WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today blasted the Department of Interior’s new regulations on hydraulic fracturing on federally-owned lands as a direct attack on American jobs and American energy.
“The Obama administration is at it again. States like Montana have successfully overseen hydraulic fracturing for years, but once again, the Obama administration seems more set on overregulating our energy industry than promoting the responsible development of our nation’s vast energy resources,” Daines stated. “This top-down regulation is duplicative, burdensome and ultimately, a direct attack on American energy production, critical tax revenue for our schools and communities, and thousands of good-paying jobs across the nation. I am also concerned this rule could obstruct American Indians from responsibly developing their natural resources to realize their full potential.”
A member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Daines also announced that he has helped introduce legislation to preserve states’ ability to regulate hydraulic fracturing within their boundaries.
S. 828, the Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands (FRESH) Act, would protect states’ regulatory rights and prohibit any federal regulations from applying to hydraulic fracturing on state or federal lands. Daines joined Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) yesterday in introducing the bill.
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