Hydraulic Fracturing Chemical Disclosure

Many states have regulations requiring E&P companies to disclose chemicals used in Hydraulic Fracturing to the public. The chemical makeup of fracking fluid has been a topic of heated debate in recent years. One way that these chemicals are disclosed to the public is via the website FracFocus.org. There are ten states that actually use FracFocus.org instead of a government agency to keep track of the chemicals used.

Here in Texas, Rick Perry signed into law the Texas Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids Law in 2011 that requires companies to disclose fracking fluid chemicals. However, there is one part of the law that allows companies to refrain from disclosing chemicals that would reveal a trade secret. This provision has been widely accused of being a loophole. What people fail to recognize is that this was the first law to require disclosure of chemicals, acting as an example for many states to follow. What do you think? Are trade secrets and competition legitimate reasons to keep fracking chemicals secret from the public?