Lawsuit claims California not enforcing state fracking rules
Washington (Platts)--24Jan2013/516 pm EST/2216 GMT
The Center for Biological Diversity alleged Thursday in a lawsuit
that the California Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources has
allowed hydraulic fracturing to expand without legally required
oversight.
"A looming fracking boom threatens to transform California, creating
serious pollution risks to our air, water and climate," Vera Pardee, the
senior attorney for the center, said in a statement. "Existing rules
clearly cover fracking, but state officials don't regulate or even track
this dangerous way of extracting oil and gas. The state needs to stop
ignoring the law and start protecting our environment."
In a suit filed with the Alameda County Superior Court, the center
claimed more than 600 wells in at least nine California counties were
fracked in 2011 alone, and recent advances in fracking techniques are
driving a growing interest in the Monterey Shale, a geological formation
holding an estimated 14 billion barrels of oil.
"At present, industry fracks whenever and however it deems fit, and that
practice has to stop," Pardee said. "State regulators must implement the
requirements that are already in place to provide better protection for
the air we breathe and the water we drink."
The center alleged that all hydraulic fracturing is in violation of the
state's Underground Injection Control program.
The center also claimed that the division allows fracking "to occur
without notice, tracking or supervision" and the agency "does not know
where or how often hydraulic fracturing occurs in California" or what
chemicals are used in the process.
The division did not return calls requesting comment on the suit.
--Rodney White, rodney_white@platts.com --Edited by Lisa Miller,
lisa_miller@platts.com
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