Federal Fracking Rules Comment Period Extended Through Early September -- Election Year Shenanigans

File under "election year shenanigans."

A big "thank you" to a reader for sending me this link. I had missed the story. I'm surprised no one else took me to task for missing this story:

The oil and gas industry is celebrating last week's news that the Interior Department is suspending its proposing rules for hydraulic fracturing on public lands. The better way to view this is as the calm before next year's federal regulatory surge.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar issued the new draft fracking rules in May, elbowing in on turf long occupied by the 50 states. The regulations, covering everything from disclosure of drilling chemicals to well integrity, are redundant. Drillers on federal lands are already subject to state regulations, and there have been no notable scandals or examples of botched oversight. The Environmental Protection Agency has tried to dig up pollution stories, only to have the evidence turn out to be phony or otherwise explainable.

Mr. Salazar has agreed to extend the comment period on the rules for 60 days. The Obama Administration says the delay is proof of its reasonableness, a point it is trying to stress in this election season. Note well, however, that Mr. Salazar isn't offering to kill the rules.

Google it: the story is hard to find. In fact, all Ken Salazar did was extend the comment period until September 10, 2012. Election shenanigans.

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Links to other articles prior to this announcement:

Tribal leaders opposed to federal regulations: Bismarck Tribune

Department of Interior claims authority to regulate fracking: Indianz.com

Federal fracking rules will hurt development of the reservations: BakkenBeacon


Mixed Wyoming reaction to proposed Federal fracking rules: Billings Gazette


Tribes roundly reject proposed Federal fracking rules: MHA Nation


Federal rules would slow Fort Berthold oil development: Oil Patch Dispatch, Forum Communications

NDIC: the state is best able to regulate fracking: a PDF file

I was unable to find any article in which the Native Americans in North Dakota publicly stated support for Federal fracking regulations.