Signed by Governor Steve Bullock

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill which requires companies that engage in hydraulic fracturing to publicly disclose the chemicals used in this process.

Highlights:

• Requires companies that frack to disclose to the Board of Oil and Gas Conservation the chemical compound names and the concentration of each ingredient or additive in fracturing fluids (Sec. 2).

• Authorizes companies to request that certain information required under this bill remain confidential as trade secrets, and requires that the company submit information in accordance with this request including, but not limited to, the following (Sec. 3):
• Information demonstrating that the ingredient identity and/or its concentration have not been released in a public forum;
• Information demonstrating how the ingredient and/or its concentration are valuable to the company; and
• The ease with which the complete composition of fracturing fluid could be determined by public disclosure of the information in question.

• Specifies that if a company disagrees with the decision of the Board that an ingredient will not enjoy confidential status as a trade secret, such company may file an action in court to dispute this decision and that the Board shall not make this information public until a decision in such case has been reached (Sec. 3).

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass with amendment a bill which requires companies that engage in hydraulic fracturing to publicly disclose the chemicals used in this process.

Highlights:

• Requires companies that frack to disclose to the Board of Oil and Gas Conservation the chemical compound names and the concentration of each ingredient or additive in fracturing fluids (Sec. 2).

• Authorizes companies to request that certain information required under this bill remain confidential as trade secrets, and requires that the company submit information in accordance with this request including, but not limited to, the following (Sec. 3):
• Information demonstrating that the ingredient identity and/or its concentration have not been released in a public forum;
• Information demonstrating how the ingredient and/or its concentration are valuable to the company; and
• The ease with which the complete composition of fracturing fluid could be determined by public disclosure of the information in question.

• Specifies that if a company disagrees with the decision of the Board that an ingredient will not enjoy confidential status as a trade secret, such company may file an action in court to dispute this decision and that the Board shall not make this information public until a decision in such case has been reached (Sec. 3).