Author's posts
Groups Sue Feds Over Burying Beetle in Oklahoma
Energy and some non-profit groups have filed suit in Muskogee federal court against the federal government for failing to remove the American burying beetle from the endangered species list. The lawsuit filed Thursday was in the U.S. Eastern District Court against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service against the Department of the Interior, Interior Secretary …
Denver Federal Appeals Court Tosses Challenge to Fracking Rules
The Denver federal appeals court has decided it will not rule on a legal challenge by energy groups to tougher fracking regulations on federal and Native American land created in the Obama administration. The U.S. 10th Circuit decided there won’t be a ruling because President Trump issued an executive order rescinding the rules adopted in …
Security Costs Grow for EPA’s Scott Pruitt
The cost of providing security and protection for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has grown to more than $800,000 since he took office. The Washington Post reports the $832,735.40 spent on the protection detail in the first three months for the former Oklahoma Attorney General was nearly double that of his predecessors. The paper …
Tyson Puts $320 million Chicken Plant on Hold in NE Kansas
After thousands protested last week against a planned $320 million super chicken farming operation in northeast Kansas, Tyson Foods has put the project on hold. Tyson poultry president Doug Ramsey notified the city of Tonganoxie this week, “We’d still like to get to know each other, however, after Monday’s reversal of support by the Leavenworth …
Pipeline Groups Support Senator Inhofe’s FERC Bill
Oklahoma U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe joined with Maine’s Sen. Angus King this week in introducing a bill designed to streamline the permitting process for interstate projects at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. They call it the Coordinating Interagency Review of Natural Gas Infrastructure act of 2017. “For too long, the natural gas pipeline permitting process …
Company Denies Claims of Lawsuit Over Oilfield Worker’s Death
A lawsuit filed over the death of an oilfield worker near Ardmore three years ago continued Thursday in Oklahoma City federal court as one of the firms blamed the worker’s health and not workings conditions. Cynthia Simpson maintains her husband, David Simpson was overcome by potentially deadly fumes as he was tank gauging on wells …
Grain Belt Express Company Hires Former Missouri Governor for Legal Battle
The company wanting to built a 780-mile long transmission line to carry western Kansas wind power to Illinois and Indiana has hired former Missouri Governor Jay Nixon in its fight with regulators. The $2.8 billion Grain Belt Express line is the proposal of Clean Line, a Houston, Texas based company that’s run into a fight with …
State House Democrats Want a Statewide Vote on Increasing Tax on Oil and Gas Production
Days before the start of a special legislative session to deal with a more than $215 million budget gap, State House Democrats are suggesting a vote of the people on raising the state’s oil and gas gross production tax. State House Democratic leader Rep. Scott Inman, a candidate for Governor says bills will be filed …
Power Groups Want Greenhouse Regulation
Among several energy companies calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gases instead of doing away with the Clean Power Plan is one with Oklahoma operations. Excel Energy Inc. is a member of the Coalition for Innovative Climate Solutions, a group that met this week with EPA officials to talk about how the …
Oil Firms Sued Over Sea-Level Rise in California
Some of the nation’s biggest oil companies such as ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil are among five firms sued this week by Oakland and San Francisco, California, blaming them for sea-level rise. “Now we’re going to ensure that those responsible for the problem are held to account,” vowed Dennis Herrera, a San Francisco attorney who said they want …