CEO DATELINE - Oil and gas groups sue to ease drilling regulations on public lands
CEO DATELINE - Oil and gas groups sue to ease drilling regulations on public lands
- March 23, 2015 |
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Walt Williams
Practice known as 'fracking' at heart of controversy
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Two associations didn't waste any time challenging new federal rules for a controversial form of oil and gas drilling on public lands, filing a lawsuit against the regulations the same day they were announced.
The Independent Petroleum Association of America and Western Energy Alliance sued the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and U.S. Bureau of Land Management Friday in an attempt to stop new regulations governing hydraulic fracturing on federal and tribal lands. Hydraulic fracturing—better known as "fracking"—is a form of drilling that involves pumping water and chemicals into the ground at high pressure to force out oil and natural gas.
The regulations were announced after a lengthy public hearing process in which the government received more than 1.5 million comments, according to BLM. Federal regulators claim the rules strike a proper balance between natural resource extraction and protection of the environment, particularly of groundwater supplies that could be polluted by fracking.
"Current federal well-drilling regulations are more than 30 years old and they simply have not kept pace with the technical complexities of today's hydraulic fracturing operations," Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said. "This updated and strengthened rule provides a framework of safeguards and disclosure protocols that will allow for the continued responsible development of our federal oil and gas resources." http://on.doi.gov/1HsmeSF
The associations contend the new regulations have little scientific or engineering basis. They called the rules "another regulatory overreach by the Obama Administration that will hurt America's oil and natural gas producers."
"At a time when the oil and natural gas industry faces incredible cost uncertainties, these so-called baseline standards will threaten America's economic upturn and further deter oil and natural gas development on federal lands," IPAA CEO Barry Russell said.
"If anything, BLM should be delegating more to the states in recognition of their exemplary environmental and safety records, not implementing new federal red tape that is not properly justified," Western Energy Alliance President Tim Wigley said.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Wyoming.http://bit.ly/1GL3OsK