Institute

Environmental groups, the Edison Electric Institute and large natural gas end-users were quick to commend the Senate’s confirmation Thursday of Gina McCarthy as head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but oil and natural gas companies were apparently following the rule, “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”

The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Thursday said it plans to develop a proposed rule requiring companies who make chemical substances and mixtures used in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to report data on the chemicals.

The University of Tennessee’s Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) is seeking an industry partner for a proposed research project to investigate impacts of natural gas and oil exploration, as well as development from shale formations, in East Tennessee and the wider region.

While a majority of Californians support curbs on hydraulic fracturing (fracking), when they are aware of the economic advantages coming from the drilling practice a majority (56%) supports its use, according to a statewide public opinion survey released last Friday.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) and a coalition of business groups have asked the appellate court in Washington, DC, to stay the Securities and Exchange (SEC) mandate requiring producers to publicly report how much they pay governments for access to oil, natural gas and minerals.

A report by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research says personal income for the residents of 28 counties in New York that overlay the Marcellus Shale could grow by 15% or more over the next four years, if the state lifts a moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF).

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) have signed an interagency memorandum of understanding (MOU) to begin researching the effects of human exposure to airborne emissions from shale gas drilling sites.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) and a coalition of business groups last week appeared before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to challenge the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) implementation of Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, which requires companies registered with the agency to publicly report how much they pay governments for access to oil, natural gas and other minerals.

America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) last Wednesday announced that Martin J. Durbin, a top lobbyist at the American Petroleum Institute (API), has been named president and CEO, effective May 1. Durbin comes to ANGA after serving as executive vice president at API, where he led advocacy efforts on behalf of the oil and gas industry (see related story).