Criticism

Colorado on Monday established new mandatory water sampling requirements for oil and natural gas drilling drawing criticism from industry and environmental groups. Sampling of multiple water wells before and after drilling is now required.

The University of Texas at Austin has pulled a 2012 UT Energy Institute report that was supportive of hydraulic fracturing and shale gas development following a review of the study by an independent panel that found researchers failed to disclose a conflict of interest.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper responded Thursday to criticism from local elected officials in his state who are upset over his government taking the city of Longmont, CO, to court over its oil and natural gas drilling rules. Legal action was what Hickenlooper called a “last resort” in a letter he sent to various local officials considering similar local drilling rules.

Already subjected to pointed criticism from regulators and lawmakers, a $2.2 billion, four-year plan for enhancing Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s (PG&E) natural gas pipeline system is not likely to be approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) anytime soon, PG&E utility President Chris Johns told financial analysts Thursday on an earnings conference call.

Facing ever-stiffer criticism and monetary penalties for its past natural gas pipeline safety blunders, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) on Friday asked state regulators to separate its ongoing pipe proceedings into one to set future rules and another to review the combination utility’s past safety practices.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) has found itself in the cross-hairs for statewide criticism regarding a $2.2 billion long-term plan to upgrade its natural gas pipeline system in California.

Pennsylvania researchers have corrected a recent study that suggested increased bromide levels in private water wells after drilling or hydraulic fracturing occurred nearby.

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which had been scheduled on Wednesday to release the final draft of a report on the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing (fracking), said the report has been delayed because the department is too busy assisting with cleanup related to Hurricane Irene.

Under increasing criticism from state and federal regulators, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) said it favors phasing out the practice of using historic operating pressures to establish the maximum allowable operating pressures (MAOP) for pipelines in heavily populated areas. The utility favors this change for pipelines in California and nationally.