Shale Gas Commands Center Stage as House Panel Holds Hearing, New Study Defends State Ground Water Protection Rules, and Oil and Gas Groups Warn Against Federal Intrusion

摘要

On 6/4/09 the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, chaired by Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), held an oversight hearing on "Unconventional Fuels, Part I: Shale Gas Potential." The agenda included testimony by Scott Kell of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, who represented the national non-profit Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC). The group released a report on May 27 evaluating the framework of state oil and gas regulations governing the protection of water resources. According to GWPC, current state oil and gas regulations "are adequately designed to directly protect water resources through the application of specific programmatic elements."