The energy sector, especially the oil and gas industry, is facing many legislative and regulatory challenges.
According to the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, the Attorney General for Texas, for example, has filed twenty-four lawsuits that include, in part:
1) Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule that imposes new standards on oil and gas operations, including emission reductions during completions on wells that have been fractured, which is also known as “green completions”.
2) EPA’s disapproval of Texas Regional Haze plan.
3) EPA’s designation of Wise County as an ozone non-attainment area.
4) EPA’S Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule.
5) EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution rule.
6) EPA’s greenhouse gas state implementation plan and the disapproval of Texas’ flexible permit rule.
7) The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s rule that compelled intrastate natural gas pipelines to make daily Internet posts about the intrastate business practices. — The Obama administration has put together an interagency working group to coordinate agency policy activities of 13 bureaucracies that deal with oil and gas issues.
The Texas Alliance of Energy Producers goes on to report that “invasive, unnecessary changes to current operational procedures for oil and gas activities have been proposed or adopted by numerous federal agencies. For example:
1) The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has proposed regulations to mandate permitting for oil and gas producers before performing hydraulic fracturing, and before diesel fuel can be used in drilling and completion operations.
2) The Environmental Protection Agency has revised its New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) of fractured natural gas completions and storage tank requirements.
3) EPA’s Clean Water Act Effluent Limitation guidelines for produced water, developed regulations for oil and gas activities on “waters of the United States,” and promulgate guidance related to seismic activity.
Dr. John Deutch, former US Deputy Secretary of Defense, former Director of Central Intelligence under President Clinton, professor at MIT and who was interviewed and greatly assisted with the film/documentary “The Grand Energy Transition” which I co-produced, states “a big deal has happened in the United States—a big deal for the United States and for the rest of the world—and that is the explosion of unconventional oil and gas resources and production.”
It is important that a balance between energy and environment be reached along with being maintained. America needs America’s energy and America needs to preserve its environment. How the oil and gas industry manages and addresses the energy and environmental concerns facing America should and will remain front and center.
Thomas A. Carr, an expert witness, testified before the US Commerce Committee in 1974 and stated, “the word ‘energy’ incidentally equates with the Greek word for ‘challenge.’ I think there is much to learn in thinking of our federal energy problems in that light. Further, it is important for us to think of energy in terms of a gift of life.”
The message is clear: America Needs America’s Energy! Together we can Create the People’s Energy Plan! Go to www.peoplesenergyplan.com to join the effort.
Facebook: America Needs America’s Energy with over 10,000 supporters plus and growing. — America Needs America’s Energy: Creating Together the People’s Energy Plan!