Helping Clients With Their Energy and Environmental Needs

Read

Rule Regulating Hydraulic Fracturing on Federal Lands Released

By Ilya Batikov

On March 20, 2015, the U.S. Department of the Interior released the final rule governing hydraulic fracturing on public and Indian lands.  According to a department press release, key components of the rule, which takes effect in 90 days, include:

• Provisions for ensuring the protection of groundwater supplies by requiring a validation of well integrity and strong cement barriers between the wellbore and water zones through which the wellbore passes;
• Increased transparency by requiring companies to publicly disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing to the Bureau of Land Management through the website FracFocus, within 30 days of completing fracturing operations;
• Higher standards for interim storage of recovered waste fluids from hydraulic fracturing to mitigate risks to air, water and wildlife;
• Measures to lower the risk of cross-well contamination with chemicals and fluids used in the fracturing operation, by requiring companies to submit more detailed information on the geology, depth, and location of preexisting wells to afford the BLM an opportunity to better evaluate and manage unique site characteristics.

Read the complete text of the rule here.

 

Tags: Hydraulic Fracturing, Oil and Gas, Energy, fracing

Helping clients with their energy and environmental needs

You can expect to find news and breaking legal developments involving the crude oil and natural gas industries, alternative and renewable energy resources, and the latest environmental issues.