Investors press natural-gas drillers to cut risks from fracking

Investors press natural-gas drillers to cut risks from fracking by Bloomberg in Legal issues, December 13, 2011, fuelfix.com
Natural-gas producers must do more to reduce environmental harm from hydraulic fracturing and disclose U.S. drilling risks, according to groups representing investors with more than $130 billion in assets. “There have been numerous incidents of poorly constructed wells, equipment failures, degraded local and regional air quality, water contamination, strained community relations, and related government enforcement actions and private lawsuits,” according to today’s report. “Transparency requires full disclosure of steps being taken to minimize risks, acknowledgment of challenges and failures, and clearly defined steps to continually improve operations.”