Washington D.C. - Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today released the following statement in response to new regulations by the Obama administration that would target U.S. natural gas development on public lands.
Chairman Smith: “As Republicans work to increase our nation’s energy potential, the Obama administration continues to do the opposite. We all want to continue safe and responsible production of oil and natural gas. But this administration’s track record on hydraulic fracturing provides cause for concern. A widely publicized handful of fabricated charges that fracking pollutes ground water has led some to question the safety of this practice. Scientific experts and top Obama administration officials have unanimously testified before the House Science Committee that hydraulic fracturing has never contaminated drinking water. States have effectively regulated this technology for years and understand the local conditions and geology far better than any lawyer in Washington ever could. These new regulations are a solution in search of a problem.”