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The '''Halliburton Company''' was founded in 1919 and is one of the world's largest providers of products and services to the oil and gas and military services industries.
==Accusations of gang rapeHalliburton, Polluting the Environment and the "Halliburton loophole" == Halliburton is at the forefront of a method for extracting oil and natural gas--a process called "horizontal hydrolic fracturing" and also known as [[hydrofracking]]--which involves injecting a high volume of toxic substances and drinkable water into the earth<ref> See [http://www.propublica.org/special/hydraulic-fracturing "What Is Hydraulic Fracturing?"], ''Pro Publica'', undated, accessed October 2009.</ref> This method raises serious environmental and health concerns. In 2007New Mexico, for example, similar processes have leached toxic chemicals into the water table at 800 sites.<ref>Abrahm Lustgarten, a [http://www.propublica.org/feature/new-yorks-gas-rush-poses-environmental-threat-722 "New York’s Gas Rush Poses Environmental Threat"], ''ProPublica'', July 22 year old female Halliburton, 2008.</KBR employee stationed ref> Yet, in Iraq said she 2005, at the urging of Vice President [[Dick Cheney]], Congress created the so-called "Halliburton loophole" to the Clean Water Drinking Act (CWDA) to prevent the [[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]] from regulating this process, despite its demonstrated contamination of drinking water. (In 2001, Cheney's "energy task force" had touted the benefits of hydrofracking, while redacting references to human health hazards associated with hydrofracking; [[Halliburton]], which was drugged previously led by Cheney, reportedly earns $1.5 billion a year from its energy operations, which relies substantially on its hydrofracking business.)<ref>Tom Hamburger and gangAllen C. Miller, [http://articles.latimes.com/2004/oct/14/nation/na-raped frac14 "Halliburton's Interests Assisted by her co-workersthe White House"], ''Los Angeles Times'', October 14, 2004.</ref> According to [[ProPublica]] reporter Abrahm Lustgarten, and then imprisoned the EPA under [[Christine Todd Whitman]]'s tenure as Administrator engaged in secret negotiations with industry, while supposedly addressing drinking water issues related to a shipping container for 24 hours without food gas drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or water "fracking."<ref>See http://www.democracynow.org/2009/9/3/fracking_and_the_environment_natural_gas.</ref> In 2004, the EPA undertook a study on the issue and "the EPA, despite its scientific judgment that there was a potential risk to groundwater supplies, which their report clearly says, then went ahead and warned very surprisingly concluded that if she sought medical treatment outside there was no risk to groundwater," Lustgarten said in September 2009. "[P]art of Iraq she would be firedmy reporting found that throughout that process the EPA was closer than seemed comfortable with the industry. While imprisoned I filed [[FOIA]] requests for some documents and found conversations between [[Halliburton]] employees and the EPA researchers, essentially asking for an agreement from Halliburton in the containerexchange for more lax enforcement. The EPA, Jamie Leigh Jonesin these documents, who is originally from Houstonappeared to offer that and agree to that. And it doesn’t appear, Texasby any means, convinced to have been either a sympathetic guard to loan her thorough or a cell phonevery objective study." <ref>Interview with Abrahm Lustgarten, "[http://www.democracynow.org/2009/9/3/fracking_and_the_environment_natural_gas Fracking and the Environment: Natural Gas Drilling, Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Contamination]," ''Democracy Now!'', September 3, 2009. </ref> In June 2009 Representatives [[Diana DeGette]], She called her father in Texas DeGette, [[John Salazar]] and told him what happened, [[Maurice Hinchey]] and that she was being held against her willSenators [[Robert P. Casey Jr. Her father called Representative Ted Poe ]] and [[Chuck Schumer]] introduced the [[Fracking Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act]] (R-TexasFRAC ACT) who arranged for representatives .<ref>[http://www.earthworksaction.org/PR_2009HalliburtonLeg.cfm "Senators, Representatives act to free Jones from close Halliburton Loophole in the Safe Drinking Water Act"], Media Release, June 9, 2009.</ref> The act is aimed at closing the 'Halliburton loophole' and requiring the container oil and help her get out gas industry to disclose the chemicals used in drilling projects. In late October 2009 the House of Baghdad Representatives agreed to safetyinclude a statement in the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill and report for fiscal year 2010 urging the EPA to reassess the impact of fracking on water supplies. Jones filed The report stated: :"The conferees urge the EPA to carry out a study on the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and drinking water, using a federal lawsuit over credible approach that relies on the best available science, as well as independent sources of information. The conferees expect the attackstudy to be conducted through a transparent, but after two years peer-reviewed process that will ensure the validity and accuracy of the Justice Department has not brought any criminal charges data. EPA shall consult with other federal agencies as well as appropriate state and interstate regulatory agencies in carrying out the matterstudy, and it should be prepared in accordance with EPA quality assurance principles."