Author's posts
Quapaw Tribal Chief Calls EPA Rules “heavy legal burden”
A U.S. Senate subcommittee exploring the impact of unfunded mandates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was told this week by the chief of Oklahoma’s Quapaw tribe the mandates are a heavy legal burden. John Berrey testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management and Regulatory Oversight. “We have a …
Texas Railroad Commission Votes to Fight EPA’s Methane Emission Rules
The State of Texas is about to legally challenge the methane gas emission rules handed down recently by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Texas Railroad Commission voted this week to ask Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to file a Petition for Review. “These rules are just another assault from the Obama administration in its war …
Summit to Feature Legal Ramifications of Unmanned Aerial Systems
August is when the 2016 Oklahoma Unmanned Aerial Systems Summit will be held at the National Weather Service in Norman. The 6th annual statewide summit is sponsored by the Unmanned Systems Alliance of Oklahoma, or USA-OK. The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission plans a presentation addressing legal and public policy issues of Unmanned Aircraft Systems on the evening …
Inhofe Says Toxic Reform Act is Example of What Congress Can Do
Oklahoma U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe says the chemical safety bill approved by the Senate and sent to the President to be signed into law is an historic piece of environmental regulatory reform. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act awaits the President’s signature after the Senate approved it Tuesday with a …
Despite Protests, Iowa Approves Bakken Oil Pipeline
The Iowa Utilities Board voted this week to give the green light for a subsidiary of Dallas-based Energy transfer Partners to begin work in the state as part of a nearly $4 billion pipeline to carry Bakken oil from North Dakota to Illinois. The vote was 2-1 on the three member board in favor …
Protesters Attempt to Block Natural Gas Pipeline Construction
Developers of a natural gas pipeline in Vermont say the protest that resulted in the arrests of five people this week didn’t impact their work plans. Dozens protested in Williston at the site where Vermont Gas is building an extension of the transmission network 41 miles from Colchester to Middlebury. One woman locked herself to …
Seventy Seven Energy Files Pre-Packaged Chapter 11 Plan
Oklahoma City-based Seventy Seven Energy Inc. announced it has filed a pre-packaged plan for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. In doing so, the company said the plan provides for a substantial deleveraging transaction pursuant to which nearly $1.1 billion of the company’s outstanding debt will be converted to …
Gary England Bridge Proclaimed Near Seiling by Governor Mary Fallin
With the stroke of her pen, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed a bill into law on Monday proclaiming a bridge over the North Canadian River near Seiling to be the “Meteorologist Gary England Bridge.” The bridge spans the river on U.S. Highway 60 north of the hometown of England who later went on to …
Tax Rebate Program for At-Risk Oil Wells Cut with Governor’s Signature
The measure cutting Oklahoma’s tax credit for at-risk oil wells to $12,500,000 a year was signed into law Monday by Gov. Mary Fallin. Senate Bill 1577 was sent to her last week after the legislature debated its merits. The cost-cutting move came after experts decided that falling energy prices might increase the credit to …
Enid Considering Sales Tax to Finance Kaw Lake Water Pipeline
The city of Enid is considering a possible election to allow voters to decide on a sales tax hike to fund a Kaw Lake water pipeline project. City Commissioners might ask voters to create a new 1/4 percent tax to pick up where a quarter percent tax funding capital improvements will end in March 2018. …