Hoeven filing bill to give states control in regulating well fracking  

U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, a Republican from North Dakota, says he will introduce a bill giving states primary control in regulating hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas wells.

Hoeven made the announcement Sept. 18 in Bismarck with the legislation’s s cosponsor, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, after giving her a two-day tour of western North Dakota’s oil patch.

Murkowski is a ranking member on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The purpose of the tour was to review the technological advances, such as hydraulic fracturing, being used to recover oil and gas from the Bakken petroleum system, commonly referred to as the “Bakken shale,” the source rock for much of the state’s tight sands production.

“The Empower States Act makes clear that America is safer and more secure when it has affordable energy supplies from domestic resources and that domestically produced oil and gas provides good jobs and economic opportunity for our people. The legislation also recognizes that states have a long record of effectively regulating oil and gas development, including hydraulic fracturing, with good environmental stewardship,” Hoeven said.

“Sen. Hoeven’s bill provides for local accountability, local knowledge, and local communication instead of a one-size-fits-all federal approach to regulation,” Murkowski said. “Given the differences in geology and drilling techniques around the country, it makes sense to let the states take the lead on regulating oil and gas development.”

—Petroleum News Bakken