You're watching...
Former Shell Oil CEO John Hofmeister on concerns the White House will use the next EPA Administrator appoint to conduct a “war on fracking.”
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
-- in the meantime.
The war on fracking.
After the head of the EPA Lisa Jackson announce her plans to quit in the new year there -- lots of questions over who the Obama administration won't find to replace her.
Will the White House caved to the environmental lobby and escalate its war on coal and turn it into a war on oil.
Where would take a more realistic approach to American energy production.
Let's ask former Shell's oil CEO John half Meister.
He's the founder and CEO of the nonprofit group citizens for affordable energy John always great to have you on the -- Boy this leaves him open questions about what's gonna happen and tonight we really want to focus on fracking.
Do you think and new EPA chief -- crackdown on fracking or do you think that person will move ahead with it.
I think what we will see Jerry -- a determined effort by the president and whomever he would appoint to head the EPA.
To find a way to federal -- the rules on fracking.
That is take the ultimate responsibility.
Away from the states where it currently sets turn it over to the federal government.
And that then becomes a wet blanket on the whole notion.
Building economic prosperity in this country.
By developing our domestic energy resources.
It would be a sad day to tell the states your incompetence.
We know so much more than you do.
Mr.
governor or or state of whatever and we're gonna tell you what you -- can't -- That to me is just -- that it's an assertion.
In to the power structure.
That we just don't need is not.
-- -- let's be clear here the federal government hasn't said what it's gonna do yet what you hear Lisa Jackson before she left the job.
Here's what she had to say.
I'll read it to you to -- Fracking is perfectly capable of being clean she said it required Smart regulation Smart rules of the road.
So it sounds -- she's not.
Outlawing it.
Altogether.
On the one hand.
But on the other hand we've seen what happened to coal and the war on coal and how the Obama administration came out all guns blazing against that industry.
So is that why you think that there's gonna be a wet blanket thrown over fracking.
Well when they set their own definition.
Of what Smart regulation is.
Yes OK we'll set Smart regulation.
At a level that makes it virtually impossible.
For companies to get the job done.
That's what's happened in the coal mines of western -- West Virginia and Kentucky where -- new coal mines new coal permits have come to a screeching halt for four years.
And what would happen with fracking is that when the states lose control to the federal government.
They throw up their hands and then you're waiting for some federal regulator sitting in Washington DC -- -- some regional office.
To decide on a geology that is peculiar to a particular state.
Every State's geology is different that's why the stacks should have the final say over -- what you know.
