Environmental Groups Want Fracking Disclosures

Want drillers to state what chemicals are released during process

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should force oil and natural-gas producers to disclose the chemicals they release during drilling, hydraulic fracturing, compressing and storage, environmental groups said.

The Environmental Integrity Project and 16 other groups in a petition today said the information is necessary to inform local residents about pollutants released into the air, water and land. Disclosure also would prod companies to reduce their chemical pollution, according to the petition to the EPA.

"At the very least, we have the right to know what these companies are using and releasing as part of their oil and gas production," Jane Davenport, senior attorney for Delaware Riverkeeper Network, said today on a conference call with reporters.