ICL proposes amendments to ‘fracking’ rule

Justin Hayes of the Idaho Conservation League has proposed several amendments to the temporary rule on “fracking,” or hydraulic fracturing, that’s pending before the state Oil & Gas Conservation Commission. They include banning the injection of carcinogenic or toxic compounds into groundwater; banning horizontal well drilling, which no one has yet proposed in Idaho; and prohibiting fracture lengths exceeding 150 feet from the well bore. He also proposed additional bonding requirements to protect nearby water right holders from impacts. “These amendments are meant to be friendly amendments, not meant to hinder the development and extraction of natural gas over the course of the next year,” Hayes said. “We are seeking some simple prohibitions that are designed to protect water quality.”

The temporary rule is a placeholder while more detailed, negotiated rules are developed. State Lands Director George Bacon said, “I think that the department has an opportunity through the permitting process, and it certainly is our intent, when proposals for hydraulic fracturing and injection of materials move forward, the rules do provide that we have to approve what they use.” He said, “We will certainly be vigilant … until we get a more formal, larger set of rules.”