EPA needs to hear from the public about their draft policies for protecting drinking water from hydraulic fracturing gas and oil drilling which uses diesel.   Diesel is especially risk for underground sources of drinking water because:

• These chemicals in diesel are linked to numerous adverse health effects including cancer, kidney and liver problems and nervous system damage.
• They are toxic at very low levels and are soluble in water, which is of particular concern when injecting them into the ground near underground sources of drinking water. 

Clean Water Action is calling on EPA to:

• Ban the use of diesel in hydraulic fracturing
• If use of diesel in hydraulic fracturing is not banned, EPA’s final Guidance should put in place the strictest possible requirements in order to protect underground sources of drinking water.
• Initiate formal rulemaking, in order to give the protections the full force of the law. 
• Use a broad definition of “diesel” to best protect drinking water from BTEX compounds.

Taking action to control the use of diesel in hydraulic fracturing is an important step, but it’s not enough: 

• Hydraulic fracturing operations that do not use diesel should not be exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act. Clean Water Action will continue to support legislation to remove this exemption.