Maryland’s proposed hydraulic fracturing regulations would harm jobs, investment and economic growth
ANNAPOLIS, Md., December 19, 2016 – Executive Director of the Maryland Petroleum Council (MPC) Drew Cobbs said today that, if passed, Maryland’s proposed hydraulic fracturing regulations would be the most restrictive in the United States and would harm jobs, investment and economic growth.
“We are an industry that has a proven record of providing environmental and economic benefits,” said Cobbs. “As written, a number of the proposed regulations are overly restrictive and would undermine our proven track record on safety proven through the development of millions of wells. We need policies that protect jobs and investment in Western Maryland, and these new regulations would take us in the wrong direction.”
Areas of concern among the proposed regulations released by the Maryland Department of the Environment include: numerous setback requirements – many going further than neighboring states with prominent production; excessive requirements for well construction and additional layers of casing beyond best practices; putting numerous areas surrounding watersheds in far Western Maryland completely off limits.
“The industry is committed to safety and solid well construction, and the industry is committed to transparency in reporting the chemicals we use,” said Cobbs. “That commitment, combined with technological innovations in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has made the United States the world’s leader in the production of oil and natural gas while also making our nation the global leader in reducing carbon emissions. Consumers are saving in energy costs and the environment is improving. These are not mutually exclusive propositions.”
As Maryland’s natural gas use has increased since 2006, air pollution from electric utilities has declined, and ozone emissions such as nitrogen oxides are down more than 78 percent, according to EPA data. The Maryland Commission on Climate Change (MCCC) states that “for the first time in more than three decades, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that the Baltimore Metro area is meeting the health-based federal standard for ground-level ozone.”
The results of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have created opportunities for affordable and abundant domestic energy, with the technology leading the U.S. to become the world’s largest producer of natural gas. According to the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Energy Information Administration, our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions are at 20-year lows, and this is a direct result of the use of natural gas produced by hydraulic fracturing.
The MPC is a division of API, which represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Its more than 625 members produce, process, and distribute most of the nation’s energy. The industry also supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy.