WASHINGTON, D.C. – Railroad Commission Chairman Christi Craddick testified today before the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology in Washington D.C. The hearing entitled Hydraulic Fracturing: Banning Proven Technologies on Possibilities Instead of Probabilities raised concerns Texas and other states are facing today relating to local bans of the oil and gas drilling technique, hydraulic fracturing.

“This is an important issue having a direct impact in Texas today that will affect jobs and our state’s economy,” Craddick said. “Since hydraulic fracturing has become a widely used practice, it has been surrounded by misinformation. Setting the hyperbole aside reveals a simple truth: there are no confirmed instances of groundwater contamination caused by hydraulic fracturing in Texas. With appropriate oversight, hydraulic fracturing is safe.”

Chairman Craddick presented to the committee the history of hydraulic fracturing in Texas and the Railroad Commission’s rules and processes that regulate the technique.

“For more than 60 years, hydraulic fracturing has been used safely and successfully in over one million wells around the world, retrieving more than seven billion barrels of oil and 600 trillion cubic feet of natural gas,” Craddick said.

“Without clearly defined regulatory roles for cities, oil and gas development – and its ability to anchor the Texas economy – is in jeopardy. In a world where misinformation and sensationalism too often drive the public discourse, we must embrace the truth and adopt reasonable approaches to the challenges we face so that we have the opportunity to share in the prosperity that follows.”