Amendment to the List of Affected States Under Federal Coalbed Methane Recovery Regulations

Zusammenfassung

The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (the Act) (P.L. 102-486) requires that the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) administer a Federal program to regulate coalbed methane development has been impeded by disputes or uncertainty over ownership of coalbed methane gas. As required by the Act, the U.S. Department of the Interior, with the participation of the U.S. Department of Energy, developed a List of Affected States to which this program would apply (58 FR 21589, April 22, 1993). The list of Affected States is currently comprised of the States of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia. The Governor of West Virginia, Honorable Gaston Caperton, has petitioned the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior for removal from the list of Affected States. The Governor's petition states that West Virginia recently enacted a comprehensive program to regulate recovery and marketing of coalbed methane, and that a Federal coalbed methane program should not be implemented in the state. Section 1339 of the Act provides three mechanisms by which a state may be removed from the List of Affected States: 1. A state may pass a law or resolution requesting rem