40,000+ lbs of PFAS 'forever chemicals' injected into oil wells with no tracking

Between 2012 and 2020, oil and gas operators injected more than 40,000 pounds of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) into over 1,200 wells across Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, and Wyoming. These 'forever chemicals' are used in fracking fluids because they are water-repellent and stabilize the chemical mixture. PFAS are toxic at extraordinarily low concentrations -- as little as one cup in 8 million gallons of water is sufficient to make groundwater unsafe for drinking. The people who have this problem are rural landowners and communities near fracked wells whose groundwater aquifers may already be contaminated without their knowledge. Once PFAS enters groundwater, it does not break down and is extremely difficult and expensive to remove (treatment costs for a single municipal water system can exceed $100 million). Why does this persist? There is no federal requirement to disclose the specific chemicals used in fracking fluids. PFAS is not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act's underground injection control program. Operators claim chemical formulations are trade secrets. Without mandatory disclosure, neither regulators nor affected communities can track where PFAS has been injected, test for contamination, or hold operators liable.