Fracking Chemicals' Secrecy Questioned

[DeSwiss]

Wyoming high court reverses judge’s decision on disclosure




Friday, March 14, 2014


CHEYENNE -- The question of the public’s right to know what is in fracking fluids now awaits a district court decision. The Wyoming Supreme Court decided on Wednesday to reverse a district court judge’s decision that let the chemicals be secret and send the case back to him.

Several groups had challenged the Wyoming Oil and Gas Commission’s withholding of certain fracking chemical information from public disclosure and review. In its opinion, the high court ruled that the withholding of information must fall within the defined label of trade secrets.

The justices also said the Oil and Gas Commission must be able to prove it has a justified reason for withholding the data. The court decided that when information is being pursued under the Wyoming Public Records Act, the definition of trade secrets is the same as it is under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

According to the Freedom of Information Act Guide from May 2004, a trade secret protection is recognized for:

“(P)roduct manufacturing and design information but has been denied for general information concerning a product’s physical or performance characteristics or a product formula when release would not reveal the actual formula itself.”

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[LiberalEsto]

1. The public and the government have a RIGHT to know what chemicals

are going into the public air, the public soil, and the public aquifers and other drinking water sources.

[KoKo]

2. K&R!

[RC]

3. Why don't we have the right to know what we are being poisoned with?

Trade secrets my ass. Does anyone really think the drilling companies don't know whats in everyone else's franking brew.

It is more sinister that that. If the general public knew what those franking compounds consisted of, there would be a whole lot less fraken.