Drillers file lawsuit after Obama administration further regulates fracking

Even though new standards regulating hydraulic fracturing introduced by President Obama today only apply to drilling on leased federal land and land owned by American Indian tribes, oil and natural gas drillers say there's no evidence to warrant the rigid standards, and they're planning to take the administration to court.

The Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management released the new standards earlier today, and the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and Western Energy Alliance's lawsuit was announced less than an hour later.

IPAA President Barry Russell said the regulations "are the complete opposite of common sense," since fracking "has been conducted safely and responsibly in the United States for over sixty years." He added that newly mandated fees will stunt economic growth and job creation.

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Supporters of fracking, many of whom are Republicans, believe that drillers have proven they can extract oil and natural gas in a safe and beneficial way. Environmentalists and many Democrats, however, are concerned about fracking's effect on the environment and public health, and think the regulations should be stricter.