Executive Order: Federal Government to Take Control of Domestic Natural Gas Production; EPA Set to Move Within One Week

The SPPI Blog
4/16/2012

Source:  SHTF

While Americans focused their attention on the Colombian controversy involving U.S. Secret Service agents, prostitutes and excessive drinking, President Obama quietly signed his latest Presidential Executive Order.

The Supporting Safe and Responsible Development of Unconventional Domestic Natural Gas Resources Executive Order seeks to create what amounts to a Presidential super committee that will oversee the regulation and development of the ‘unconventional’ natural gas industry for the purpose of ensuring a long-term natural gas supply for the United States, as well as to do so in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

Excerpts (Read the complete E.O.):

While natural gas production is carried out by private firms, and States are the primary regulators of onshore oil and gas activities, the Federal Government has an important role to play by regulating oil and gas activities on public and Indian trust lands, encouraging greater use of natural gas in transportation, supporting research and development aimed at improving the safety of natural gas development and transportation activities, and setting sensible, cost-effective public health and environmental standards to implement Federal law and augment State safeguards.

Because efforts to promote safe, responsible, and efficient development of unconventional domestic natural gas resources are underway at a number of executive departments and agencies (agencies), close interagency coordination is important for effective implementation of these programs and activities.  To formalize and promote ongoing interagency coordination, this order establishes a high-level, interagency working group that will facilitate coordinated Administration policy efforts to support safe and responsible unconventional domestic natural gas development.

The article continues at The SPPI Blog.

RelatedNo, Fracking Is Not Linked To Earthquakes

Last week it was widely reported in the media that a USGS report had linked hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” to earthquakes, but is that what the report really said? Not really, according to Steve Everly from Energy In Depth…

Also, A Conversation With an Environmentalist Oil Industry Worker

The jestful working title for this story, “Interview With Evil Incarnate”,hints at the reflexiveness with which those who consider themselves environmentalists respond when faced with issues, events, and people they don’t like. Oil and gas and coal, bad. Mining, bad. Keystone XL, bad. Of course, all of these things have hugely negative impacts on the environment, none of which are easily mediated. But the flip side is that the issue is never simply black and white, whether you’re talking about tar sands or fracking. Additionally, our entire affluent western recreational lifestyle depends on a continuing flow of materials that are extracted from the ground at great cost to air, water, and soil. Hypocrisy runs rampant.

A few weeks ago, I sat down to have a conversation with a friend of mine who’s given more thought to the issues of energy and the environment than the vast majority of putative enviros. He is both an oil industry geologist and a member of the fun hog tribe, and his perspective is nuanced and considered and well worth reading. To speak freely, he asked that we not identify him or the company he works for…

H/T FrackNation and Phelim McAleer.

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