Biden’s Federal Land Fracking Ban
In a local interview that aired yesterday in Philadelphia, former Vice President Joe Biden said he would allow new fracking to take place so long as there were safeguards in place for the water supply and methane leaks, adding “they’re the two things, that’s it. I will not ban fracking.”
However, Biden failed to mention that his climate/energy plan would also ban “new oil and gas permitting on public lands and waters,” which is a de facto ban on new fracking within federal lands. In the context of federal lands and waters, Biden’s proposed ban actually goes further than a fracking ban as it would ban all new natural gas and oil development even if fracking is not involved. Biden’s omission is significant as energy produced on federal lands and waters plays a critical role in America’s energy revolution, accounting for 12% of U.S. natural gas production and 22% of U.S. oil production. A recent study on a federal leasing and development ban found that nearly 1 million jobs could be lost by 2022, U.S. residential consumers could spend a cumulative $19 billion more.
JOE BIDEN: “I have never told the environmentalists that I’m going to ban fracking. Period –number one. Number two, it’s a flat lie about what President Trump is saying. I have said repeatedly on the record and during the campaign. What I did say was, I would make sure any new fracking taking place made sure water supply and methane was not leaking. They’re the two things, that’s it. I will not ban fracking.” (My PHL17’s “This Week in PA,” 9/13/20)