The Department of the Interior has announced new rules that regulate the controversial oil extraction method known as “fracking,” and it’s sure to reignite fierce debate on the issue.

Fracking has been around for many years, but the process has recently come under scrutiny because fracking has become much more widespread, with 90 percent of new land-based wells using the procedure according to government data as reported by the Christian Science Monitor.

Erik Milito, director of upstream and industry operations at the American Petroleum Institute, said in a statement that energy production has been falling on federal lands, and these rules will just make things more difficult for the oil industry.

He added that fracking has been under the “strong environmental stewardship” of state agencies, and there’s no reason to change things.

Fracking involves injecting wells with water, sand, and chemicals to break free locked-in oil and gas. Opponents of the practice, more formally known as hydraulic fracturing, say that it risks contaminating ground water and reducing the amount of fresh water, as well as triggering earthquakes and other public health hazards. Proponents say the economic benefits outweigh the risks.

The oil and gas industry is opposed to the rules, calling them “duplicative” of state regulations and will slow down the industry, according to the report.

The Obama administration believes it’s high time that policy be enacted that federally regulates the oil-and-gas industry that has been booming. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said in a conference call with reporters that current regulations are more than 30 years old and haven’t kept up with the increasing complexity of fracking.

It will be the first time federal standards will apply to fracking, requiring companies who conduct the procedure on federal lands to publicly disclose what chemicals they use.

The Obama administration believes that fracking can be safe, it just needs some new rules. The rules that were enacted would apply only to federal lands, but it could pave the way for greater regulations in other areas.