Recent Articles

EPA Testing Shows Water in Dimock is Safe

Keith B. Hall
March 19, 2012 20:21

The EPA has announced that its testing shows that water sampled from 11 homes in Dimock, Pennsylvania is safe.  The EPA agreed to perform the tests at the requests of residents who complained about their water quality and expressed concern that oil and gas activity, including...

Ohio Officials Say Injection Disposal Well Caused Earthquakes

Keith B. Hall
March 13, 2012 19:49

A few days ago, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued a preliminary report concluding that the operation of an injection disposal well caused a series of earthquakes that occurred near Youngstown, Ohio in late 2011.  Ohio officials ordered that the injection well at issue, the...

Energy Intensity and Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Keith B. Hall
March 05, 2012 16:41

Many people are concerned about climate change, as well as emissions of carbon dioxide, which are believed to drive climate change, and energy use, which is primary source of carbon dioxide emissions.  So, how is the U.S. doing on controlling carbon dioxide emissions and energy...

New York Court Upholds Town of Middlefield Ban on Hydraulic Fracturing and other Oil and Gas Activity

Keith B. Hall
February 27, 2012 22:58

On Friday, February 24, a New York court upheld a Town of Middlefield zoning ordinance that bans all oil and gas activity, including hydraulic fracturing, throughout the Town's jurisdiction.  The ruling was the second in four days upholding such a ban, as it followed a...

New York Court Rules Town of Dryden Ban on Oil and Gas Activity is Not Preempted by State Law

Keith B. Hall
February 23, 2012 01:26

A trial court in New York ruled yesterday that the Town of Dryden's ban on oil and gas activity is not preempted by state law.  The case turned on interpretation of ECL §  23-0303, a section of New York's state statutes governing oil and gas activity.  Section 23-0303...

Energy Information Administration Projects that U.S. Will Become Net Exporter of Natural Gas By 2021

Keith B. Hall
February 21, 2012 00:29

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that the United States will become a net exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by the year 2016 and a pipeline exporter of natural gas by 2025.  When both LNG and pipeline shipments are considered, the EIA projects that the U.S. will...

New Report Finds that Hydraulic Fracturing Itself Poses Little Risk to Groundwater

Keith B. Hall
February 17, 2012 22:06

The University of Texas Energy Institute released a report on hydraulic fracturing yesterday at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  The report concludes that there have been no confirmed cases of groundwater contamination caused by the hydraulic...

Energy Information Administration Projects Increased U.S. Crude Oil Production, Decreased Imports

Keith B. Hall
February 13, 2012 19:02

The Energy Information Administration reports that production of crude oil within the United States has risen during the last few years, increasing from 5.1 million barrels per day in 2007 to 5.5 million barrels per day in 2010.  This increases reverses a decline that began in...

National Ground Water Association Issues Position Paper on Hydraulic Fracturing

Keith B. Hall
February 06, 2012 23:42

The National Ground Water Association (NGWA), a nonprofit group of groundwater professionals, recently issued a statement announcing that it has produced a position paper on hydraulic fracturing.  The position paper calls for further research regarding hydraulic...

Eagle Ford Task Force Concludes Carrizo Wilcox Aquifer Has Sufficient Water for Both Hydraulic Fracturing and Other Uses

Keith B. Hall
January 31, 2012 22:32

A 26-member Eagle Ford Task Force appointed by Texas Railroad Commissioner David Porter has concluded that the Carrizo Wilcox Aquifer in South Texas contains enough water to support oil and gas activities, including hydraulic fracturing, in addition to supporting other uses.  The Task Force...