The U.S. Energy Department's natural gas advisory subcommittee urged regulators to require drillers to detail what chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing -- which involves blasting a mix of water, sand and chemicals into rock formations to release oil and gas -- and release more information about the drilling technique's impact.
Environmental activists and communities where the technique is used have made a host of claims about the harm fracking has done or could do in their areas, ranging from drinking water contamination to causing unusual earthquakes.
Here are some of the environmental concerns stemming from natural gas fracking:
DRINKING WATER
A key concern for environmental and community groups is the possibility that chemically treated water used in fracking could wind up in sources of public drinking water.
In New York and Pennsylvania, which house much of the Marcellus Shale gas reservoir, researchers from Duke University in May reported finding potentially harmful concentrations of methane near drilling sites.
The Energy Department panel downplayed those concerns in its interim report on Thursday, writing that it "shares the prevailing view that the risk of fracturing fluid leakage into drinking water sources...is remote."
AIR POLLUTION
The Environmental Protection Agency has said that gas extraction can contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, or smog.
Flaring, or burning off excess gas, can release pollutants into the air, depending on the type of gas burned and the temperature of the fire, according to environmental activist group Earthworks.
The EPA last month proposed requiring "green completions" instead of flaring to trap byproducts and treat them before they are released.
SEISMIC ACTIVITY
Some experts believe natural gas drilling could be partly responsible for a rash of earthquakes near reservoirs such as Arkansas' Fayetteville Shale.
Those scientists argue that salt water, a common byproduct of fracking that is injected into wells, could lubricate the rocks and lead to unusual seismic activity.
Communities in Colorado, Texas and other states have reported increased seismicity as hydraulic fracturing gained steam in their communities, according to Earthworks.
Source: Reuters
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