it’s been a practice regulated by states, but in new rules announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today, the federal government will now have oversight over emissions from fracking. The EPA says the standards […]

A report from UT’s Energy Institute on shale gas drilling found no link between hydraulic fracturing and water contamination, but the findings might not all be good news for oil and gas drilling. “The report shines a light on the fact that there are a number of aspects of natural gas development that can cause […]

Looks like those hoping the conflict between Texas and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would cool down after Rick Perry’s departure from the presidential race are in for some disappointment. On Tuesday, the Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates drilling in the state, fired a shot across the bow of the EPA. The message? Don’t touch […]