OIL
Spills dropped 8% in 2015 as new drilling slowed
The vast network of shale wells, disposal sites and other infrastructure that has made the United States one of the world's top oil producers leaked nearly 42 million gallons of crude, produced water and other fluid last year. While output from the country's top energy plays remained steady, declining oil prices stilled new drilling in 2015. For the first time since hydraulic fracturing unlocked new sources of domestic crude, spill frequency fell.