Impact

The state of Wyoming will take the lead in the continuing investigation of the potential impact of natural gas production activities on drinking water in the Pavillion, WY, area, with the cooperation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is suspending its own investigation.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said it found naturally occurring dissolved methane at several household wells used for drinking water in Sullivan County, PA, during pre-drill baseline testing at sites not near existing oil and gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

State lawmakers in West Virginia plan to meet in Wheeling on Thursday to discuss the impact the oil and gas industry is having on local roadways.

The minority 20% share in the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (Songs) lessens the overall costs and operational impact, but Sempra Energy and its San Diego Gas and Electric Co. (SDG&E) combination utility will deal with material consequences of the decision, according to officials.

The Interior Department is moving at an “accelerated” pace on a programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) to allow exploration and production off the Mid- and South Atlantic coast, department officials told a Senate committee last Thursday. The agency also said it has given the public an additional 60 days for a total of 90 days to comment on the proposed hydraulic fracturing (fracking) rule.

The Interior Department is moving at an “accelerated” pace on a programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) to allow exploration and production off the Mid- and South Atlantic coast, department officials told a Senate committee Thursday.

The Interior Department is “very close” to releasing rules governing the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of oil and natural gas wells located on public lands, Secretary Sally Jewell said Tuesday in her first appearance before Congress.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was put in the hot seat Friday as House lawmakers took the agency to task for its flawed reports on hydraulic fracturing (fracking), most notably the December 2011 report that found groundwater in Pavillion, WY, to be contaminated. That report was later retracted. And before directing any more funds to the EPA for reseach into fracking, the lawmakers demanded that the agency provide Congress with more information on their reseach activities so far.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is raising “environmental objections” to the State Department’s draft environmental impact statement for the northern portion of the $7 billion, 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline that would carry Canadian crude to Cushing, OK. Sponsor TransCanada Corp. had no comment. A southern portion, not requiring a federal review, is under construction between Cushing to the Gulf Coast.