Posted on 02/14/2012 5:54:08 PM PST by thackney
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Tuesday his department would formally unveil its highly anticipated rules for hydraulic fracturing on federal lands in “a few weeks.”
The Interior Department has worked on a trio of rules that would require companies operating on federal lands to disclose the chemicals in their fracturing fluids (with a trade-secret exemption), impose standards meant to ensure wells can withstand fracturing and require companies to explain how they plan to dispose of flowback water.
“If we are going to be successful, the public needs to have confidence that fracking operations are being conducted safely, and that drinking water supplies are protected,” Salazar said.
His remarks came at the City Club of Cleveland, where Salazar gave a much broader discussion of President Obama’s “all-of-the-above” energy-policy vision that he outlined in his State of the Union address. Obama called for more production of oil and natural gas with safeguards to protect the environment while also saying the nation needed to double down on renewable energy.
A leaked draft of the fracturing rules came under fire from oil-and-gas groups, which called the proposals redundant with what many states and industry itself are already doing and saying they would further impede oil-and-gas development on federal lands.
Industry has tapped vast new pockets of natural gas in shale formations thanks to innovations in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, in which mixtures of water, sand and chemicals are injected underground at high pressures to break up rock and free up trapped oil and gas. Environmentalists contend fracturing can contaminate drinking water supplies, while industry insists the practice is safe.
Environmental advocates note that many states still don’t have disclosure requirements and some states’ requirements aren’t as stringent as what Interior plans to propose.
Salazar said fracturing is already being done safely “in most cases.” But he defended the rules, saying not moving forward with them could undermine public confidence in unconventional natural-gas production enough to serve as its “Achilles heel.” He also said the American people have a right to have their public lands used in a “responsible way.”
“To me those rules are common sense,” he said. He rejected the notion that the rules would “kill jobs,” saying that many industries such as farming depend on having soil, land and water that aren’t polluted.
Interior would have to take public comment on the rules once they’re proposed.
Wringing their hands in glee while they devise new methods to raise the cost of fuel and destroy the country.
This likely is of little impact. Many companies are starting to do this on their own anyways. Also some states, including Texas, have set up similar requirements.
2) impose standards meant to ensure wells can withstand fracturing
Ideally, that should be no change. Companies should be using a well design that can withstand any pressure they create during fracturing or it will cost them money regardless of fines imposed.
In reality, that likely is going to become an issue to PROVE that capability PRIOR to hydraulic fracturing.
3) require companies to explain how they plan to dispose of flowback water.
This is the one several companies fell down during their execution. Some used low budget contractors and turned a blind eye to how they could dispose of the fluids so cheaply. This has (in my opinion) been the largest legitimate complaint of the industry.
Always appreciate your knowledgeable comments on the energy biz!
To devise rules and regulations that outwardly appear reasonable but inwardly are designed to choke the oil and gas industry and prevent Americans from having cheap and readily available energy supplies.
Federal 'rules' bring federal lawsuits, which bring federal damages to the leftwing assholes who brought the suits in the first place.
we don’t need any fracking rules.
You can bet that it has nothing to do with an increase in supply, expanding the jobs market, or lowering prices to consumers and increasing profits for the drillers and producers.
The primary beneficiaries of the "federal rules" will be the bureaucrats who are empowered and the enviro-sttorneys who will be enriched.
The rest of us will take it in the pocketbook.
It's an Obama World.
Never trust Salazar.
So, Russia, China and brazil will come and suck out our oil.
Maybe even Iran and Venezuela. In satisfaction of debt.
I am certain they’ll make no mess.
Maybe even Japan. But they’ll be neat.
I trust him.
I trust him to find any false pretense to create ways to stall, delay, impede and stop new production.
I’m shocked that we are even drilling on federal land.
“In reality, that likely is going to become an issue to PROVE that capability PRIOR to hydraulic fracturing.”
It will become a big stopper. Proving this to the satisfaction of the EPA and the greens will be lengthy and time consuming process. Some percentage of projects will never go forward as a result.
“require companies ... to disclose the chemicals in their fracturing fluids (with a trade-secret exemption)”
The secret ingredient is Brawndo. It’s got what wells crave.
Let me guess....NO!!! Frack you, Salazar
Salazar:
“You what?”
“You wanna provide an energy resource for the lower 48?”
“Ha! Ain’t gonna happen no way, no how!”
“Them’s the rules!”
Interior Secretary SalaCZAR is a busy little body...he’s about to decide whether to remove 4 dams on the Klamath in Oregon and Northern California, too....
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