Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper Says He Drank Fracking Fluid

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) recently told a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources that he drank a glass of fracking fluid to demonstrate safety advances by the oil and gas industry.

According to the Washington Times, Hickenlooper said the fluid was given to him by the oil company Halliburton and was made of “ingredients sourced from the food industry.”

“We did drink it around the table, almost ritual-like, in a funny way,” Hickenlooper said. “They’ve invested millions of dollars in what is a benign fluid in every sense.”

Gov. Hickenlooper also praised Halliburton during his State of the State address last month. “When the Environmental Defense Fund and Halliburton stood together in Colorado in support of the state’s new fracking disclosure rule, other states took notice. It’s another reason why we believe so passionately in the power of partnership and collaboration.”

Fracking is the process of injecting water, sand and other chemicals into the ground to cause a pressurized explosion to release fuel from rock formations.

Fracking has been criticized by environmental groups in the U.S. because it can contaminate ground water and even cause flames to come out of water faucets. This was filmed in the documentary 'Gasland' (video below) a few years ago.

Source: Washington Times