EPA to Release Comments on Fracking

Wednesday marked the deadline for public comment on the state's environmental impact statement about fracking.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is readying comments for the state.

The EPA expects to release those comments before midnight Wednesday.

The agency delivered comments on a previous draft of the impact statement back in 2009.

Fracking opponents hope the EPA echoes their concerns.

Drilling supporters, meanwhile question the EPA's role saying it's a state issue.

"They need to wrap it up quickly. They've been three and a half years at it and they've done a very thorough job but it's taken way, way too long. And they've overdone certain aspects of it to the point that companies may not be able to do business," says Tom Shepstone from Energy In Depth.

"If the most important environmental regulatory agency in the nation says this is just not acceptable, it's incomplete, it's inadequate, I think that's going to be a hurdle that this proposal is simply not going to be able to surmount," says Walter Hang the President of Toxics Targeting.

A summary of DEC responses to comments will be included in the final S-GEIS and final fracking regulations.