<ref>Congressman Poe is unable Maurice Hinchey, [http://www.house.gov/list/press/ny22_hinchey/morenews/102909Fracturingstudy.html "Congress Gives Final Approval to Hinchey Provision Urging EPA to Conduct New Study on Risks Hydraulic Fracturing Poses to Drinking Water Supplies"], Media Release, October 29, 2009.</ref> ==Hazardous Substances, Drinkable Water, and Hydrofracking== To force natural gas out of shale or rock, millions of gallons of fresh, drinkable water are forced through a pipe drilled into the shale. A variety of chemicals are added to the water to get any answers from keep the fractures in the State Department or shale open and keep the Justice Department on gas flowing to the status surface. While there is no complete list of the investigation into the attackcocktail of chemicals used in this process, information obtained from environmental clean-up sites demonstrates that known toxins are routinely being used, including hydrochloric acid, diesel fuel (which contains benzene, tuolene, and xylene) as well as formaldehyde, polyacrylimides, and chromates. <ref>Ross BWeston Wilson, ABC News [http://abcnewslatimes.goimage2.trb.com/blotterlanews/Story?id=3977702&page=2 Victim: Gangmedia/acrobat/2004-Rape Cover-Up by 10/14647025.pdf Letter to Senators Allard and Campbell and Representative DeGette], October 8, 2004. This letter, from a U.S.Environmental Protection Agency Employee, Halliburtondescribes how the Bush Administration's EPA produced a scientifically unsupportable conclusion that hydrofracking should not be regulated under the Clean Water Drinking Act.</KBRref> These chemicals include known carcinogens and other hazardous substances. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists: KBR Told Victim She Could Lose Her Job If She Sought Help After Being Raped:"When an EPA study concluding that hydraulic fracturing "poses little or no threat" to drinking water supplies was published in 2004, several EPA scientists challenged the study's methodology and questioned the impartiality of the expert panel that reviewed its findings. The Bush administration has strongly supported hydraulic fracturing, an oil extraction technique developed by Halliburton Co., She Saysbut environmental groups as well as scientists within the EPA have warned that the practice may contaminate drinking water and needs to be regulated."<ref>Union of Concerned Scientists, [http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/abuses_of_science/oil-extraction.html "EPA Findings on Hydraulic Fracturing Deemed 'Unsupportable'"] December 14, 2007Union of Concerned Scientists website, undated, accessed October 2009.</ref> For more information on the environmental impact of hydrofracking on U.S. residents and efforts to close the Halliburton loophole, see http://www.earthworksaction.org/pubs/JointFS_HalliburtonLoophole.pdf.
==Under investigation and relocating to Dubai==
Halliburton spent $380,000 for [[lobbying]] in 2006. $120,000 went to two outside [[lobbying firms]] with the remainder being spent using in-house lobbyists.<ref>[http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/clientsum.asp?txtname=Halliburton+Co&year=2006 Halliburton lobbying expenses], ''Open Secrets.''</ref>
==Accusations of gang rape==
In 2007, a 22 year old female Halliburton/KBR employee stationed in Iraq said she was drugged and gang-raped by her co-workers, and then imprisoned in a shipping container for 24 hours without food or water and warned that if she sought medical treatment outside of Iraq she would be fired. While imprisoned in the container, Jamie Leigh Jones, who is originally from Houston, Texas, convinced a sympathetic guard to loan her a cell phone. She called her father in Texas and told him what happened, and that she was being held against her will. Her father called Representative Ted Poe (R-Texas) who arranged for representatives to free Jones from the container and help her get out of Baghdad to safety. Jones filed a federal lawsuit over the attack, but after two years the Justice Department has not brought any criminal charges in the matter, and Congressman Poe is unable to get any answers from the State Department or the Justice Department on the status of the investigation into the attack. <ref>Ross B, ABC News [http://abcnews.go.com/blotter/Story?id=3977702&page=2
Victim: Gang-Rape Cover-Up by U.S., Halliburton/KBR: KBR Told Victim She Could Lose Her Job If She Sought Help After Being Raped, She Says] December 14, 2007</ref>
== History ==
