DeGette, Huffman, Castor, Schakowsky, Clarke Reintroduce Frack Pack to Protect Communities from Fracking Pollution

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representatives Diana DeGette (CO-01), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), and Yvette Clarke (NY-09) reintroduced the Frack Pack, a set of five bills aimed at closing loopholes that allow the oil and gas industry to skirt key environmental and public health protections. The legislative package would hold the industry accountable for pollution that threatens clean air, safe drinking water, and the health of communities across the country.

The Frack Pack includes the FRAC Act, the CLEANER Act, the FRESHER Act, the SHARED Act, and the CLOSE Act. 

“For too long, oil and gas companies have enjoyed special exemptions from our nation’s bedrock environmental laws that no other industry gets,” said DeGette. “The Frack Pack would finally put an end to that double standard. These commonsense reforms will protect our air, water, and communities while ensuring greater transparency and accountability in the fracking process. I’m proud to work with leaders like Reps. Huffman, Castor, Schakowsky, and Clarke on these important bills.” 

'"The fossil fuel industry gets to dump their runoff into stormwater thanks to special exemptions for no good reason – polluting our water supply and putting communities at risk," said Rep. Jared Huffman. "Why should Big Oil billionaires get to skirt the rules? They shouldn’t. The FRESHER Act closes this loophole to even the playing field and stop them from destroying communities so we can get this public health and environmental crisis under control." 

“Families deserve clean air to breathe and clean water to drink, and the CLEANER Act is a practical step to make that a reality,” said Rep. Kathy Castor. “By holding polluters accountable and closing loopholes that let dangerous toxins seep into our waterways and neighborhoods, we can make communities healthier. Encourage Congress to move this bill and build a healthier, safer future for every community.” 

"Hydraulic fracking is a serious risk to our water, no matter how much Big Oil and Gas insist it is safe. The truth is, these companies are not even required to report when their fracking activity contaminates the local water supply," said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. "The SHARED Act is commonsense legislation that would require oil and gas companies to regularly test nearby water sources and disclose the results. Families deserve to know that the water coming out of their tap is safe to drink and use. I am committed to holding the fossil fuel industry accountable. Protecting our clean water is not optional, it is essential." 

"When a regulatory loophole within the Clean Air Act enables fracking and other environmentally harmful practices to bring dangerous toxins and climate-changing emissions into our communities unimpeded, it’s clear legislative action is necessary to correct the shortcoming and protect the public health. The ‘aggregation exemption’ has, for too long, allowed for an unacceptable status quo in climate policy in America, and it is past time for that to change," said Rep. Yvette D. Clarke. "I am proud to introduce my legislation, the CLOSE ACT, to address this destructive exemption, just as I am proud to support the Frack Pack as a comprehensive solution towards amending the loopholes that put polluters first and leave the American people last." 

TheFRAC Act would eliminate the "Halliburton Loophole," established under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, under which fracking fluids are exempted from regulation under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The FRAC Act would require fracking companies to publicly disclose the chemicals they are pumping into the ground and give the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to regulate the process under its Underground Injection Control program. The oil and gas industry remains the only economic sector exempt from this important program. 

TheCLEANER Act would make oil and gas companies responsible for cleaning up and disposing of hazardous waste that comes from their operations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Subtitle C, the country's hazardous waste management law. 

The FRESHER Act closes the loophole for oil and gas companies in the Clean Water Act and creates a study to better understand the effect of storm water runoff from oil and gas companies. 

The SHARED Act would require testing for water contamination near fracking sites. 

The CLOSE Act would decrease toxic air pollution that comes from oil and gas exploration and production activities and add hydrogen sulfide to the list of hazardous air pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act. Hydrogen sulfide is an air toxic released during oil and gas exploration and production. Additionally, it would reverse the exemption of oil and gas companies from the Clean Air Act’s aggregation requirement, which allows multiple activities or facilities to be collectively permitted as one single source. 

Rep. DeGette has led efforts in Congress to strengthen oversight of the oil and gas industry and to protect public health from the known impacts of fracking both in the West and across the country. She first introduced the FRAC Act in 2009 and has continued to advocate for greater transparency and accountability in the industry’s practices.