History of Regulation
Commitments to workplace safety and environmental protection are critical to every industry operating in America, and energy production is no exception. To meet these challenges and mitigate risks, oil and natural gas companies work with local, state and federal government agencies to ensure that all aspects of production—from well site workplace conditions to atmospheric emissions—are managed safely and responsibly.
Included in Project BRIEF is an in-depth analysis of the history of effective state regulation, and the ways in which those rules have helped the industry grow, learn and innovate. Almost before we had a name for oil and natural gas, states have been regulating their safe discovery, extraction and delivery. Unfortunately, that may soon change – as efforts gain steam in Washington to empower the federal Environmental Protection Agency with the authority to pre-empt state regulation of practices and technology critical to efficient energy production. Worst of all, this movement appears to be regulatory in nature and scope – a well-known means of producing major changes in policy without having to conduct a thoughtful, far-reaching public debate.
Project BRIEF’s full report outlining how federal regulations are being stretched beyond their natural limits and inappropriately applied to energy production for the purpose of impeding responsible, homegrown oil and gas production can be found here.
