(Continued from page 42)

• The rules would not affect drilling on private land, where the bulk of shale exploration is taking place. A nationwide drilling boom in formations such as the Marcellus Shale in the Appalachian region and the Bakken in North Dakota and Montana, as well as in traditional production states such as Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, has led to 10-year lows in natural gas prices.
• Still, Salazar said he hopes the new rules could be used as a model for state regulators.

• "We hope our leadership is followed," he said at a news conference.
• Industry groups and Republican lawmakers say federal rules are unnecessary, arguing that states already regulate hydraulic fracturing, in which water, sand and chemicals are in injected underground to break up dense rock that holds oil and gas.
• The industry also has complained that disclosure of chemicals used in fracking could violate trade secrets, although Salazar said the rule would include exemptions for specific formulas. Some of the chemicals used in fracking include benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene, all of which can cause health problems in significant doses.
• Critics say fracking chemicals have polluted water supplies, but supporters say there is no proof.
• Tom Amontree, executive vice president for America's Natural Gas Alliance, an industry group, said the Obama administration "may not fully appreciate" significant regulatory steps taken by states such as Colorado, Texas and Wyoming to oversee

(Continued on page 44)