Secretary

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee on Tuesday disagreed about the significance of declining oil and gas production on federal lands during a hearing on the department’s proposed 2013 budget.

Compressed natural gas offers the best opportunity for a majority of the nation’s drivers to be weaned off of gasoline as their primary transportation fuel, Energy Secretary Steven Chu told a House subcommittee Tuesday.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is slowing the permitting process for oil and gas projects that disturb significant amounts of land.

The potential negative impacts of exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) could be significant and far-reaching, according to a letter sent to Energy Secretary Steven Chu last week by Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee.

The potential negative impacts of exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) could be significant and far-reaching, according to a letter sent to Energy Secretary Steven Chu Wednesday by Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee.

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead and U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar Friday announced an agreed upon effort to develop and implement a land conservation strategy aimed at protecting the sage grouse and future opportunities for a robust economy throughout the West.

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead and U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar Friday announced an agreed upon effort to develop and implement a land conservation strategy aimed at protecting the sage grouse and future opportunities for a robust economy throughout the West.

As part of Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s national pipeline safety initiative, the department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has announced that it will begin taking comments from the public on whether it should expand the use of excess flow valves beyond single-family homes and into larger residential and commercial areas. An excess flow valve is a device designed to limit the impact of a potential leak or explosion by restricting the flow of natural gas if a line is broken or damaged. The comment period ends 60 days after publication of the notice in the Federal Register. The notice can be viewed at http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2011-30330_PI.pdf.

A coalition of environmental groups has called on the Obama administration to issue an executive order directing the government to adopt as soon as possible the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) subcommittee on shale gas production’s recommendations that apply to federal agencies.