EPA has embarked on a multi-year study to eval­u­ate the envi­ron­men­tal impacts of hydraulic frac­tur­ing, also known as frack­ing. The EPA plans to release an interim report in 2012 and their final report in 2014. Con­gress directed EPA to study the rela­tion­ship between hydraulic frac­tur­ing and drink­ing water, and this study.