Trump administration to ease Endangered Species Act regulations
Friday, August 16, 2019
Earlier this week the Trump administration announced plans to roll back protections for endangered species, according to Seeking Alpha. The move could expand oil and gas drilling and other development in the United States, as the plan includes allowing economic factors to be weighed in before adding an animal to the list.
The revisions won’t affect the status of species now considered threatened or endangered, but they will restrict how future assessments are made. Critics of the plan say it will limit how much the risks of climate change can be considered and how many species end up listed as threatened and endangered.
The new rule will also end a policy that automatically gave the highest level of protection to species listed as threatened even before they were listed as endangered, and they place more restrictions on which areas can be designated as critical habitat.
Learn more: Seeking Alpha > Interior Department sets plan to ease Endangered Species Act regulations
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.