If ever there was proof that Democrats hate the fracking boom, this article provide that proof:
Still, conservatives and centrist Democrats will be watching for several regulations the Obama administration is expected to propose this year so that they are finished before the president leaves office.
The first would be Interior Department rules on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, that they call duplicative. “That will end up in legal challenge, but there may be legislative action or oversight there as well,” said Matt Kellogg, manager of government affairs at the Independent Petroleum Association of America.
It isn’t just the EPA that wants to abolish fracking:
The state of New York is officially moving toward a fracking ban.
After presenting the findings of an exhaustive five-year study on the potential environmental, economic, and public health effects of fracking, state Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner Joseph Marten said he would issue a “legally binding findings statement” seeking prohibition of the controversial process.
Fracking is the process of injecting high-pressure volumes of water, sand, and chemicals underground to crack shale rock and let gas flow out more easily.
DFL legislators in Minnesota tried imposing a moratorium on frack sand mining. During the debate on the House floor, one DFL legislator said that imposing the moratorium might stop oil production on the Bakken. That’s a silly statement but it’s a perfect illustration of the DFL’s opposition to fracking.
What’s ridiculous is that Democrats support the EPA’s rules that oppose fracking, then praise President Obama for increasing oil production. It’s the environmental equivalent of John Kerry saying that he voted to fund the Iraq War before he voted against it.
Let’s simplify things. First, it’s undeniable that Democrats support EPA regulations that would restrict oil production. Next, it’s verifiable that Democrats still want to take credit for the increase in oil production because cheap gas prices are popular politically.
My understanding is that the NY fracking ban has passed, and environmentalist wackos are thrilled while driving off in their SUVs. It is also my understanding that there is zero evidence of contamination of ground water by fracking. Even more interesting is that there is another oil boom coming, needing only enough CO2 (to inject into the ground) from coal burning to make it profitable. Let’s see which way the wackos go on THAT one. :->
Oil frack drilling is now allowed in Illinois. IL is the only Democratic-controlled state to approve of frack drilling:
http://phys.org/news/2014-11-fracking-illinois.html