Washington (June 4, 2015) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, made the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its draft report, “Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources”. In 2012, Senator Markey and then-Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.Y.) released a comprehensive report “Drilling Dysfunction: How the Failure to Oversee Drilling on Public Lands Endangers Health and the Environment”, which highlighted the potential of wells that are not cemented and cased appropriately to contribute to leaks or contamination of groundwater.

“This draft report verifies what we have known for years, that hydraulic fracturing and related activities have the potential to severely impact drinking water and endanger public health and the environment.  While the number of cases studied may be small, the impacts to public health and safety are large. EPA must ensure that these activities occur appropriately with robust safeguards to ensure clean and safe drinking water, as well as the safety of workers, communities, the environment and the health of the American people.”