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Federal fracking rule criticized by states, industry

The federal rule on hydraulic fracturing proposed by the Bureau of Land Management came under fire today from state and industry representatives at an energy law conference. The regulations establish nationwide standards for cementing wells and disclosure of chemicals used in fracking fluids.

Wyoming already has regulations in place for fracking and industry representatives say a federal rule would kowtow to environmental groups, infringe on states’ ability to control their water supply, and wear away states’ rights.

Policy director of the Western Governors’ Association, Holly Propst, says Western governors agree that states should retain regulatory control.   

“State authority and state expertise in hydraulic fracturing, as in many of these regulatory matters need to be respected, understood, and then integrated as the federal government looks on what their responsibility is and how to handle regulatory issues within the region,” Propst says.  

But BLM’s Michael Madrid says the rule came from citizen concerns.

“One thing we heard was a concern that you would have 50 different rules out there and that maybe the feds could step in and try to develop one rule,” says Madrid.

The BLM has received over 1 million comments on its proposed rule and is currently analyzing feedback.

Irina Zhorov is a reporter for Wyoming Public Radio. She earned her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MFA from the University of Wyoming. In between, she worked as a photographer and writer for Philadelphia-area and national publications. Her professional interests revolve around environmental and energy reporting and she's reported on mining issues from Wyoming, Mexico, and Bolivia. She's been supported by the Dick and Lynn Cheney Grant for International Study, the Eleanor K. Kambouris Grant, and the Social Justice Research Center Research Grant for her work on Bolivian mining and Uzbek alpinism. Her work has appeared on Voice of America, National Native News, and in Indian Country Today, among other publications.
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