DENVER—Colorado has ranked second in a congressional report measuring the amount of hydraulic fracturing fluids used in oil and gas development.
The Denver Post reported Friday a House Energy and Commerce report showed that Colorado used 1.5 million gallons of fracking fluid from 2005-2009. Texas was first with 3.8 million gallons.
The report said the fluids are injected with at least 29 chemicals that are known or suspected human carcinogens.
Fracking blasts water, sand and chemicals underground to help free natural gas.
State regulators say they aren’t surprised by the report and generally know the fluids’ chemical mix.
But Rep. Diana DeGette, a Denver Democrat and one of the representatives who issued the report, said the findings are alarming and called for all companies to disclose their fracking recipes.
———
Information from: The Denver Post,
