The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on April 18 finalized standards under the Clean Air Act to reduce air pollution associated with oil and natural gas production through hydraulic fracturing.The national standards are the first effort by EPA to regulate emissions from oil and natural gas production through hydraulic fracturing.
Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," is a technique used to release oil and natural gas by pumping large amounts of water, sand and chemicals into the ground where oil and gas are locked in shale or other geological formations. The standards require owners or operators to either “flare” their emissions or use emissions reduction technology called "green completions," technologies that are already widely deployed at wells. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2015, all new fractured wells will be required to use green completions.