The F Word

Regulation for Fracking!

Environment – The term “fracking” has become the environmentalist and politicians modern day buzz word. The backlash from the public due to the energy companies’ neglect in protecting the local environment and its residents has caused the federal government under President Obama to implement regulations that intend to prevent a possible irreversible environmental collapse.

The process of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” has been deemed unsafe by a vast amount residents where natural gas companies have been permitted to drill. Due to the unidentified chemicals that are used in th process of extracting the gas from rocks and sediment, the Interior Department has developed regulatory reform in which those chemicals have to be identified by the private companies.

Before we throw a ticker tape parade for a win by the environment, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar stated that even though companies are required to identify the chemicals used for the fracking process 30 days prior to drilling, companies only have to abide by those regulations if they are drilling on Federal land.

Unfortunately, even with the EPA and the unenthusiastic backing of the Obama Administration, there has been a push by members of the Senate that deny that the pumping of natural gas is infusing local water sources with pollutants. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) believe that there is no direct correlation with the drilling and the pollutants that have been found located in areas where drilling has occurred.

Many can agree with the progression of the regulatory reform, but if companies only have to abide by rules that only pertain to federal land drilling, well I guess the environment will have to chalk this one up as a loss.

Read More at The Huffington Post.