Interior Department Endorses FracFocus Chemical Disclosure Website
Despite criticism of FracFocus by several environmental and academic groups, the outgoing Deputy Secretary of the Interior Department recently suggested the FracFocus website may be an appropriate device for the public disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing fluids while adequately protecting trade secrets. As reported by BNA’s Daily Environment Report, Deputy Secretary David Hayes, who is stepping down to take a teaching position at Stanford Law School, said that the Department of the Interior endorses the concept of a single registry throughout the country that contains as much information as possible. Hayes noted that although FracFocus is a work in progress, the Department of the Interior has been working closely with the FracFocus team to develop the disclosure platform.
FracFocus recently launched a major upgrade aimed at making the website more user-friendly. Twelve states currently require oil and gas producers to dislcose fracking chemicals on FracFocus. More states are expected to require use of FracFocus in the future.