Press Releases

Washington, D.C. (June 21, 2013) – The State of Wyoming announced today that the EPA would set aside its report on hydraulic fracturing and water contamination in Pavillion, Wyoming.  The report, released to the public without peer review on December 8, 2011, was the first time the EPA had implied contaminated water was the result of hydraulic fracturing.  The EPA’s decision to pull its report comes after State experts, other federal agencies, and industry had criticized the EPA’s drilling plan and testing procedures.

Following the EPA’s announcement, Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Steve Pearce issued the following statement:

“I am glad to see that two years later, the EPA has finally given up on this preposterous report that claimed hydraulic fracturing was the cause of contaminated groundwater in Pavillion, Wyoming," said Chairman Pearce. "Both former Obama administration EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and BLM Director Bob Abbey have stated that hydraulic fracturing has not been proven to have led to one single case of contaminated groundwater, and it is my hope that the EPA will learn from their mistake of premature accusations. Releasing a report without peer review is never a good practice, and if it weren't for the hard work from Wyoming Congressional delegation and Governor Matt Mead, we might still be held victim to EPA's far-fetched allegations about the hydraulic fracturing industry. Going forward, I urge the EPA to be far more thorough with their investigations when releasing future reports with tremendous consequences."