Marshall County, WV, has denied Statoil ASA’s request that a roughly $353,000 property tax overpayment be refunded. Statoil said the overpayment resulted from a clerical error when it used production estimates instead of actual volumes to calculate its 2015 payment. State law does permit refunds for such clerical errors, but the West Virginia Tax Department told county commissioners that the company’s miscalculation was a matter of negligence. The commissioners voted 2-1 last month to deny the refund.
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Colorado County Stalemated on Local Oil/Gas Agreements
Elected officials in one of Colorado’s most prolific oil and natural gas-producing counties were recently divided on how to proceed with rules for oil/gas development near residential areas in the county, resulting in a six-week suspension of action.
NEB Needs to Improve Pipe Safety Information Management Systems, Fed Agency Finds
The safety of Canadian long-distance pipelines has improved but the National Energy Board (NEB) needs better information management systems to ensure good performance, a federal record-keeping agency said Tuesday.
O’Malia, Last of the Dodd-Frank Reformers, Leaving the CFTC
Republican Commissioner Scott D. O’Malia plans to leave the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Aug. 8, after having labored four and a half years through market reforms mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
NY Health Commissioner, Figure in Frack Debate, Reportedly Resigning
Nirav Shah — commissioner of the New York Department of Health (DOH) and a figure at the center of the debate over whether to allow high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in the state — is planning to resign his post next month for a new job in California.
People
Wyoming Gov. Matt Meadhas namedBridget Hillas director of theOffice of State Lands and Investments, which is involved in, among other things, associated wellhead natural gas flaring and coalbed methane leases (seeDaily GPI,June 20, 2012). Hill, who was an attorney for the lands office for six years, replacesRyan Lance, who is moving to the private sector. The office supports the state’s Board of Land Commissioners and the Loan and Investment Board, which are composed of the top five elected officials, including Mead.
Binz Asks Obama to Withdraw His Nomination to FERC
Amid controversy over his pro-renewable energy and anti-fossil fuel sentiments, former Colorado regulator Ron Binz has asked President Obama to withdraw his name from further consideration as a nominee for FERC chairman.
CFTC’s Chilton Sends Transaction Fee Proposal to OMB
In a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Commodity Futures Trading Commissioner Bart Chilton Wednesday proposed that the agency be allowed to impose a targeted fee on transactions in the derivatives markets.
Fracking Water Recycling Rules Amended in Texas
New rules to encourage the state’s oil and natural gas operators to conserve water used in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) processes were adopted Tuesday by the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC).
People
The Texas Senate unanimously confirmed the appointment of Toby Baker of Austin to serve as a commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Baker has been serving in that capacity since his appointment by Gov. Rick Perry on April 16. His term will expire on Aug. 31, 2017. Baker also serves as the governor’s designee to the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, the Coastal Land Advisory Board, and the state’s representative to the Gulf of Mexico Alliance.