Dallas's Gas Drilling Task Force Navigates, Sort Of, the Labyrinth of Fracking Regulations

[white cloud]

The city's gas drilling task force slurped down a hearty helping of alphabet soup last night, with visits from representatives of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) and the RRC (the Railroad Commission of Texas), all of whom provided a breakdown of the regulatory environment surrounding gas drilling that was nearly as confusing as informational.

Here's a taste of what the task force heard from agency representatives: The RRC handles waste issues, unless they somehow involve transportation, at which point the TCEQ steps in. For drinking water contamination, private wells fall under RRC jurisdiction, while the TCEQ handles public water. Reclaimed fracking water is a shared responsibility. And the list goes on ... makes perfect sense, right? It's no wonder task force chair Lois Finkelman joked after the meeting that she'd like to "scrap and start over" with a more concise system.

"I think the most important thing about today is the overlapping responsibilities of the governing agencies," Finkelman told Unfair Park. Now, it's the task force's job to wade through this information and determine where municipal regulation can potentially fill in the gaps and add levels of protection.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2011/07/drilling_task_force_learns_the_1.php

[sonias]

1. "scrap and start over" would be right

We'd have to "scrap and start over" the two worthless Texas State Agencies that work against the interests of the people of Texas - TCEQ and the RRC. Those captured agencies work for the corporations against the people of Texas. :mad:

[onestepforward]

2. Thanks white cloud

I don't always comment but I always appreciate the information about all this fracking mess :)

(edited for spelling)

[sonias]

3. EPA Issues New Standards for Hydraulic Fracturing

Texas Tribune 7/28/11

EPA Issues New Standards for Hydraulic Fracturing
The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday issued new regulatory standards for oil and gas wells that use hydraulic fracturing.

The standards include a requirement that new wells recover 95 percent of the oil and gas that comes to the surface during one part of the fracturing process and requirements that well operators reduce the output of certain chemicals, including benzene and methane. The agency said that the regulatory changes are cost-efficient and that owners will be able to sell natural gas that doesn't enter the air.

The requirements come as the result of a court order. Two environmental groups sued the EPA to force the agency to regulate oil and gas fracturing under the Clean Air Act, and the consent decree that resolved the lawsuit requires the agency to produce final standards by February 12, 2012.

:kick:ing it up a notch!

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4. Aquifer are drying up while frac uses 5 to 12 million gals of fresh water

and the fresh is contaminated and has to be injected back into the reservoir and never used again.

Here is something new that would cut depletion of water tables.
http://www.gasfrac.com/fracturing_process.aspx