TX: EPA drops order against Range Resources in Parker County case [EPA loses AGAIN]

Dallas Business Journal ^ | March 30, 2012 | Matt Joyce

[upchuck]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has withdrawn an administrative order it filed against Fort Worth-based Range Resources over water contamination in Parker County.

The EPA filed the “imminent and substantial endangerment order” in December 2010 and said Range’s drilling in Parker County had caused or contributed to the contamination of at least two residential drinking water wells.

The agency ordered Range to stop the contamination, provide drinking water to the two residences and provide methane gas monitors to the homeowners, among other measures.

Range’s challenge against the order was pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit when the EPA withdrew the order on Thursday, according to documents filed Friday in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Texas.

“Today the EPA finally made a decision based on science and fact versus playing politics with the Texas economy," Commissioner David Porter said.

"Resolving the lawsuits with Range allows EPA to shift the agency's focus in this particular case away from litigation and toward a joint effort on the science and safety of energy extraction," the EPA said in a prepared statement. "EPA and Range will share scientific data and conduct further well monitoring in the area, and Range will also provide useful information and access to EPA in support of EPA's scientific inquiry into the potential impacts of energy extraction on drinking water."

[upchuck]

Gotta love the EPA mega-spin in that last paragraph.

[Timber Rattler]

“Today the EPA finally made a decision based on science and fact versus playing politics with the Texas economy," Commissioner David Porter said.

Heh..EPA actually made the decision based on the recent spankings it got from SCOTUS and two other federal courts this past month.

[AtlasStalled]

We can thank Richard Nixon for the EPA (and the DEA) as well as the expanded power of federal agencies generally which allows them to engage in rule making with very few checks on their power. Nixon was the ultimate RINO.

[X-spurt]

You just gotta know this is closely related to election season. EPA is recognized as a major avenue for the lib socalists to attack capatilism, no different than any subversive effort “for the chillwren”.

So now we begin to see a kinder gentler EPA, until AFTER the election, then it’ll be double down on us all.