How does Fracking-Related Information Influence Fracking Risk Perceptions? Examining the Roles of Ideology and Information on Fracking Risk Perceptions

Hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) in the United States has created an economic boom that has helped fuel an ongoing policy conflict between environmental sustainability and human health versus energy independence, expansion of national security, and future economic prosperity. With little federal regulation regarding fracking, policy decisions associated with fracking have fallen to state and local jurisdictions, making the attitudes of officials and lawmakers at the local level the center of many debates regarding fracking and related policies. This paper examines how ideology and information regarding fracking interact to shape risk perceptions associated with fracking. Specifically, this paper uses a survey experiment of local policy elites in Texas to examine whether providing different information impacts the relationship between an individual’s ideology and risk perceptions. Survey respondents were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: 1) a neutral condition with information about the fracking process, 2) the previous information plus information about chemical disclosure requirements in Texas, or 3) the previous information, plus information from the EPA that highlights that trade secrets allow for at least some chemicals to not be disclosed. Results indicated that framing influenced water risk perceptions, and that the more conservative ideologies are associated with lower perceived risks. Implications for fracking-related policy, and policy more broadly, will be discussed.