The Obama administration drew sharp criticism from environmental and oil industry groups Thursday when it issued a new draft of regulations for fracking on federal and Indian lands.
Environmental groups said the new draft provides weaker water protections than a version the Interior Department proposed a year ago, and oil industry groups said they wanted regulation to be left in the hands of states and opposed any federal regulations at all.
In its first update of hydraulic fracturing regulations in three decades, the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will require wider disclosure of chemicals used in drilling. It will also require that companies have a water management plan for fluids that flow back to the surface and use techniques to assure well-bore integrity so toxic fluids don't leak into groundwater.