Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) released the following statement regarding the Department of the Interior's (DOI) updated draft rule for hydraulic fracturing of oil and natural gas wells on federally managed lands by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM):
"Hydraulic fracturing has delivered good jobs for workers, affordable energy for families and increased revenue for our communities.
"When millions of Americans continue to look for work and state and local governments struggle to balance their books, Washington should support responsible hydraulic fracturing. My home state of Wyoming is a great example of how to support the oil and natural gas industry and our environment. States across the West are also striking the right balance between development and conservation.
"Over the next week we will take a hard look at the Department of Interior's plan. What we can't afford DOI to do is ignore the regulations that are working in states like Wyoming. Simply forging ahead with new regulations that add layers and layers of more federal rules that duplicate or go well beyond what states have already successfully done risks stifling jobs and state revenues. I look forward to discussing the proposed rule in detail with the Secretary and her team in the near future."