“The US government has released long-awaited rules on “fracking”, the process used to unlock oil and gas deposits hidden deep in rock formations that has revolutionised the domestic energy sector.
From 2015, oil and gas companies will be required to capture methane and other pollutant gases that are byproducts of fracking, which involves pumping a mixture of water and chemicals at high pressure to crack the surface of rock formations.
The guidelines, issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, represent the first federal clean air standards for fracking, the technology that has underpinned the breakneck growth of the shale oil and gas sector and holds out the hope of eventual energy independence for the US.
But they grant energy companies more than two years to meet the new standards, and do not cover wastewater produced by fracking, an increasing focus for critics of the industry.”
Read more: Financial Times