Natural Gas Industry Proposal
HB 464
This bill, proposed by the oil and gas industry, confuses rather than clarifies the issue of local control and allows additional chemicals to be injected into the ground.
Unfortunately, the Idaho Petroleum Council—the lobbying group formed to represent the oil and gas industry in Idaho—has proposed a bill that will confuse rather than clarify the issue of local control in regulating this industry.
Counties in Idaho, such as Washington County, are in the process of passing ordinances regarding oil and natural gas exploration. This has sparked a debate over who should be regulating the industry in Idaho. Typically, the state sets some basic regulations and, under the Land Use Planning Act, local governments have control over issues such as siting and public safety. But, because commercially viable gas was found only recently, Idaho has virtually no regulations in place.
The proposed bill claims to clarify the role of local governments in overseeing the oil and gas industry, but it actually casts more doubt over what local governments can regulate. This bill creates enough confusion that litigation is the likely outcome.
Also creating confusion, this bill seems to allow the industry to use injection wells for oil and gas production. This activity is currently prohibited, meaning that this bill clears the way for more hazardous chemicals to make their way into the ground—potentially endangering drinking water.
As we have said many times, we believe natural gas production can be done in a way that protects water and community health, but the path the industry is proposing puts Idahoans at risk.
