U.S. House of Representatives Passes Bill Limiting Federal Regulations on Hydraulic Fracturing
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill prohibiting the Interior Department from enforcing regulations on hydraulic fracturing in any state that already has regulations in place. The bill recognizes the states’ authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing within their borders and was passed in reaction to recent federal regulations that have been proposed to regulate hydraulic fracturing. The House bill would not prevent the federal government from implementing baseline standards in states where none exist. However, under the legislation federal regulations would not be permitted to supersede the applicable states’ laws.