Dont be fooled

[Dr. Gonzo]

I believe the point is that there were plenty of opportunities up until as recent as 2005 to regulate hydraulic fracturing within the scope of the safe drinking water act. For instance they could have added that hydraulic fracturing constitutes a serious impairment to safe drinking water and thus would be regulated under the following terms X,Y, and Z. As to the question of why it wasnt specifically regulated well thats a different argument entirely.

Mac, just so you know, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 specifically exempts fracking from the SDWA. Normally the SDWA regulates any "underground injection" in order to protect against contamination of underground drinking water sources such as aquifers.

The Energy Policy Act amends the definitions section of the SDWA so that the term "underground injection" does not include anything related to oil and gas exploration. So the issue is not that Congress decided not to bring the process under the Act's regulations but rather that Congress opted to take it out from under the regulatory scheme.

 

[AKSkim]

maybe we should put a drilling platform on your block see how u like it

Don't laugh but they maybe drilling wells some day in Brooklyn.

Greenpoint.

 

[MACFLY]

Mac, just so you know, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 specifically exempts fracking from the SDWA. Normally the SDWA regulates any "underground injection" in order to protect against contamination of underground drinking water sources such as aquifers.

The Energy Policy Act amends the definitions section of the SDWA so that the term "underground injection" does not include anything related to oil and gas exploration. So the issue is not that Congress decided not to bring the process under the Act's regulations but rather that Congress opted to take it out from under the regulatory scheme.

Happy New Year Doc

Yep I am aware of that. The comment was based on whether or not it Fracking was regulated and Kilgour mentioned it was not although Congress had the opportunity to do so on many occasions. Im sure the energy company lobby in 2005 had a lot do with that. Now if the question is should it be regulated...of course it should be. However regulation should be pragmatic. Banning drilling outright flies in the face of the larger issue of where we are going to get a clean sustainable energy source.

 

[MACFLY]

Mac, just so you know, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 specifically exempts fracking from the SDWA. Normally the SDWA regulates any "underground injection" in order to protect against contamination of underground drinking water sources such as aquifers.

The Energy Policy Act amends the definitions section of the SDWA so that the term "underground injection" does not include anything related to oil and gas exploration. So the issue is not that Congress decided not to bring the process under the Act's regulations but rather that Congress opted to take it out from under the regulatory scheme.

Doc just to further clarify the point. 2005 wasnt the first time that Congress could have chosen to regulate the process. As noted hydraulic fracturing has been in play for quite some time. BTW under full disclosure i dont stand to make a penny from drilling. I dont own any property that could be leased and I dont have any friends or relatives that own property that could be leased. I am mostly interested in a pragmatic solution. As my previous post noted drilling should be regulated but certainly not outright banned. Congress could tomorrow authorize money to develop more earth friendly drilling mechanisms or it could be part of a more realistic new energy act rather than what is making its way thru congress now. There are already companies converting to safer chemicals so its not like its technically impossible to do it.

From folks that want to outright ban drilling I ask the question what will take its place..The silence is deafening

 

[jlajoie]

Don't laugh but they maybe drilling wells some day in Brooklyn.

Greenpoint.

Lord knows there is enough spilled diesel fuel there, that you probably could pump it out of the ground!

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

you probably could pump it out of the ground!

Ask Exxon/Mobil they've been doing it off and on since 1978. Estimates on the size of the Greenpoint oil spill range from 17 million gallons to 30 million gallons according to a recent EPA estimate. I'm pretty sure it was the US Coast Guard that discovered in back in the 1970's.