Fracking Study Released

According to a Congressional report released today, companies hired to perform hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") used 32.2 million gallons of diesel alone or in a mixture from 2005 to 2009. Most was injected in Texas, followed by Oklahoma, North Dakota, Louisiana and Wyoming. The year-long investigation, which was led by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and other two other Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, found no evidence that the use of diesel fuel contaminated water supplies. The report did, however, state that the companies appeared to violate the Safe Drinking Water Act because permission was not obtained from state or federal authorities to use the diesel fuel.

Pipeline Fight in Fairmont

Minnesota's Buffalo Lake Energy wants to build a 20-mile pipeline to carry treated water from its ethanol plant near Fairmont to the Blue Earth River for disposal. Environmental groups are opposing the plan, even though company officials at the southwest Minnesota site claim their proposal meets all state standards.

http://mankatofreepress.com/local/x376909854/Pipeline-plan-spurs-water-warfare

Nebraska Legislature May Act on Keystone

In view of the level of opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline in Nebraska, it's not unlikely the matter will brought up in the upcoming state legislative session that begins next week, according to an article in today's Sioux City Journal. Among the issues lawmakers could consider, according to the Journal article, are measures to protect landowners in the event of an oil spill and rules that  require pipeline companies to remove pipes from the ground rather than abandoning them. The article also suggested the Legislature may also consider tightening laws governing eminent domain, which TransCanada has said they may use to obtain the land easements required for the project. Read more...