Action Alert Regarding: DEP Horizontal Well Control Act Rule

West Virginia Environmental Council Action Alert
April 4, 2013

Regarding:  DEP Horizontal Well Control Act Rule

PLEASE CONTACT MEMBERS OF HOUSE JUDICIARY TODAY.  The DEP RULE Bundle (SB 243) may be on the agenda this Friday or Monday.  The “Halliburton” amendment adopted by the Senate Energy, Industry & Mining (EIM) Committee weakens the “trade secrets” provisions proposed in the original rule.

Ask House Judiciary Committee members to protect the public by removing the “Halliburton” / EIM amendment from the rule.

(House Judiciary contact information below.)

Background:  The proposed rule, approved by the Rulemaking Review Committee, required the driller or its contractor to disclose to the DEP all of the additives and all of the chemicals in each additive, plus the concentrations of the chemicals in the additives and in the finally mixed hydraulic fracturing fluid.

The amendment adopted by EIM allows operators and their service providers to keep not only the concentrations of additives secret, but also the identity of specific chemicals in those additives.

The amendment also requires health care providers to sign confidentiality agreements and provide a written statement of need in order to obtain information about the identity or concentration of a chemical designated as a confidential trade secret.

These changes are NOT PROTECTIVE OF HUMAN HEALTH OR THE ENVIRONMENT!

Ask members of House Judiciary Committee to return the Rule to its original version.

House Judiciary Committee:

Tim Miley, Chair – (304) 340-3252 – tim.miley@wvhouse.gov
Tim Manchin, Vice Chair – (304) 340-3392 – tmanchin@manchininjurylaw.com
John Ellem (R-Wood), Minority Chair – (304) 340-3394 – john.ellem@wvhouse.gov
Patrick Lane (R-Kanawha), Minority Vice Chair – (304) 340-3275 – Patrick.lane@wvhouse.gov
Michael Ferro (D-Marshall) – (304) 340-3111 – mike.ferro@wvhouse.gov
Barbara Fleischauer (D-Monongalia) – (304) 340-3169 – barbaraf@wvhouse.gov
Cindy Frich (R-Monongalia) – (304) 340-3125 – cindy.frich@wvhouse.gov
Eric Householder (R-Berkeley) – (304) 340-3274 – eric.householder@wvhouse.gov
Bill Hamilton (R-Upshur) – (304) 340-3167 – bill.hamilton@wvhouse.gov
Mark Hunt (D-Kanawha) – (304) 340-3366 – mhunt@markahunt.com
Lynwood “Woody” Ireland (R-Ritchie) – (304) 340-3195 – woody.ireland@wvhouse.gov
Linda Longstreth (D-Marion) – (304) 340-3124 – linda.longstreth@wvhouse.gov
Mike Manypenny (D-Taylor) – (304) 340-3139 – mike.manypenny@wvhouse.gov
Justin J. Marcum (D-Mingo) – (304) 340-3126 – justin.marcum@wvhouse.gov
John McCuskey (R-Kanawha) – (304) 340-3183 – john.mccuskey@wvhouse.gov
Clif Moore (D-McDowell) – (304) 340-3189 – clif.moore@wvhouse.gov
John O’Neal IV (R-Raleigh) – (304) 340-3164 – john.oneal@wvhouse.gov
John Overington (R-Berkeley) – (304) 340-3148 – john@overington.com
John Pino (D-Fayette) – (304) 340-3170 – john.pino@wvhouse.gov
Meshea L. Poore (D-Kanawha) – (304) 340-3106 – meshea.poore@wvhouse.gov
John Shott (R-Mercer) – (304) 340-3187 – john.shott@wvhouse.gov
Stephen Skinner (D-Jefferson) – (304) 340-3248 – Stephen.skinner@wvhouse.gov
Kelli Sobonya (R-Cabell) – (304) 340-3175 – kelli.sobonya@wvhouse.gov
Isaac Sponaugle (D-Pendleton) – (304) 340-3154 – Isaac.sponaugle@wvhouse.gov
Danny Wells (D-Kanawha) – (304) 340-3287 – danny.wells@wvhouse.gov