Wyoming Judge Issues Injunction Against New Federal Fracking Rules -- September 30, 2015

Rigzone/Reuters is reporting:

A Wyoming judge on Wednesday granted a preliminary injunction against the federal government's regulations for hydraulic fracturing on public lands, handing a victory to oil and gas producers who had vehemently opposed the rules.

U.S. District Judge Scott Skavdahl had put the regulations on hold in June as he weighed a request from energy industry groups and four states to stop the rules from being implemented until their lawsuit against the new standards was resolved.

The rules issued by the Interior Department would require companies to provide data on chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and to take steps to prevent leakage from oil and gas wells on federally owned land.

The Independent Petroleum Association of America and the Western Energy Alliance were joined by Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota and Utah in seeking to stop the new rules from taking effect. In his order granting the injunction, Judge Skavdahl ruled that federal agencies' only have authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, when the use of diesel fuel is involved.

I remember talking about this years ago, when I first started blogging, about the issue of diesel and the Clean Water Act. It's been a long time since this was brought up. I can't speak for Wyoming, but it's my understanding diesel is no longer used in North Dakota for fracking.

More at the link.

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Update On TransCanada and Keystone XL

Bloomberg/Rigzone is reporting:

TransCanada Corp. is surrendering to an additional review of the Keystone XL oil pipeline and backing off from conflicts with Nebraska landowners as it struggles to win approval for the project.

Instead of waging court battles to cross privately owned land and trying to avoid a review by Nebraska’s Public Service Commission, TransCanada will withdraw lawsuits and seek approval from the regulator, the Calgary-based company said Tuesday. While that’s a development Keystone XL opponents had sought all along, the move promises to bring certainty to its route through the state, according to TransCanada.

Hope springs eternal.

This is a good explanation of what's going on. Note that the pipeline is now being described as an $8 billion pipeline. I think when this all started it was a $6 billion pipeline.