Regulation of shale gas drilling should be done on a state rather than a federal level, Dr. Stephen Holditch, an energy expert, said at a scientific conference Friday.
Development of the necessary rules and regulations to oversee the shale gas boom is a job better left to state and local governments, said Holditch, a professor at the Texas A&M Energy Engineering Institute, speaking at the Academy of Medicine, Engineering & Science of Texas conference.
Holditch was the 2011 president of the academy, and presented findings from a 2011 Texas Energy Summit held in April 2011.
“We made it clear that there has to be regulation,” Holditch said. “We have to have rules and regulations on how to oversee the natural gas industry, but this should be done at the state level, not at the federal level.”
Shale gas regulatory issues include the impact of drilling on drinking water aquifers, air emissions, truck traffic and the local population.
Developing appropriate regulations to oversee shale gas reservoirs is one of the greatest energy challenges facing Texas, Holditch said.
Holditch also identified water supply and air emissions as the two most pressing issues related to natural gas drilling. “If we are going to burn natural gas, we have got to come up with a better way to eliminate some of the issues with air emissions,” Holditch said.
Oh yeah, the TCEQ is a real watchdog. Typical industry ho. And I strongly favor oil field development. People like this doofus need to go around with a sign on their chest saying their diploma is for rent.