State Rep. Garth Everett, R-Muncy plans to introduce legislation today requiring gas well operators to reveal additional information regarding the hydraulic fracturing process.
"What they will be required to disclose is what they put in their fluids with hydrofracturing," he said.
Failure to provide such chemical data has long raised outcry from various citizens and groups, including environmental organizations.
The treatment information, Everett said, will be registered on the Groundwater Protection Council and Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission's "Frac Focus" website.
In addition, the information must be provided to the state Department of Environmental Protection and posted on the DEP website when drillers submit their well completion report.
Some well operators have voluntarily done this. However, a stipulation with the state allowed fracking chemicals to be held from the public if a claim was put in by the company that such information gave away a trade secret.
"This will not make it proprietary information," he said.
Everett said he has spoken with drilling companies he claims have been upfront with such information and who want others to do the same. "It is about open government," Everett said.
The lawmaker said his legislation, which amends the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Act, has bipartisan support.
The FRAC Act, Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness Chemicals, which has not been approved, was similar legislation on the federal level seeking to require disclosure of chemical constituents in the fracking process.
The bill, co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., would have amended the the Safe Drinking Water Act.
