New Mexico fossil fuel companies are using cancer-causing chemicals to aid in their fracking operations, increasing the risk of a highly toxic byproduct contaminating groundwater, according to a report by a medical watchdog group.
State records indicate companies injected thousands of pounds of PFAS into about 260 sites in the past decade during hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, and possibly far more because the state’s trade secrets law allows operators to conceal many of the chemicals they use, according to Physicians for Social Responsibility’s 55-page report.
Industry advocates dismiss the report as biased toward anti-fossil fuel groups, arguing it made unfounded assertions about a process shown to be safe for people and the environment.
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