The Associated Press is reporting the Environmental Protection Agency said Thu., Jun. 4, hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas has not caused widespread harm to drinking water in the country. But the report also warned of potential contamination of water supplies if safeguards are not maintained. The EPA assessment tracked water used throughout the fracking process, from acquiring the water through to wastewater treatment and disposal. Industry groups hailed the EPA study as proof that fracking is safe. Environmental groups seized on the report’s identification of cases where fracking-related activities polluted drinking water. EPA officials said the report was not intended to prove fracking is safe, but instead was aimed at how state regulators, tribes, local communities and industry can best protect drinking water and reduce the risks of fracking. The report has cost $29 million since 2010, with another $4 million expected this year. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.