Rule

An appellate court gave the Trump administration one week to decide whether to defend an embattled rule governing hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on public and tribal lands.

President Trump reportedly signed an executive order Tuesday instructing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers to review the Clean Water Rule (CWR), which was designed by the Obama administration to clarify what constitutes Waters of the United States (WOTUS), thereby deserving protection under the Clean Water Act.

President Trump reportedly signed an executive order Tuesday instructing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers to review the Clean Water Rule (CWR), which was designed by the Obama administration to clarify what constitutes Waters of the United States (WOTUS), thereby deserving protection under the Clean Water Act.

A group of Republican House lawmakers from Western states said they plan to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) this week to roll back one — and possibly more — rules enacted during the Obama administration, and that a total of 13 regulations should be targeted.

Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) said House lawmakers plan to invoke the Congressional Review Act (CRA) this week to repeal two rules enacted during the Obama administration, including the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) rules governing flaring and venting of associated natural gas on public and tribal lands.

A federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming on Monday denied a request by several oil/gas producing states for a preliminary injunction against the Obama administration’s venting/flaring rule, which the states allege duplicates and negates state actions already cutting emissions.

The Obama administration will not have an opportunity to defend an embattled rule governing hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on public and tribal lands, after an appellate court postponed oral arguments in the case until March.

California and New Mexico have asked a federal court to allow them to join a lawsuit by three other western states against the Interior Department (DOI) over a final rule to reduce venting and flaring from oil and gas operations on public and tribal lands.

Officials from 24 states opposed to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Clean Power Plan (CPP) have written a letter to the incoming Trump administration, urging it to scuttle the plan shortly after the president-elect takes office next month.