“The states are not only capable, but the most appropriate.”
Energywire reports:
Republican senators yesterday introduced legislation that would give states the sole power to regulate hydraulic fracturing within their boundaries in an attempt to circumvent any new rules the Obama administration might try to impose on the practice.
Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, the ranking Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, introduced the “Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act”…
They should create a national industry standards and practices association (probably already exists). This organization would create templates for states to use in creating their own regulations and guidelines. The templates could be based on each geologic type found.
Geology is local. Regulations that may apply in one geologic setting may be entirely inappropriate for a geologic setting elsewhere in the country. The Feds would try a one size fits all approach that would be a disaster much as anything regulated by the Fed is a disaster.
Keep it local and state, with as much input from experts on the geology for that area. The process needs to be open and transparent , the public needs to be informed and the companies doing the drilling need to be responsible for their actions.
If professional rule-makers in DC are incompetent to regulate fracking, it is certain that the comparative amateurs at the state level are even less competent. Fracking is a specialized industrial process, and should be regulated by a not-for-profit panel comprised of experts *formerly* associated with companies in the industry, much as many other industries regulate themselves for their own best interests in the long term. Organizations such as the ACGIH, IEEE, ANSI, ACS, and others are exemplary models.