New Regulations for Hydraulic Fracturing

Texas residents can breathe a little easier thanks to a new oil company regulation that takes effect today. State law dictates that any company engaged in hydraulic fracturing -also known as "fracking," a process that inserts fluid at high pressure into underground wells to help collect oil or gas - must disclose all the chemicals involved in the fluid(s) they use.

Passed last July, the law requires "fracking" operators to publicly post information regarding the total amount of water they use in addition to each chemical ingredient used in their operations. The rule, however, only applies to operators that begin working after this Wednesday when the rule takes effect; it also allows corporations the opportunity to not disclose any chemicals they use that could be regarded as "trade secrets." While it's a good step towards making sure that big oil companies don't inject dangerous chemicals into the ground, potentially contaminating food and water supplies, there is still a long way to go.

Government regulations alone will not prevent oil companies from damaging properties or leaving messes behind after their operations are completed, so the responsibility has to fall on the companies themselves. This works sometimes, as many oil companies are voluntarily disclosing their "fracking" chemical mixes to the public; however, all too often, large corporations are irresponsible, leaving behind badly damaged land and health problems for residents after they've extracted all the oil they want.

When oil companies don't take responsibility for protecting people and property, it is up to the harmed individuals or groups to make them fix their mistakes. The best way to make oil companies take responsibility is to obtain an experienced legal professional who is familiar with issues regarding property damage, a professional such as a Houston personal injury attorney. At Arnold & Itkin, we have extensive experiences in both fields, with hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements recovered on behalf of our clients.

If you have been injured or your property has been damaged by a negligent oil or gas company, contact a Houston property damage lawyer from Arnold & Itkin today for a free consultation regarding your case.