16 cattle die after drinking fluid near drilling rig

Sixteen cattle died in a northwestern Louisiana field this week after drinking a fluid alongside a natural gas drilling rig, according to Louisiana's Department of Environmental Quality, reported by the Shreveport Times. At least one worker told the newspaper that the fluids, which witnesses described as green and spewing into the air near the drilling derrick, were used for a drilling process called <i>hydraulic fracturing</i>. Chesapeake Energy,the companay involved, hasn't identified what chemicals might be in the fluids and is insisting there was no spill.Both Chesapeake and its contractor doing the work, insist these fluids are proprietary.

Hydraulic fracturing (water, sand and chemicals are pumped deep underground at high pressure to break rock and release natural gas) is controversial because of the secrecy surrounding the fluids and because it's exempted from protections of the Safe Drinking Water Act and this leaves it outside of regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency. Congress is currently considering legislation to address these issues out of concern that this process is contaminating water is several states.

There have been reports by scientists at the EPA and the U.S. Geological Survey that they can't assess the risks that hydraulic fracturing may pose because the companies involved won't release the names and amounts of the chemicals used. The companies, including Halliburton and Schlumberger, state say that disclosing the information would put them at a "competitive disadvantage", and besides, they say its all safe.....sure, just ask the people who bought at love canal. Some information is available through Material Safety Data Sheets, but these only provide scant medical advice for workers exposed to the chemicals. So, this high pressurized fluid is smashing rock to get to the natural gas...and this fluid is then going where?? Are we causing more problems in our world due to our addiction to "oil"?