California’s Department of Conservation will conduct a series of workshops at locations throughout the state over the next three months to discuss hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” The purpose of the workshops is to gather information as the Department considers the adoption of regulations governing fracking. Various news sources have reported on recent legislative action directed […]
On May 4, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced a proposed rule that would regulate the practice of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” on federal and native American lands. The proposed rule, which can be found here, would (1) provide disclosure to the public of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing on public land and Indian land, (2) strengthen regulations […]
Late last week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) filed an answer in an action challenging its sale of oil and gas leases in California. A copy of the answer may be found here. BLM’s answer was filed in a lawsuit on which we first reported in December. Filed by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Sierra Club, the lawsuit […]
In a letter published today in the Chico Enterprise-Record (and elsewhere), Tim Kustic, Director of California’s Division of Oil, Gas & Geothermal Resources (DOG), stated that concerns about hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, exaggerate the potential risks to California’s water supply, adding that “fracking has been used to stimulate [oil and gas] production in California for years without a single report of […]
Hydraulic Fracturing & Permitting – What You Need to Know About “Fracking” and What’s At Stake in California Friday, February 3, 2012, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Pacific Time. 1 Total Participatory MCLE Credits (No Ethics) The practice of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” has dominated the environmental media landscape recently and with good reason: myths […]
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released draft findings of a ground water investigation conducted in Pavillion, Wyoming. The report is available here. According to an EPA release, “[t]he draft report indicates that ground water in the aquifer contains compounds likely associated with gas production practices, including hydraulic fracturing.” Commenting on the investigation, Jim Martin, EPA’s regional […]
Yesterday, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Sierra Club filed a federal action in the Northern District of California challenging the Bureau of Land Management‘s (BLM) leasing of property in Monterey and Fresno counties for oil and gas development. A copy of the action may be found here. The suit arises from BLM’s September 14, 2011, lease of three […]
On November 3, 2011, the EPA announced its final research plan on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a drilling methodology designed to recover natural gas and oil from deep shale formations by injecting water, sand and chemicals to break apart the rock formations and release hydrocarbons. EPA announced in March 2010 that it would conduct a research study to investigate the […]