The following information is an update of recent,
local, state, national, and international legal developments relevant to shale
gas:
European
Commission takes legal action against Poland over shale gas exploratory
drilling concerns
Recently, the European Commission referred Poland to
the European Court of Justice for breach of EU environmental standards relating
to the regulation of shale gas drilling. The European Commission objects to the
Polish law that requires impact assessments only for drilling to a depth of
more than 5,000 meters. In a Press Release, the European Commission declared that “the high
threshold introduced under Polish law does not take into account all relevant
criteria and standards established by the Environmental Impact Assessment
Directive (Directive 2011/92/EU), which should be used when determining whether
certain types of projects require an assessment.”
Pennsylvania
DEP announces the launch of an ambient air quality monitoring network
On April 27, 2016, the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the launch of “an unprecedented
expansion of the state’s fine particulate matter (PM2.5) ambient air monitoring
network to ensure human health is protected in rural Pennsylvania.” In a Press Release, DEP Secretary John Quigley explained that community
concerns over impact from natural gas production on ambient air quality have
greatly motivated this monitoring program. He also added that, besides PM2.5
monitors already installed in Greene and Bradford counties, “DEP intends to
install PM2.5 monitors in Fayette, Indiana, Lycoming, Susquehanna, and Wyoming
counties by the end of 2016.”
House
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources holds a hearing on BLM proposed
rule to reduce venting and flaring from natural gas production
On April 27, 2016, the House Natural Resources
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing entitled “Bureau of Land Management’s Regulatory
Overreach into Methane Emissions Regulations” to address the merits of the BLM proposed rule to reduce waste of natural gas from venting, flaring,
and leaks during oil and natural gas production on Federal and Indian lands. The
proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on February 8, 2016. The
video transcription of the subcommittee’s hearing is available here.
USGS records a
M1.9 earthquake in Pennsylvania near drilling site
On April 25, 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey recorded
an earthquake of magnitude 1.9 in Mahoning Township, Lawrence County. The
earthquake occurred near a natural gas well site operated by Hilcorp with
ongoing hydraulic fracturing operations. Later in the day, Pennsylvania DEP
announced that Hilcorp had halted its drilling operations for the conduct of the
investigation, according to a media report.
U.S. Senate
reviews bill addressing Atlantic seismic tests for offshore oil and gas
resources
On April 21, 2016, U.S. Senator Cory A. Baker
introduced S. 2841, which would prohibit “oil-, gas-, and methane
hydrate-related seismic activities in North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South
Atlantic, and straits of Florida planning areas of Outer Continental Shelf.” S.
2841 responds to community concerns over the impacts of intense sound impulses
used to prospect for underwater hydrocarbon resources on marine wildlife. The
bill would amend Section 11 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources.
Written by Chloe Marie - Research Fellow
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