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Anti-fracking activists may not have liked the outcome, but EPA’s science advisors looked at EPA’s groundwater study over the course of several months and in their final recommendations, they did not ask EPA to change its topline finding.

The EPA found, after five years of intensive study that while oil and natural gas development (or indeed any kind of energy development) is not risk free, fracking does not pose an inherent threat to drinking water. As EPA put it, “hydraulic fracturing activities have not led to widespread, systemic impacts to drinking water resources.”

Not to be deterred, a coalition of anti-fracking groups, led by Food & Water Watch, sent a letter today to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy asking EPA to “correct and clarify” it’s “unsupported top claim.” As is to be expected, their letter is pretty short on the facts. Let’s have a look.

Food & Water Watch Claim: “EPA’s choice to run with the “widespread, systemic” line, without providing a scientific basis for that line, has proven controversial.”

FACT: The scientific basis is abundantly clear. EPA’s landmark study took no less than five years to complete and is known to be one of the most comprehensive studies ever to be done on hydraulic fracturing. As EPA’s Thomas Burke said in a press release,

“It is the most complete compilation of scientific data to date, including over 950 sources of information, published papers, numerous technical reports, information from stakeholders and peer-reviewed EPA scientific reports.”

Peer-reviewed study after peer-reviewed study has shown a lack of systemic groundwater contamination from fracking. EPA’s investigation confirmed that fact.

Researchers at the View Full Article