The natural gas industry in Pennsylvania is required to disclose – on a well-by-well basis – the chemical additives used in fracturing fluids. Additionally, additives represent less than 1% of the hydraulic fracturing fluid – the other 99+ percent is sand and water. As far as the chemicals used in the process, the Marcellus Shale Coalition was an early supporter of greater transparency and disclosure. You can access a list of additives and why they’re used here on fracfocus.org, a national chemical disclosure registry.
Pennsylvania’s Act 13 also ensures this disclosure. Here are a few key excerpts of what’s required:
- Unconventional well operators must complete a chemical disclosure registry form for publication on FracFocus.org in addition to the reporting required to be submitted to the department.
- Within 60 days of the conclusion of hydraulic fracturing, operators must complete and post the chemical registry disclosure form on the registry.
- Act 13 provides for immediate, verbal communication of any proprietary information to emergency responders to ensure the necessary care or treatment is delivered to anyone who may have been affected.
- The Act states that nothing shall prevent the department, a public health official, an emergency manager or a responder to a spill, release or complaint from a person who may have been aggrieved by the spill or release from obtaining information needed upon written request.
