Regulation

Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation | Statewide OH

New OH Bill Requires Landmen to Register, Become Experts
November 13, 2012November 13, 2012

Ohio arguably has the most strict drilling rules of any state in the country for shale gas and oil drilling (so far, before New York gets off the pot). But the Dems in Ohio want more rules. This time they’re targeting landmen.

Ohio House Bill 493 would require landmen to become experts in exploration and production, in addition to real property and contract law. It also requires them to be registered:

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Cuyahoga County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation

OH City Bans Drilling in City Limits – Legality Questioned
November 9, 2012November 9, 2012

Broadview Heights, OH (Cuyahoga County) voters passed a measure on Tuesday that bans any further oil and gas drilling in the city limits. There are currently 90 oil and gas wells drilled in Broadview Heights. Problem is, the new measure, which becomes part of the city’s charter, is in violation of Ohio law which states only the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR)can regulate oil and gas drilling.

It’s another “home rule” lawsuit in the making…

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Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation | Richland County | Wastewater

Mansfield, OH Voters Approve “Environmental Bill of Rights”
November 8, 2012November 7, 2012

The voters of Mansfield, Ohio voted to approve an “environmental bill of rights” in yesterday’s election. The new measure will now be part of the city’s charter, enabling the city to control the location and regulation of wastewater injection wells.

A year ago Preferred Fluids Management announced they would build two 5,000 foot deep injection wells in the Mansfield industrial park. Some area residents are opposed and the new measure passed yesterday will allow them to prevent the wells from being built. It’s a dead issue anyway because the permits to build the wells have expired. The question now is: Does the new “bill of rights” extend to other types of wells, and even other business activities, besides injection wells?

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Industrywide Issues | Regulation

3 Top Officials Rumored to be Leaving Obama Administration
November 8, 2012November 7, 2012

Now that Obama will be sticking around for another four years, immediate speculation has begun on who will go and who will stay in his administration. Rumor has it that three top energy/environment officials may step down in the coming months. All three are in cabinet level positions:

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

Reuters Predicts “Harsher Energy Regs” from Obama II
November 8, 2012November 7, 2012

MDN took some abuse for our negative comments on the re-election of B.H. Obama (see this MDN article)—comments for which we make no apology. However, you may be interested to know one day after his re-election, none other than Reuters is predicting a rough road ahead for the domestic energy industry under Obama II. The article says, in so many words, the coal industry is screwed. And of course Obama will continue to flirt with so-called renewable energy. Elections have consequences folks.

Here’s what the article says about Obama’s “nuanced” approach on domestic oil and gas drilling:

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Onondaga County | Regulation

Town of Onondaga, NY Votes to Extend Fracking Ban 1 Month
November 6, 2012November 6, 2012

The Town of Onondaga, a bedroom community for Syracuse, NY, voted on Monday night to extend the fracking moratorium they previously enacted. The vote continues the moratorium for another month until board members meet again Dec. 3 and will presumably vote at that meeting to either further extend the moratorium or let it die.

From the Syracuse Post-Standard:

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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation | Transco

FERC Approves Transco Northeast Supply Link Pipeline in NJ
November 6, 2012November 6, 2012

Good news: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved Transco’s Northeast Supply Link project Friday afternoon. The Sierra Club and other anti-drillers opposed the northern New Jersey pipeline expansion project that will bring more Marcellus Shale gas to the metro NYC market—but cooler FERC heads have prevailed.

Here’s how the news was reported by an anti-drilling local New Jersey newspaper:

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DEP Adopts New Rules for Timely Review of Drilling Permits
November 5, 2012November 5, 2012

In July of this year, PA Gov. Tom Corbett issued an executive order to the Dept. of Environmental Protection to streamline and cut down on the red tape involved in reviewing permits of various kinds, including permits for Marcellus Shale drilling. The AP and other lefty news organizations promptly jumped on the directive and attempted to smear Corbett by saying he’s trying to remove safeguards and as a result will put public health at risk (see this MDN story).

About a month later, the DEP issued a draft for a new permit review process (see this MDN story). Don’t tell the AP, but the DEP just officially published those draft rules and they are now the law in Pennsylvania. And not even a whisper from the mighty AP about it. Must be the shiny new object isn’t so shiny anymore—not even worth a mention by the AP. Do you now see why the mainstream media’s reporting is often referred to as “drive-by” reporting?

