Fleming-Led Effort To Protect Natural Gas Drilling Prevails in Final Version of CLEAR ACT

Press Release

Congressman John Fleming, M.D. today released the following statement after bi-partisan language he authored aimed at protecting the development of natural gas prevailed in the final version of the CLEAR Act.

"In Committee, the CLEAR Act was decorated like a Christmas tree with various items unrelated to the oil spill, one of which was the effort to require a leaseholder to disclose on a public website, proprietary information about hydraulic fracturing," said Fleming. "There is no doubt that this language was the first step in the liberals' effort to have the natural gas industry fully regulated by the EPA -- something that natural gas producing States, such as Louisiana, see as an intrusion into their authority and regulation."

"An EPA takeover of the natural gas industry would stifle development, destroy jobs and reduce our supply of clean, natural gas, all at a time when our country needs more energy and more jobs," continued Fleming. "I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle who supported this important effort."

Fleming's bi-partisan amendment failed by a slim margin during Committee markup of the CLEAR Act, but was eventually incorporated into the final version which passed the House today. You can view Congressman Fleming's remarks at the Committee markup here.

Fleming represents the 4th Congressional District of Louisiana which includes the Haynesville Shale natural gas play. According to some estimates, the Haynesville Shale contains 234 trillion cubic feet of natural gas production potential, the equivalent of about 18 years of U.S. oil production. The Haynesville Shale houses some of the largest producing wells in the continental United States, with some producing 10 million to 20 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

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