Gas company investors want fracking disclosures

As uproar continues to build over the toxic chemicals used by natural gas companies in hydraulic fracturing (popularly known as "fracking"), some large shareholders in energy companies are joining calls for full disclosure of what is being pumped into the ground in the process of extracting gas.

The Associated Press reported over the weekend that because of incidents of fracking-connected groundwater contamination, some investor groups are asking nine oil and gas companies to explain how they plan to manage the potential environmental damage caused by fracking. They also want drillers to go "above and beyond" the existing regulatory standards. Fracking still hasn't been studied fully by the Environmental Protection Agency.

"Oil and gas firms are being too vague about how they will manage the environmental challenges resulting from fracking," Thomas DiNapoli, the manager of New York's public worker pension fund, said in a statement Friday. "The risks associated with unconventional shale gas extraction have the potential to negatively impact shareholder value. I urge companies working in this field to share their risk mitigation and management strategies with investors and the public."

A bipartisan contingent of D.C. legislators friendly to the energy industry has vocally opposed any enhanced gas drilling regulations. But calls for more studies and stronger regulations are becoming increasingly frequent.

(Photo of fracking protesters at inauguration of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett: AP/Matt Rourke)