Changes

On March 18, 2014, a referendum on fracking in southern [[Illinois]] won in a landslide.  Fracking has brought prosperity to [[Pennsylvania]], where it is allowed, and is controversial in [[New York]] and [[New Jersey]], where it is banned by statewide moratoria and some local ordinances.<ref>[http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/19312259/article-Secaucus-bans-%E2%80%98fracking%E2%80%99-Local-officials-also-call-for-statewide-and-national-ban-?instance=special_coverage_bullets_right_column NJ city bans fracking]</ref>

On March 18, 2014, a referendum on fracking in southern [[Illinois]] won in a landslide.  Fracking has brought prosperity to [[Pennsylvania]], where it is allowed, and is controversial in [[New York]] and [[New Jersey]], where it is banned by statewide moratoria and some local ordinances.<ref>[http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/19312259/article-Secaucus-bans-%E2%80%98fracking%E2%80%99-Local-officials-also-call-for-statewide-and-national-ban-?instance=special_coverage_bullets_right_column NJ city bans fracking]</ref>

==Trade secrets==

==Trade secrets==

Each drilling company has its own secret recipe for the mixture that it uses to frac wells.  Each company claims that by adding chemicals to the water and sand mixture, more cracks will be made and a better flow of oil or gas will result.  There is a nationwide battle of whether the drilling companies can keep their recipes secret.  Wyoming was the first state to requiring drilling companies to file their list of fracing fluid ingredient with state regulators.  Environmental groups then sued to get public disclosure of those recipes.  On March 12, 2014, the Wyoming Supreme Court remanded the lawsuit to make the drilling companies prove that their recipes were protected "trade secrets."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/wyoming-high-court-remands-fracking-secrets-case-22883760|title=Wyoming High Court Remands Fracking Secrets Case|work=Associated Press|date=March 12, 2014|accessdate=March 19, 2014}}</ref>  The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) together with ExxonMobil have developed model legislation for states to adopt that would require the recipes to be filed with state agencies but withheld from public disclosure as trade secrets.<ref name=propublica>{{cite news|url=http://www.propublica.org/article/alec-and-exxonmobil-push-loopholes-in-fracking-chemical-disclosure-rules|title=ALEC and ExxonMobil Push Loopholes in Fracking Chemical Disclosure Rules|work=ProPublica|first=Cora |last=Currier|date=April 24, 2012|accessdate=April 24, 2012}}</ref>  The US Environmental Protection Agency cannot regulate fracking in order to protect groundwater, because a 2005 law exempted fracking from the [[Safe Drinking Water Act]], which controls how industries inject substances underground.<ref name=propublica/>

Each drilling company has its own secret recipe for the mixture that it uses to frac wells.  Each company claims that by adding chemicals to the water and sand mixture, more cracks will be made and a better flow of oil or gas will result.  There is a nationwide battle of whether the drilling companies can keep their recipes secret.  Wyoming was the first state to requiring drilling companies to file their list of fracing fluid ingredient with state regulators.  Environmental groups then sued to get public disclosure of those recipes.  On March 12, 2014, the Wyoming Supreme Court remanded the lawsuit to make the drilling companies prove that their recipes were protected "trade secrets."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/wyoming-high-court-remands-fracking-secrets-case-22883760|title=Wyoming High Court Remands Fracking Secrets Case|work=Associated Press|date=March 12, 2014|accessdate=March 19, 2014}}</ref>  The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) together with ExxonMobil have developed model legislation for states to adopt that would require the recipes to be filed with state agencies but withheld from public disclosure as trade secrets.<ref name=propublica>{{cite news|url=http://www.propublica.org/article/alec-and-exxonmobil-push-loopholes-in-fracking-chemical-disclosure-rules|title=ALEC and ExxonMobil Push Loopholes in Fracking Chemical Disclosure Rules|work=ProPublica|first=Cora |last=Currier|date=April 24, 2012|accessdate=March 19, 2014}}</ref>  The US Environmental Protection Agency cannot regulate fracking in order to protect groundwater, because a 2005 law exempted fracking from the [[Safe Drinking Water Act]], which controls how industries inject substances underground.<ref name=propublica/>

== See also ==

== See also ==