Who should monitor oil and natural gas companies?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is dispatching investigators to Pennsylvania to identify the source of water contamination some think may be tied to natural gas exploration in the state’s Marcellus Shale, The Associated Press reports.

Some Pennsylvania officials are upset with EPA’s move into the state, insisting regulators there can adequately monitor oil and natural gas activity.

Residents, understandably, just want to know what is causing the contamination, but the jurisdictional debate is ongoing in a number of states, including Texas and Wyoming.

The industry is concerned a new wave of federal regulations could stifle domestic oil and gas development, as voiced last week by American Petroleum Institute Vice President for Regulatory and Economic Policy Kyle Isakower.

“We’re concerned that there are now 10 separate federal government agencies looking to study and potentially add new and unnecessary layers of regulations on hydraulic fracturing, the technology on which 70 percent of future gas wells depend. More regulation could increase costs and delays for operators, which could harm new projects, sacrificing thousands of new jobs and depriving government of billions in revenue.”

Who do you think should be charged with making sure oil and gas operations do not harm the environment? Do you trust regulators in your state or do you want the federal government more involved?

 

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