Posted on 07/03/2017 3:10:07 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
WASHINGTON — Dealing another legal blow to the Trump administration, a federal appeals court ruled on Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency cannot suspend an Obama-era rule to restrict methane emissions from new oil and gas wells.
The 2-to-1 decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is the first major legal setback for Scott Pruitt, the E.P.A. administrator, who is trying to roll back dozens of Obama-era environmental regulations. The ruling signals that President Trump’s plans to erase his predecessor’s environmental record are likely to face an uphill battle in the courts.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The problem is that in some areas, the Bakken for instance, the pipelines aren't there to carry the gas to gas plants that also aren't yet there.
In the fifty years of the (very rural) Bakken area development there had never been enough gas to justify the expense of building far-flung plants and pipelines.
During this last boom there was enough gas and demand to prompt gas line expansion and for some gas plants to start up too.
But now prices are down again, and everybody is operating on a shoestring, and not as much is being done.
This EPA rule is immensely harmful to the industry there, as it makes it very difficult to drill profitably, 'cause you have to move the gas as well as the oil, or pay large fines.
IIRC correctly the U.S. Senate just voted on a bill to ease gas flaring restrictions...it was shepherded by North Dakota's John Hoeven, who is not an imposing or even impressive figure.
Come the vote in the Senate and John McCain jumped the aisle to eff his party and especially Hoeven, North Dakota and the oil industry in general...no doubt in exchange for a fat payoff somewhere.
Hoeven wandered around for a day or two whimpering that he didn't understand...the understatement of the decade.
p.s. I'm not an engineer or and expert. This is my general understanding of the situation. Just yesterday I was talking with a friend who is in the middle of it and he mentioned a couple plants that were started but never came to be.
This is going to have to be resolved soon. We cant do business or have a successful country with our laws being interpreted as the political winds blow.
A country cant be run with the people and business like kittens on a string.
We had better be at a constitutional showdown soon or we will cease to be.
If it is illegal to procedurally undo the regulations, it must have also been illegal procedurally to put them in place?
Again.. how many divisions does that leftist judge have?
They’re already out in the open. It’s those with actual backbones that are hard to spot!
The RNC needs to change its mascot to a pot fill of well boiled linguine.
Imagine if we began impeachment proceedings against these jurists?
The answer is simple, and Obama gave it to us: STOP ENFORCING THE RULE. If it isn’t enforced, it gives time to fight the courts while companies can continue drilling.
JMHo
MASSIVE judicial overreach!
The Trump EPA has the authority to overturn any and all regulations previous Presidents installed. They can’t defy the law such as the clean air act or clean water act, but regulations that Obama’s EPA created from whole cloth can be struck with a stroke of the pen.
The courts have no jurisdiction. Pruitt should tell the court they have no authority to block his regulatory changes and implement them immediately, and let it go to the Supreme Court to rule if a district court can force a government agency to retain old regulations.
This is pure bullcrap.
the courts declare the constitution, unconstitutional..
Thou shalt not be free. So sayeth the Stadt.
Any legal scholars know the correct answer?
Well the demon-RATS are using ‘compliant’ court judges to prevent the dismantling of Obama’s legacy........coupled with ‘obstructing’ everything of Trumps agenda going forward.
It’s their only way because they lost the house and the senate.....Quite possible these judges were set in place to assist Hillary Clinton had she won......she didn’t...so they’re using the only means they have...judges and media giants.
Meanwhile Obama runs around the International stage playing “Shadow President” of the USA while meeting with Nation Leaders on his policies and procedures while stating that America is “Leaderless” (without him).
Seems to be this could be stopped.
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