LAWS 310 Course Project

The total points for this Course Project are 160. Failure to deliver any of the following week’s deliverables will result in a 10-point loss for that week. This means you must satisfactorily deliver all of the Week 2 requirements or lose 10 points; failure to deliver all of Week 3 requirements will result in the loss of another 10 points and failure to deliver all of Week 5 requirements will result in the loss of another 10 points.

Week 2: Form a working definition of hydraulic fracturing. Demonstrate familiarity with how hydraulic fracturing is actually performed. Distinguish gas and oil fracturing. Show where hydraulic fracturing is currently underway in the United States, Europe, and South America.

Write a working definition of hydraulic fracturing.

Write a brief description of how the process works (25—50 words).

Chapter 8 of the president’s economic report for 2012, at page 256 details some of the economic effects of hydraulic fracturing. http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ERP_2012_ch_8.pdf Oil fracking in the Bakken Shale in and around Williston, North Dakota has had dramatic economic effects. The May, 2012 issue of the Oil and Gas Journal had a lengthy article on the Williston boom. Using such material (and any other source material you may find) write a 2–3 paragraph summary of the economic impact of hydraulic fracturing.

Provide links or citations to other material you have found that might be useful in writing about the above points.

Submit your work to the Course Project Deliverables Dropbox in Week 2.

Week 3: What are the legal issues raised by hydraulic fracturing? The environmental issues? What part does (will) hydraulic fracturing play in meeting U.S. energy needs? Fracking and the Safe Drinking Water Act issues are discussed extensively in this Congressional Research Service report: http://www.arcticgas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/hydraulic-fracturing-and-safe-drinking-water-act-issues.pdf See also Chapter 8 of the president’s economic report referenced above.

The Louisiana Bar Journal Vol. 59, No. 4, page 253, reports other fracking issues.

Isolate three or four such issues and report them in bullet-point form. Each point should state the issue and a brief explanation (no more than one paragraph).

Example: Dumping toxic waste—Uncontrolled dumping of toxic waste into waterways has created dead zones (places where marine and aquatic life cannot survive) worldwide, including an area in the Gulf of Mexico the size of Lake Ontario.

Provide links or citations to at least two other sources you have found that will be useful in writing about the above points. Submit your work to the Course Project Deliverables Dropbox in Week 3.

Week 5: Briefly, in 2–3 paragraphs, answer the following: What is Pennsylvania Act 13? Compare it to Vermont’s May 2012 legislation: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/2012/Bills/Intro/H-464.pdf Compare these with the New York State decision on local control of fracking found in Doc Sharing at <middlefield_decision.pdf.>.

Using the studies, such as The Final Report on Unconventional Gas in Europe, write a brief 1–2 paragraph statement that discusses at least one specific country’s regulations (see page 5 for general information and pages 48, 49, and 50 for country-specific information.)

On April 13, 2012, President Obama issued this executive order; briefly, in 1–2 paragraphs, explain what the order provides. You can find the executive order at this address (or look in Doc Sharing).

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/13/executive-order-supporting-safe-and-responsible-development-unconvention

Provide links or citations to at least two other sources you have found that will be useful in writing about the above points. Submit your work to the Course Project Deliverables Dropbox in Week 5.

Week 6—Submit your final paper by placing it in the Dropbox for Week 6.