Pollution from lithium mining and toxic chemicals used to create Li-Ion batteries and solar panels the liberals love is not a problem for the EPA.

'green' lithium mining

However, if you are an oil or natural gas producer and want to utilize a technique that has been safely deployed in over one million wells without issue, the EPA wants to ‘talk to you.’

If you do not comply with their investigation, the EPA will use its subpoena power (and issue a terse press release) to force you to compliance:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that eight out of the nine hydraulic fracturing companies that received voluntary information requests in September have agreed to submit timely and complete information to help the agency conduct its study on hydraulic fracturing. However, the ninth company, Halliburton, has failed to provide EPA the information necessary to move forward with this important study. As a result, and as part of the agency’s effort to move forward as quickly as possible, today EPA issued a subpoena to the company requiring submission of the requested information that has yet to be provided.

EPA’s congressionally mandated hydraulic fracturing study will look at the potential adverse impact of the practice on drinking water and public health. The agency is under a tight deadline to provide initial results by the end of 2012 and the thoroughness of the study depends on timely access to detailed information about the methods used for fracturing. EPA announced in March that it would conduct this study and solicit input from the public through a series of public meetings in major oil and gas production regions. The agency has completed the public meetings and thousands of Americans from across the country shared their views on the study and expressed full support for this effort.

Of course, there is no doubt the the EPA will issue a report labeling hydraulic fracturing (fracking) as a dangerous process.

Fracking is a common practice to releases oil and natural gas that previously was very difficult to recover. Via Vladimir’s Energy Blog:

Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, has been used since the 1950s to stimulate oil and gas wells. The process involves pumping a sand-laden slurry into a well and subjecting it to enough pressure that the rocks in the productive formation fracture, or break. The purpose of the sand is to prop open the fracture, so it stays in place. The carrying fluid can then flow back out of the well, along with oil and gas if it’s been a successful frac.

Also from VEB, an interesting video illustrating how an oil well is created and how fracking is performed (at the 4:50 mark)

The ironic thing is while we severely limit our own access to energy that we need to fuel our economy and create, you know, actual jobs the Europeans are actively working on developing their own natural gas reserves and protecting their economy.