The Blackfeet Nation of Montana has signed an agreement with a company to treat and recycle water from hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.

Ecosphere Technologies Inc. will offer its services to oil and gas companies on the reservation. The chemical-free treatment process is being pitches as friendly to the environment.

"By providing the oil and gas companies operating on our land with access to this environmentally sound and cost-effective technology, we are reinforcing our commitment to improving the quality of life for our people through economic development of our energy resources while also preserving our vital natural water resources for future generations," Grinnell Day Chief, the oil and gas manager for the tribe, said in a press release.

Fracking is a controversial method in which a high volume of water is pumped into the ground in order to extract oil and gas. Most of the water remains underground, raising concerns about groundwater pollution, but the process also brings water and other chemicals to the surface.

Get the Story:
Blackfeet Tribe signs with company to treat, recycle 'fracking' water (The Missoulian 3/28)
Blackfeet Tribe OKs company's plan to offer 'non-chemical' fracking on reservation (The Great Falls Tribune 3/28)