Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Hydraulic Fracturing Legislation

The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold a legislative hearing on Thursday, July 25th on H.R. 2728, the Protecting States' Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act. This bipartisan bill, introduced today by Representative Bill Flores (TX-17), would protect state rights, American jobs and American energy production by limiting the Obama Administration's ability to impose duplicative federal regulations on hydraulic fracturing on federal lands.

Earlier this year, the Department of the Interior unveiled proposed federal hydraulic fracturing regulations that add duplicative, costly, and unnecessary layers of red tape. This bill recognizes that states have successfully regulated hydraulic fracturing for decades and know better than the federal government how to both serve and protect the unique interests of their state. H.R. 2728 prohibits the Interior Department from enforcing federal hydraulic fracturing regulations in any state that already has regulations and recognizes states' longstanding authority to regulate this type of activity.

"The oil and natural gas industry is vital to our economy and to the goal of American energy security. New technologies and improved hydraulic fracturing are integral tools to support a robust supply of domestic energy," said Rep. Flores. "Recent statistics have shown that oil and natural gas activities have decreased significantly on federal lands compared to activity levels on state and private lands across the nation. Burdensome and duplicative federal regulations are largely responsible for this inhibited activity. Our states have a long and successful track record of regulating oil and natural gas operations including hydraulic fracturing, well construction, and management of produced water. H.R. 2728 recognizes the effectiveness of state regulations by halting overreaching federal involvement in hydraulic fracturing operations. It also recognizes Constitutionally protected states' rights by continuing to let states effectively regulate themselves through a proven system that is working."

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