All Posts from June, 2013
“A very definite conclusion” on oil sands crude and pipelines
The president’s remarks from Tuesday garnered a lot of attention because of their focus on climate change and the Keystone XL pipeline. Let’s hope they don’t overshadow a significant development that emerged the same day: A scientific study that provides strong support for the importance and safety of Keystone XL.
Should we really be speeding up new regulations?
Rather than focusing on how to make government rulemaking faster, the White House would do well to spend time considering the overall burden of new regulations on the economy.
EPA confirms states might be better suited to handle hydraulic fracturing after all
EPA officials probably wouldn’t admit it, but the agency’s action last Thursday would seem to confirm industry’s contention that state and local authorities are better equipped to handle the regulation and monitoring of hydraulic fracturing than the federal government.
Fracking explained and demystified
The nationally syndicated public radio program The Engines of Our Ingenuity is a great show, which is why I was particularly pleased that it recently addressed a topic much in the news these days but one not always well understood by the public: hydraulic fracturing (aka fracking).
White House Dashboard clear: Red tape a problem
Administration officials have stated a commitment to streamlining permitting for big infrastructure projects. But at the same time some of our nation’s most important projects have been stuck in a regulatory holding pattern. As these projects have languished, so have the jobs, economic activity and tax-revenues that would be unleashed if Washington were true to its word.
A funny idea of what “back in business” means
We all know that production of oil and natural gas has soared in the United States over the last few years. But there’s one place where production actually has dropped: on federal lands. A new government report reveals that production from federal lands – including coastal waters – reached a ten-year low in 2012.
