SACRAMENTO, June 23 (UPI) -- A California bill would force oil and gas companies to reveal the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," to extract natural gas from solid rock.
"Fracking" is a procedure of injecting rock formations with high-pressure water, sand and a combination of chemicals to fracture the rock and release tightly packed natural gas.
There is no law in California requiring companies to publicly disclose a list of all chemicals pumped in the ground during the process, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Benzene, hydrochloric acid, formaldehyde and methanol are often used in fracking.
A bill by Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski to force disclosure of chemicals used passed the California Senate Natural Resources Committee this month and is set to go before the Environmental Quality Committee next week.
California joins Wyoming, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Texas, states that have approved or are in the process of approving legislation requiring companies to disclose the location of fracking operations and what chemicals are pumped underground in the process.
"We're trying to get in front of the issue," Wieckowski spokesman Jeff Barbosa said. "In California, there is no disclosure at all. This bill would disclose the chemicals being used, and give us a better understanding of where the chemicals are injected."
