Agency

Last month Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joseph Martens said he anticipated an eventual legal challenge to any rules the agency creates for regulating HVHF in the state, and he asked Health Commissioner Nirav Shah to conduct a health impact analysis of the practice (see Shale Daily, Sept. 24). The newspaper said it agreed with the observation by DEC officials and drilling supporters: that Martens’ decision would probably cause enough of a delay to require an additional public comment period (see Shale Daily, Oct. 4; Oct. 2).

Assuming the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) decides to allow export of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), the agency will likely leave it up to markets to determine how much LNG is sent abroad, two industry veterans told NGI.

Assuming the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) decides to allow export of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), the agency will likely leave it up to markets to determine how much LNG is sent abroad, two industry veterans told NGI.

A coalition of environmental groups is calling on Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to enact a moratorium on natural gas drilling in West Virginia until the industry and regulators with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) meet several conditions.

The Railroad Commission of Texas appointed Milton Rister executive director of the agency effective Oct. 1. Rister comes from Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s office, where he has served as director for administration since 2010. Before that, Rister was executive director of the Texas Legislative Council from 2006 to 2009. He also served as a senior advisor for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in 2005. Former Executive Director John Tintera announced his retirement effective April 1 after 22 years of service to the commission (see Daily GPI, March 9).

The implementation of four recently proposed or finalized U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations affecting coal-fueled electricity generating units could prompt the retirement of as much as 12% of coal-fired capacity, with natural gas expected to replace much of that, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

The implementation of four recently proposed or finalized U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations affecting coal-fueled electricity generating units could prompt the retirement of as much as 12% of coal-fired capacity, with natural gas expected to replace much of that, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit voted 2-1 on Monday to vacate the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) disapproval of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) Flexible Permits Program.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could be a barrier to improving the coordination and reliability of the natural gas and electricity markets, said FERC Commissioner Philip Moeller recently.