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Regulation | Statewide MD

MD Del. Heather Mizeur Continues to Spin Fracking Whoopers
November 2, 2012November 3, 2012

Maryland State Delegate Heather Mizeur (D-Montgomery County, a Washington, D.C. suburb) continues to spread lies in her state about the miracle of hydraulic fracturing in an attempt to whip up support to ban fracking. Here’s the latest whopper from Ms. Mizeur:

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Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA Judge to PUC: Cease & Desist Act 13 Zoning Reviews
October 29, 2012October 29, 2012

On Friday, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Judge Keith Quigley issued a “cease and desist” order to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) telling them they can no longer review PA towns’ zoning ordinances for compliance with the new Act 13 drilling law (a copy of his order is embedded below). MDN has chronicled the ongoing fight between seven PA towns and the state over the state’s new standardized “one size fits all” zoning ordinance for oil and gas drilling (see this MDN story for background).

The lawsuit brought by the seven towns is now before the state Supreme Court waiting for a decision. In advance of that, the PUC said there are some zoning provisions not challenged in the lawsuit and they are evaluating those kinds of cases. The PUC has ruled that some of the seven towns in the lawsuit are not in compliance and the PUC is withholding their impact fee checks pending a decision from the Supreme Court—it’s a lot of money. Judge Quigley has said “no more” and now the attorney for those towns is demanding the PUC cut the checks for the impact fees owed to the towns.

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Washington County

Cecil, PA Public Hearing to Revise Zoning for Act 13
October 29, 2012October 29, 2012

Even though the Town of Cecil (Washington County, PA) is one of the seven towns suing the state of PA over the zoning provisions of Act 13, the town is going to consider changing their zoning law to be compliant with Act 13 all the same. The situation is now murky and “fluid”…

On Friday, Cecil’s town manager said this:

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Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Regulation | Taxation | Washington County

PA Rep. Jesse White Contacts MDN to Set Record Straight
October 26, 2012October 26, 2012

Yesterday MDN brought you the story of Cecil Township in Washington County, PA and how Range Resources indicated, according to the town, that they could influence the town resident who has brought a complaint against the town which is keeping the town from receiving $246,000 in impact fee revenue to drop his complaint in return for a private meeting between the town and Range (see this MDN story).

MDN quoted PA State Rep. Jesse White as part of that story. Rep. White said such an overture by Range is “extortion, plain and simple.” As part of that story, MDN referred to Rep. White as anti-drilling. He contacted us to set the record straight on that score. We always like to be accurate! So we’re happy to convey what Rep. White said.

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Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Regulation | Washington County

PA State Rep. White Accuses Range Resources of Extortion
October 25, 2012October 25, 2012

Pennsylvania State Rep. Jesse White (D) from Cecil, PA (Washington County) is a well-known and devoted anti-driller. He’s accusing Range Resources of attempted extortion of the Town of Cecil. Here’s the background:

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Regulation | Statewide MD | Taxation

Maryland Senators Support Lease Tax to Fund Fracking Study
October 25, 2012October 25, 2012

Two “prominent” Maryland State Senators, both from Montgomery County in the Washington, D.C. suburbs (and both Democrats), are supporting legislation that would create a long-term moratorium on shale gas drilling in the state:

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Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Norse Energy | Regulation | Statewide NY

Will Drillers Bother to Show Up if NY Allows Fracking?
October 24, 2012October 24, 2012

A new article by Platts asks the question MDN is often asked: “If shale drilling is allowed in New York State, will any drillers bother to show up and drill?” The Platts article quotes a number of experts who say, in a word, “no.” MDN has heard the same “no” sentiment from other experts as well. We’ve grappled with this issue in the past (see this MDN story from March 9, 2011).

These days, MDN has a contrary-to-popular-opinion position on the question of whether drillers will want to drill in New York soon after it’s allowed. But first, the viewpoints of those who say no:

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Economic Impact | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

President Obama’s Abysmal Energy Record
October 24, 2012October 24, 2012

Startling news today that the U.S. is set to eclipse Saudi Arabia as the leading producer of oil (yes, oil) in the world by the end of next year (see this MDN story). This year, the U.S. will be the most energy independent we have been since 1990. We’re now on track to produce 4/5 of the energy we consume. Why? The miracle of hydraulic fracturing.

President Obama and his administration try to claim credit for this energy renaissance and make noise about an “all of the above” energy strategy. But a close examination of the record shows Obama’s energy policies have actually worked against our energy independence. Without his policies of restricting drilling on federal lands and offshore, we might actually be energy independent right now.

The numbers don’t lie:

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