[CRNMC] Fwd: U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein responding to your message

[Beth Brenneman]

*Hmmm.  Dianne is concerned.*

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <senator at feinstein.senate.gov>
Date: Wed, Jun 4, 2014 at 5:27 AM
Subject: U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein responding to your message
To: storyteller2069 at yahoo.com


  <http://feinstein.senate.gov/>



Dear Mr. Brenneman:



Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about loosening restrictions
on the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG).  I appreciate the time you
took to write, and I welcome this opportunity to respond.



I understand that you have concerns regarding domestic hydraulic
fracturing, or fracking, and you feel that loosened restrictions on LNG
exports could increase fracking in the U.S.  As you may know, fracking is a
technique used to stimulate oil and natural gas production by injecting
water and chemicals underground at high pressures to increase the flow of
oil and gas resources.  Like you, I am concerned that this process could
contaminate drinking water supplies, and I support regulating hydraulic
fracturing under the Safe Drinking Water Act.



Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is precluded from
regulating the hydraulic fracturing process under the Safe Drinking Water
Act because the Energy Policy Act of 2005 explicitly exempted hydraulic
fracturing operations related to oil, gas, or geothermal production from
the Act's protections.  I opposed this bill when it came up for a vote.



It is because of my strong concerns about fracking that I became a
cosponsor of the "Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act"
("FRAC Act"; S. 1135), which was introduced by Senator Robert Casey (D-PA)
on June 11, 2013.  This bill would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to
allow the EPA to regulate hydraulic fracturing and require the public
disclosure of chemicals and materials used in the fracking process.  S.
1135 is currently awaiting consideration by the Senate Committee on
Environment and Public Works, of which I am not a member.



I understand that you also have concerns about the "American Job Creation
and Strategic Alliances LNG Act" (S. 2083), which was introduced by Senator
Mark Udall (D-CO) on March 5, 2014.  This bill would expedite the
application and approval process for the import and export of natural gas
to World Trade Organization (WTO) member countries.  Under current law, the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) must approve all imports and exports of
natural gas.  For countries with which we do not have free trade
agreements, DOE must additionally determine whether these exports would be
in the public's interest.  S. 2083 would bypass this approval process for
all WTO member countries.  S. 2083 is currently awaiting consideration by
the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, of which I am
not a member.



You may be interested to know that on May 8, 2014, I joined a letter to the
President expressing support for DOE's consideration of the public interest
and impact on U.S. consumers and businesses before granting approval for
LNG exports to countries with which we do not have free trade agreements.
A copy of this letter is attached.



Again, thank you for taking the time to write.  If you have any additional
questions or concerns, please contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202)
224-3841, or visit my website at www.feinstein.senate.gov.  Best regards.


Sincerely yours,


  Dianne Feinstein
         United States Senator

Further information about my position on issues of concern to California
and the nation are available at my website, feinstein.senate.gov
<http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/>.  And please visit my YouTube
<http://www.youtube.com/Senatorfeinstein>, Facebook
<http://www.facebook.com/Senatorfeinstein> and Twitter
<http://www.twitter.com/Senfeinstein> for more ways to communicate with me.



-- 
"The trouble is that once you see it, you can't unsee it. And once you've
seen it, keeping quiet, saying nothing, becomes as political an act as
speaking out. There's no innocence. Either way, you're accountable.” Arundhati
Roy <http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6134.Arundhati_Roy>
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