US lawmakers move to crackdown on drilling practice

By Ayesha Rascoe

WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday introduced legislation to crack down on a controversial drilling practice used to enhance extraction of oil and gas from the ground.

Democratic Representatives Diana DeGette, Maurice Hinchey and Jared Polis offered a bill that would reverse a Bush era measure in 2005 that excluded hydraulic fracturing from regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

In the Senate, Democrat Bob Casey introduced similar legislation.

Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," involves injecting water, sand and chemicals into rock formations at high pressure to make oil and natural gas flow more freely. The method has been used for decades to stimulate production in old wells, but is now also used to tap oil and gas trapped in shale beds.

Fracking has come under fire in recent years as residents in gas drilling areas have complained their well water was discolored or foul-smelling and that children became sick.

"Families, communities, and local governments are upset that the safety of their water has been compromised by a special interest exemption, and we join them in that frustration," said Polis of Colorado.

Hydraulic fracturing is essential shale natural production, which has significantly boosted U.S. gas output. Industry groups worry the measure would burden drillers with cumbersome federal standard and higher costs.

"More than one million wells have been completed using this technology. Unnecessary regulation of this practice would only hurt the nation's energy security and threaten our economy," said American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard in a statement.