Fracking trade secrets would get no protection under draft Alaska rule

Fracking trade secrets would get no protection under draft Alaska rule by Ellen M. Gilmer, January 3, 2013, E&E News
Companies will not be able to keep trade secrets for hydraulic fracturing ingredients if a proposed Alaska rule is adopted. The chemical disclosure rule, part of draft fracking regulations released late last month by the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, is similar to other states’ orders in every way except one major issue: trade secret exemptions. … Cathy Foerster, one of three commissioners of the state agency, took the lead on developing the rules and said a trade secret exemption clause was left out on purpose. If oil and gas companies want the commission to consider a provision, she said, they can advocate for themselves at a public hearing scheduled for Feb. 5. The Alaska Oil and Gas Association and the American Petroleum Institute did not respond to requests for comment, but it is likely that industry representatives will put heavy pressure on the commission to include trade secret protections. … Drillers in Alaska’s shale would also have to evaluate nearby aquifers and take samples from water wells before and after completing an oil and gas well, testing for metals, methane, dissolved solids and other contamination indicators. [Emphasis added]

[Refer also to:  Links & Resources

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