LEAN says fracking regulations won’t hurt industry

In the latest debate on hydraulic fracturing, the Obama administration scrapped a 2012 plan to impose tough new mandates governing the use of the drilling technique on public lands. Earlier this month, LOGA President Don Briggs found himself battling Hollywood, not regulators, over the way the Matt Damon movie Promised Land, directed by Gus Van Sant, portrays fracking. “It’s dangerous to the industry because it’s not factual,” Briggs says. Though officials with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network say they did not see the movie, they’re concerned about fracking not only in Pennsylvania—where the film is set—but also along the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale, closer to home. “You need sufficient regulatory requirements on the books,” says Wilma Subra, a technical adviser to LEAN, citing environmental and health concerns, particularly in drinking water. Regarding the key role of the oil and gas industry in Louisiana’s economy, Subra says it would continue to remain profitable, even with more stringent regulations. The Hollywood publicity helps their cause, says LEAN Executive Director Marylee Orr. “This could be a game-changer for future generations,” she says. Though Promised Land can still be seen in the Pittsburgh area, its run in Baton Rouge theaters has ended. More on the concerns surrounding fracking—and why those in the industry maintain operations in Louisiana can’t be compared to those in Northeastern states—can be found in a full Business Report story available here. —Matt Randolph