fracking

A federal judge in Wyoming has temporarily stopped regulations governing fracking on federal lands from going into effect. Wyoming Public Radio’s Stephanie Joyce reports for Inside Energy.

North Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado have asked a federal judge in Casper, Wyoming to issue a preliminary injunction against the federal Bureau of Land Management’s new Hydraulic Fracturing Rule.

The rule is supposed to take effect June 24th. 

“We contend that the federal  government, through the BLM, is proceeding to usurp authority that belongs to the state of North Dakota, notwithstanding there are specific federal statutes that prohibit the federal government from regulating hydraulic fracturing,” said North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.

Two groups of oil and gas producers have filed an injunction in the US District Court of Wyoming against the first ever federal rule to regulate hydraulic fracturing on federal lands. 

Inside Energy’s Leigh Paterson reports.

In March, Wyoming sued the federal government claiming new regulations interfere with the state’s own existing regulations. Colorado and North Dakota joined that lawsuit soon after.

Mark Barron, one of the attorneys on the case, explained why Wyoming is leading the legal challenge: 

North Dakota is joining Wyoming’s lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management over its new fracking for rules for federal and tribal lands. Emily Guerin reports for Inside Energy.

North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem says one of the major problems with the new rules is that they could dramatically lengthen the 10 months it now takes to get a drilling permit from the federal government.

With oil prices still hovering at multi-year lows, companies are choosing to store, rather than sell their oil. As Wyoming Public Radio’s Stephanie Joyce reports for Inside Energy, it’s being stored in tanks and tankers... but also in the ground.

The first federal regulations addressing fracking on public lands are already facing a legal challenge. Wyoming Public Radio’s Stephanie Joyce reports for Inside Energy.

The new regulations require things like the disclosure of chemicals used in fracking and more protections for groundwater. But industry says they unnecessarily duplicate existing state regulations and require the disclosure of confidential commercial information. Mark Barron is one of the attorneys suing the government on behalf of the Independent Petroleum Association of America and the Western Energy Alliance.