February 3, 2017 archive

House Approves Rejection of “Midnight Methane” Emissions Rule by BLM

The U.S. House voted Friday overwhelmingly to block the eleventh-hour move by the Obama administration and its Bureau of Land Management methane emissions rule. It’s a rule that some, including Oklahoma Congressman Jim Bridenstine consider “overreaching and duplicative.” The House passed H.J. Res. 36 to block the bill on a 221-191 vote. “The Obama era …

Continue reading »

EPA Urges State Regulators to do More to Prevent Stronger Earthquakes Caused by Wastewater Injection Wells

Despite numerous steps to reduce operations of wastewater injection wells that are suspected of causing Oklahoma’s rash of strong earthquakes, the Environmental Protection Agency thinks the state is not doing enough. The EPA recently told Corporation Commissioners they should do more to protect Oklahomans and their drinking water from strong earthquakes caused by the injection …

Continue reading »

Permian Basin is Home to Nearly Half of All Oil and Gas Drilling in U.S.

All you have to do is look at the weekly oil and gas rig reports to know that nearly half of all the drilling in the U.S. in the past year has been in the Permian Basin in west Texas and southeast New Mexico. That’s why the U.S. Energy Information Administration calls the Permian shale …

Continue reading »

Sen. Lankford Says Scott Pruitt Won’t be ‘Creative’ with EPA Laws Like Environmentalists Want

Oklahoma U.S. Sen. James Lankford is making a case to other U.S. Senators that they should vote to confirm Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to be the Administrator of the EPA. In a Friday-morning speech on the Senate floor, the Republican Senator noted how Pruitt’s been “beaten up” lately by environmental groups and opponents. But …

Continue reading »

OKOGA and OIPA Support Pruitt’s Confirmation as New EPA Administrator

Two of Oklahoma’s energy associations released individual statements praising the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee confirmation of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. “The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee made the right step to end the grandstanding by a minority of its committee members and move …

Continue reading »

Inhofe Votes to Overturn Obama Administration’s Stream Protection Rule

Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe voted Thursday in favor of a H. J. Res 38, a Congressional Review Act Resolution of Disapproval to overturn the Stream Protection Rule issued by the U.S. Department of Interior. The Resolution passed the Senate by a final vote of 54-45. “Despite its title, the stream protection rule would hurt our …

Continue reading »