March 31, 2016
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (“WVDEP”) Division of Air Quality (“DAQ”) recently issued two General Permits regulating air pollution in the oil and gas industry, both of which have been challenged by the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association (“WVONGA”) as exceeding the Agency’s authority. During the public comment process, DAQ dismissed complaints about…
March 31, 2016
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (“WVDEP”) Division of Air Quality (“DAQ”) recently issued two General Permits regulating air pollution in the oil and gas industry, both of which have been challenged by the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association (“WVONGA”) as exceeding the Agency’s authority. During the public comment process, DAQ dismissed complaints about…
November 11, 2015
By letter dated October 29, the Sierra Club served a “Notice of Intent to Sue” on four exploration and production companies claiming that their injection of waste fluids from the oil and gas industries has contributed to earthquakes in Oklahoma and southern Kansas. The NOI cites the so-called “imminent harm” provision of RCRA. That provision authorizes citizens who have suffered…
November 4, 2015
The latest effort by pipeline opponents to slow FERC approvals focuses on the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”). NEPA requires environmental impact statements for “major federal actions” which are determined to “significantly affect the quality of the human environment.” The requirement of FERC approval and the need for other federal permits for pipeline projects triggers NEPA. …
November 3, 2015
Starting in October 2011, the Environmental Integrity Project and other organizations petitioned EPA to add the Oil and Gas Extraction industrial sector to the scope of industrial activity covered by the reporting requirements of Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, commonly known as the “Toxics Release Inventory.” That petition sought to include all sub-sectors…
September 21, 2015
In early June, EPA released its draft report assessing the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas on drinking water resources. The comment period recently ended in late August. EPA’s study was met with general applause from the oil and gas industry as EPA ultimately found that hydraulic fracturing activities have not led to widespread, systematic impacts to drinking water…
May 18, 2015
On May 13, 2015, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (the Department) finally released its Final Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) examining high-volume hydraulic fracturing’s (HVHF) potential significant adverse environmental and public health impacts and possible mitigation measures to eliminate, avoid or reduce those impacts. A copy of the…
March 11, 2015
A federal court in Pennsylvania has ruled that a series of gas compressors used to move gas from wells to larger transmission lines need not be considered a single “source” of air pollution. See Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future v. Ultra Resources, Inc., No. 4: 11-cv-1360. If the eight compressors had been considered a single “source,” then they would likely have been…
March 31, 2016
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (“WVDEP”) Division of Air Quality (“DAQ”) recently issued two General Permits regulating air pollution in the oil and gas industry, both of which have been challenged by the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association (“WVONGA”) as exceeding the Agency’s authority. During the public comment process, DAQ dismissed complaints about…
March 31, 2016
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (“WVDEP”) Division of Air Quality (“DAQ”) recently issued two General Permits regulating air pollution in the oil and gas industry, both of which have been challenged by the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association (“WVONGA”) as exceeding the Agency’s authority. During the public comment process, DAQ dismissed complaints about…
November 11, 2015
By letter dated October 29, the Sierra Club served a “Notice of Intent to Sue” on four exploration and production companies claiming that their injection of waste fluids from the oil and gas industries has contributed to earthquakes in Oklahoma and southern Kansas. The NOI cites the so-called “imminent harm” provision of RCRA. That provision authorizes citizens who have suffered…
November 4, 2015
The latest effort by pipeline opponents to slow FERC approvals focuses on the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”). NEPA requires environmental impact statements for “major federal actions” which are determined to “significantly affect the quality of the human environment.” The requirement of FERC approval and the need for other federal permits for pipeline projects triggers NEPA. …
November 3, 2015
Starting in October 2011, the Environmental Integrity Project and other organizations petitioned EPA to add the Oil and Gas Extraction industrial sector to the scope of industrial activity covered by the reporting requirements of Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, commonly known as the “Toxics Release Inventory.” That petition sought to include all sub-sectors…
September 21, 2015
In early June, EPA released its draft report assessing the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas on drinking water resources. The comment period recently ended in late August. EPA’s study was met with general applause from the oil and gas industry as EPA ultimately found that hydraulic fracturing activities have not led to widespread, systematic impacts to drinking water…
May 18, 2015
On May 13, 2015, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (the Department) finally released its Final Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) examining high-volume hydraulic fracturing’s (HVHF) potential significant adverse environmental and public health impacts and possible mitigation measures to eliminate, avoid or reduce those impacts. A copy of the…
March 11, 2015
A federal court in Pennsylvania has ruled that a series of gas compressors used to move gas from wells to larger transmission lines need not be considered a single “source” of air pollution. See Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future v. Ultra Resources, Inc., No. 4: 11-cv-1360. If the eight compressors had been considered a single “source,” then they would likely have been…
