Fracking and the EPA

The EPA announced recently that fracking (hydraulic fracturing) may be to blame for polluting groundwater in Wyoming. People who live near fracking operations are reporting nasty chemical smells coming from their faucets, livestock getting sick, and if you haven't seen the videos of people lighting the water from their kitchen sinks on fire, then you need to go over to YouTube and watch them. Fracking for oil and natural gas may a new hot button issue, and in light of my last post on listening to what people we may disagree with have to say rather than writing them off as hypocrites, I wanted to ask anyone who cares to comment to help clarify one of the arguments in the debate about fracking. It has to do with the EPA wanting to prevent fracking in an attempt to kill jobs. It's a thought that comes up in Republican debates often, that we need to shut down the EPA because they kill jobs in the US.

Now it very well could be that there is a huge liberal socialist conspiracy bent on stopping economic growth and allowing government organizations to control everything in our lives.  Let's assume this isn't the case, although maybe it is, and let's break down the idea that the EPA wants to kill jobs. My understanding is that politicians do whatever makes themselves look good so they can stay in the public's favor and get reelected. In our current economic state, one of the most effective things a government entity can do is tell us how many jobs it is creating. Again, assuming there's no conspiracy, my bet is that there is enormous pressure on the EPA and other regulatory agencies to NOT restrict any growing industry that might possibly create new jobs, unless however they are seriously concerned about a public health or safety risk. In the case of fracking, it seems the EPA is weighing the options, and they may be more concerned about people getting sick, and then getting mad at their politicians for not protecting their drinking water, than they are about restricting the natural gas industry. If they were just making up all of the findings and fracking is completely safe, then wouldn't it be in the EPA's best interest to promote fracking like crazy? Then they could let everyone know how friendly the EPA is to the natural gas companies and how they are helping to create all kinds of new jobs. This says to me, that the science is worth looking at, and that is where the debate should be. It may be that their study is bogus or flawed, but I don't think it's logical to accuse the EPA of wanting to kill jobs, unless I'm missing something.  I'll leave it there because I'm particularly interested in what people have to say. Why would the EPA want to kill jobs? What incentive do they have?