Public Outreach

EPA understands the importance of outreach to individual citizens, communities, tribes, state and federal partners, industry, trade associations, and environmental organizations.

Webinars on the Hydraulic Fracturing Study

• On June 5, 2015, EPA hosted a public webinar on the Draft Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources.
  • Get the webinar presentation slides
• On March 30, 2015 EPA hosted a public webinar on its Analysis of FracFocus 1.0 Data.
• On January 28, 2014 EPA hosted a public webinar on the Technical Roundtable held on December 9, 2013.
  • Watch the webinar presentation 
  • Get the webinar presentation slides 
• On September 12, 2013 EPA hosted a public webinar on the Case Studies Technical Workshop.
  • Watch the webinar presentation 
  • Get the webinar presentation slides (PDF)
• On July 16, 2013 EPA hosted a public webinar on the Well Construction/Operation and Subsurface Modeling Technical Workshop.
  • Watch the webinar presentation 
  • Get the webinar presentation slides (PDF)
• On July 16, 2013 EPA hosted a public webinar on the Water Acquisition Modeling Technical Workshop.
  • Watch the webinar presentation 
  • Get the webinar presentation slides (PDF)
• On May 20, 2013 EPA hosted a public webinar on the Wastewater Treatment and Related Modeling Technical Workshop held on April 18, 2013.
  • Watch the webinar presentation 
  • Get the webinar presentation slides (PDF)
• On March 25, 2013 EPA hosted a public webinar on the Analytical Chemical Methods Technical Workshop held on February 25, 2013.
  • Get the webinar presentation slides (PDF)
• Webinar on EPA's Hydraulic Fracturing Study Progress Report (January 2013)
  • Watch the webinar presentation 
  • Get the webinar presentation slides (PDF)
• EPA Status Update (February 2012) (PDF)
• Presentation on the Final Plan to Study the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources (November 2011) (PDF)
• Overview of the Draft Plan to Study the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources
  • Stakeholder Webinars held February 15-16, 2011 (PDF)
  • Public Webinar held March 2, 2011 (PDF)

Information Requests

In fall 2012, EPA published a Federal Register Notice, establishing a docket where stakeholders could submit relevant data and scientific literature to ensure that EPA is up-to-date on evolving industry practices and technologies. The submission deadline was extended from April to November 2013, to provide the public with more of an opportunity to provide feedback to the Agency.

Meetings and Consultations

During summer 2010, EPA engaged stakeholders in a dialogue about the hydraulic fracturing study through facilitated meetings. EPA also consulted with experts in the field through peer review and technical workshops. Meeting materials and summaries from stakeholder events can be found below and are also available at Docket Number EPA-HQ-ORD-2010-0674.

Sector-Specific Meetings and State and Federal Partner Consultations

• States - May 27, 2010
  • Presentation (PDF)
  • Meeting Summary (PDF)
• Federal - June 7, 2010
  • Presentation (PDF)
  • Meeting Summary (PDF)
• Industry - June 21, 2010 with re-cast on June 30, 2010
  • Presentation (PDF)
  • Meeting Summary (PDF)
• Environmental Organizations - June 23, 2010
  • Presentation (PDF)
  • Consultation (PDF)

Public Meetings

• Information about the public meetings:
  • Federal Register Notice (75 FR 35023; June 21, 2010) announcing the meetings
  • Agendas for the meetings (PDF)
  • EPA presentation (PDF)
  • Meeting handouts:
    • Proposed Criteria for Case Study Site Selection Poster (PDF)
    • Proposed Criteria for Selecting Case Studies for the EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Study (PDF)
    • Proposed Study Design for the EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Study (PDF)
• July 8, 2010, Fort Worth, Texas
  • Comments (PDF)
• July 13, 2010, Denver, Colorado
  • Comments (PDF)
• July 22, 2010, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
  • Comments (PDF)
• September 13, 2010, Binghamton, New York
  • Afternoon Comments (PDF)
  • Evening Comments (PDF)
• September 15, 2010, Binghamton, New York
  • Afternoon Comments (PDF)
  • Evening Comments (PDF)

Tribal Government Consultations

• Summary of August 5 and 30, 2010, Consultation with Tribal Governments (PDF)
• Summary of August 13, 2010, Consultation with Haudenosaunee Task Force (PDF)
• August 30, 2010, Tribal Presentation: Potential Relationships Between Hydraulic Fracturing and Drinking Water Resources (PDF)