WASHINGTON - A new draft rule to guide regulation of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, of oil and gas resources on public and Indian lands weakens safety and environmental protections and restricts public knowledge of dangerous chemicals, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said today. The Department of Interior new version of the so-called “fracking rule" ignores many suggestions made by Rep. Markey and other Democrats on the Natural Resources Committee, and appears to bend more towards the interests of the oil and gas sector, not the general public.
“This new fracking rule is extremely disappointing," said Rep. Markey, the Ranking Member of the committee. “It gives oil and gas companies the freedom to frack without the proper safety protections and disclosures the American public deserve. Oil and gas companies like to say that every well is different, but this fracking rule would treat wells like cookie cutter activities, potentially leaving huge holes in ensuring that fracking activities on public lands are being done properly and safely. This rule essentially says to oil companies that they can frack first and ask questions later."
In September, Rep. Markey along with committee members Reps. Rush Holt (N.J.), Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (C.M.), Raul Grijalva (Ariz.), Grace Napolitano (Calif.) and Paul Tonko (N.Y.) wrote DOI expressing concerns with several aspects of the agency’s original draft rule. Those concerns weren’t positively addressed in this new rule, and in fact many were even further weakened in the latest draft rule. The Democrats’original concerns can be found HERE.
The new draft DOI rule doesn’t require companies to disclose what chemicals they are using and how much before they drill the well. Adding insult to potential injury to public lands, the DOI rule then says that companies can use drilling practices on one completed well, and then apply them to multiple wells in the same area.
The rule also puts faith into the industry’s favored “FracFocus" Internet-based disclosure of chemicals, when that website is both not run by the federal government and does not allow for easy public access to the information, limiting oversight of the industry. Finally, it keeps open the question of open pit storage of wastewater, instead of requiring closed system containment.
“Because there are so many issues with this draft rule, 30 days is not enough to review this new version. DOI should provide more time for the public to express their views on this rule. I hope that Secretary Jewell listens to our concerns," said Rep. Markey.
