Four bills introduced Thursday in the U.S. House are aimed at toughening national environmental regulations on fracking. Colorado's Rep. Jared Polis sponsored one of the bills, which would create more strict air emissions monitoring for oil and gas operators.
“We’ve really come together to look at our comprehensive energy policy and say, ‘look let’s do this in a safe way that protects people’s health and protects the environment.’ And that’s what today’s announcement is all about,” said the Democratic representative.
National oil and gas industry groups say existing state and federal laws already provide sufficient environmental protections.
Polis was joined by Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, and representatives from Illinois and Pennsylvania, who sponsored bills focusing on stormwater runoff from well pads and establishing baseline water testing near sites.
