How is fracking regulated in the United States?

EPA does have authority to limit emissions of some pollutants released during the fracking process and issued new rules in 2012 to limit emissions of some air pollutants from fracking. Leasing of federal lands for oil and gas production is controlled by these statutes, which govern all uses of federal lands.

What is the fracking law?

The bill prohibits federal agencies from issuing permits for the expansion of fracking or fracked oil and natural gas infrastructure, including infrastructure intended to extract, transport, or burn natural gas or oil.

What is fracking in America?

Fracking is a proven drilling technology used for extracting oil, natural gas, geothermal energy, or water from deep underground. Fracking has been safely used in the United States since 1947.

Does the government regulate fracking?

The Interior Department has proposed standards for well integrity and public disclosure on federal lands, but state and private lands, where most fracking occurs, are exempted by Congress. The Environmental Protection Agency can regulate air and water pollution from drilling sites, but not the drilling process.

Why is fracking important to the United States?

Fracking is essential for the production of natural gas and oil from shale formations, and with advances in fracking technology, it is becoming easier and more accessible to access natural gas.

Why is fracking exempt from Clean Water Act?

The EPA and industry long maintained that fracking did not need federal oversight under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The EPA used the law to protect groundwater from other industrial activities, such as disposal of oilfield wastewater as part its Underground Injection Control (UIC) program.

Who controls fracking?

EPA regulates the injection of fluids underground through the Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program. In 2005, the Energy Policy Act amended SDWA to specifically exempt hydraulic fracturing from the UIC program, except in instances where diesel fuel is injected as part of the hydraulic fracturing.

How many jobs would be lost if fracking is banned?

New Energy Institute Report Finds that U.S. Could Lose Nearly 15 Million Jobs If Hydraulic Fracturing is Banned | Global Energy Institute.