Despite the fact that the practice has been around for decades, 2011 appears to be the year of fracking. Hydraulic fracturing, its technical term, has drawn a significant amount of skepticism over the past calendar year, but up until earlier this month that skepticism lacked substantial factual backing. On December 8, however, the Environmental Protection Agency released a report linking fracking to groundwater contamination.

To discuss that report, how it came to be and what it means for the energy industry, we bring back Keith Hall of Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann. Hall blogs on the excellent Oil & Gas Law Brief.