[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 116 (Tuesday, August 3, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S6616]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Hydraulic Fracturing

  I also wish to discuss one of the problems that is going to come up 
tomorrow, and that is with the Democratic and Republican energy bills. 
I am very concerned about a process that has been successful in 
extracting oil and primarily gas out of tight formations, known as 
hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing started in Oklahoma in 1949. 
We have used hydraulic fracturing to get at these tight formations for 
60 years, and there has never been one case of any kind of 
contamination of water.
  There are people who want to do away with our ability to run this 
machine called America. They don't want oil, gas, coal, or nuclear. 
That kind of gives an idea of what might be behind this.
  Some say: No, we are not against hydraulic fracturing. This bill 
merely says we want the Federal Government to know what chemicals are 
used.
  This is already being done on a State-by-State basis. Things aren't 
the same in Oklahoma as they are in New York. In Oklahoma, we have very 
strict rules. They know exactly what chemicals are used. By the way, 99 
percent of what is used on these formations is water and sand.
  I am looking forward to talking in more detail with my good friend 
Senator Casey. He is kind of the author of this portion of the bill. 
Yet his State of Pennsylvania has huge opportunities for natural gas. I 
think we need to talk about that. We have enough natural gas that if we 
would take away all the inhibitions we have and keep hydraulic 
fracturing as a process to be used, we could run the country for 100 
years. I think it is our job to make sure we protect that.

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