Montana shines light on fracking industry, but watchdogs see shadows

A state board is moving to require oil and gas companies in Montana to publically disclose what chemicals they pump thousands of feet underground to release fossil fuels trapped there. The rule dealing with hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, comes as the American public has become suspicious of the drilling procedure that some say puts ground water at risk. However, while environmental watchdogs see it as a first step for a state that now requires very little in the way of disclosure, they also worry that it provides loopholes for industry - in particular a provision allowing companies to keep a chemical secret if it is deemed a trade secret. Under the proposed rule, companies could either file the chemical names with the state board or publish them on a nationwide website, FracFocus.org, which allows people to search for specific wells by state, county or well number. The website shows what chemicals are used and in what proportion in each well. "As a rancher who has leased the minerals, I expect to know what chemicals are being pumped into the ground so that I can protect my water resources from possible contamination," said Paul Hawks, a Melville-area rancher...more