Energy in Depth: Today’s News
Commissioner Martin criticizes FRAC Act. Glenwood Springs (CO) Post Independent. “Garfield County Commissioner John Martin may not have taken a formal position concerning a proposal to list “frac’ing” – shorthand for hydraulic fracturing of a natural gas well – as one of the industrial activities covered by the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974. But at a meeting this week, Martin left little doubt as to how he feels about the so-called FRAC Act – an acronym for the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act – which was introduced in June in both houses of the U.S. Congress. … “I don’t know of one legislator from the Western Slope of Colorado who is in support of it,” Martin continued, possibly a reference to the fact that Rep. John Salazar, who represents the 3rd Congressional District and Garfield County, has yet to declare support for the bill. … He had declared, “You could put hydraulic frac’ing out of business” with this kind of legislation, adding, “We’ve got plenty of bills in place. It’s the enforcement that’s the issue.”
Legislation to regulate Haynesville Shale Drilling. KSLA-TV. “Congressman John Fleming, while touring a drill site, gets about as close as a person can get to what’s called hydraulic fracturing, a process of releasing natural gas from the Haynesville Shale.” Click HERE or HERE to view this report.
SMU professor’s study on pollution from gas drilling is flawed, state says. Fort Worth Star Telegram. “As debate continues about how much gas drilling contributes to air pollution in North Texas, state regulators want to make sure it’s clear that they disagree with a study that concluded that drilling creates about as much pollution as car and truck traffic. The study by SMU professor Al Armendariz used data from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s inventory of air pollution. Commission officials say that although his numbers might be correct, Armendariz took them out of context, and they think his conclusions are flawed. “I don’t know that we agree nor disagree with the numbers,” agency spokeswoman Andrea Morrow said. “We certainly don’t agree with the conclusions.”
Fed energy bill lights fire under natural gas. Denver Post. “When federal energy legislation was being crafted last spring, the natural-gas industry “was not at the bargaining table” and as a result was left out, said former Colorado U.S. Sen. Tim Wirth. Wirth’s comments Wednesday in a speech at the Colorado Oil and Gas Association’s annual conference echoed those of some top industry executives. “We as an industry really didn’t show up for this game,” Keith Rattie, chief executive of Salt Lake City-based natural-gas producer Questar Corp., said Tuesday.”
Brazilian official explores Pa. energy sources. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Pittsburgh’s energy companies and a federal energy laboratory here were the major reasons a top Brazilian official visited Wednesday. Marcio Zimmerman, Brazil’s deputy minister of mines and energy, flew to Pittsburgh yesterday to learn about energy production and research from executives at Westinghouse Electric Co., Consol Energy Corp. and the National Energy Technology Laboratory in South Park. He spent Monday and Tuesday in meetings with counterparts in Washington before traveling here. … He was particularly interested during a presentation by state Department of Environmental Protection Deputy Secretary for Mineral Resources Management J. Scott Roberts about the state’s Marcellus Shale natural gas deposits, which has sparked major expansion in drilling and production. “What is the percentage of natural gas that is found in the Marcellus Shale?” And “is the Marcellus Shale natural gas environmentally the same as other natural gas?” Zimmerman asked. The answer is yes.”
State lawmakers spar over proposal to tax startup natural gas industry; deposits not under Berks. Reading Eagle. “Pennsylvania is considering taxing its fledgling natural gas drilling industry as a way to close budget gaps and set money aside for environmental cleanup. Debate on whether to impose a natural gas severance tax is part of the larger budget talks taking place in Harrisburg. One of the world’s largest deposits of natural gas lies beneath Pennsylvania in a formation known as the Marcellus shale. Energy companies have known about the gas for decades but only recently developed a profitable method to extract it.”
