Environmentalists are renewing their push to increase financial assurance requirements to cover potential cleanup and other costs for natural gas drilling operations, saying that fees levied so far by state and federal regulators are largely inadequate to address potential contamination, well-plugging and other post-drilling requirements. But they are also seeking to levy new fees and taxes on the drilling sector to supplement financial bonds for the purpose of recovering costs that affect the environment on a regional, national or global scale, such as potential greenhouse gas (GHG) and natural resource damage (NRD) impacts, as well as potential impacts to infrastructure, such as roads. "We're seeking financial assurances upfront, before drilling occurs," Erika Staaf, Pennenvironment's clean water advocate said during a July 16 conference call. "It's not a requirement for many important impacts" including damages to environment and natural resources.
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