Protecting

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert on Wednesday said his state has completed a conservation plan to preserve greater sage grouse in his state, protecting more than 90% of the state’s species through a combination of incentives and “reasonable” regulation.

It was billed as a bilateral effort to ensure safe and environmentally responsible development of the Appalachian Basin’s shale gas resources, but not everyone on the environmental side of the aisle is ready to embrace the Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD).

Guidelines put in place last year by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to expedite the drilling permit application process have significantly reduced the agency’s backlog, DEP said Thursday.

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), which governs water use for a portion of the Marcellus Shale, has launched an online reporting system for the Water Supply Charges Program (WSCP) to streamline operations. All reports beginning this year must be completed online; reporting and payment deadlines are unchanged.

America’s energy security risk is bad and getting worse under current policy and regulatory framework, according to a report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy.

While noting that they share FERC’s goal of protecting the nation’s energy infrastructure from physical and cyber security threats, top Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee questioned the agency about the statutory authority that it relied upon to create the new Office of Energy Infrastructure Security (OEIS) to shield facilities from these risks.

A member of the Pittsburgh City Council has introduced four proposed amendments to the city’s zoning code that would allow 40-acre minimum “mineral extraction districts” for Marcellus Shale drilling.

President Obama Friday called on the Senate to pass comprehensive legislation aimed at protecting critical national infrastructure, including energy facilities, from cyber attacks.

President Obama Friday called on the Senate to pass comprehensive legislation aimed at protecting critical national infrastructure, including energy facilities, from cyber attacks prior to leaving for its August recess.