Probe asserts Diesel used in Fracking in Violation of Safe Drinking Water Act

A January 31, 2011 letter to the EPA from the Committee on Energy and Commerce,  a Democratic committee, lays out the case for the assertion that over 32 million gallons of diesel was used in hydrofracking between 2005 and 2009.  The letter concludes that this practice was in violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act because no permits were sought.  Diesel was identified in a 2004 EPA report as posing a threat to underground sources of drinking water because it contains benzene (a carcinogen), and toxic toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene.   The group of compounds are referred to collectively as BTEXs.