Illinois is taking too long to approve regulations for a controversial oil and gas drilling method, according to a coalition of businesses. They simply asked lawmakers to speed things up with legislation to circumvent the rulemaking process. The bill infuriated many environmental groups and ignited a flurry of calls to legislators that killed the bill […]
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Clash over fracking rules
Illinois state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, testifies in support of his bill to regulate fracking before a legislative committee in May. The bill became law and is currently being implemented by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE Illinois is preparing to allow the use of a controversial method of extracting oil […]
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Fracking bill draws harsh criticism in Statehouse
In the formerly quiet towns of western North Dakota, there are new strangers arriving every day. New housing is being erected at a breakneck pace, and newfound wealth is flowing quickly into the rolling hills because of the wealth flowing out of them. Hydraulic fracturing of the Bakken Shale rock formation has created an oil […]
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Oil wells not so well
Paula Cook has had it with oil. She and her husband, Jim Cook, live on the 65-acre farm Paula’s ancestors owned 100 years ago. Located outside Edinburg, about 20 miles east of Springfield, the farm hosts a series of oil wells operated by Springfield oil company Bi-Petro, Inc. The oil wells were installed before Paula […]
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The cost of fracking
Nearly a mile below the surface of southern Illinois, a vast reserve of oil and natural gas sits locked in thick shale rock. While Illinois has a long history of tapping into its enormous fossil fuel resources, unlocking the shale reserve takes a new approach that could bring both economic windfall and potential for environmental […]
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Natural gas fracking is coming to Illinois
Illinois is poised to tap into a rich vein of money by allowing an oil and gas drilling method known as “fracking,” but environmental concerns and disagreement over state taxes are keeping that financial well plugged for now. Hydraulic fracturing of shale rock – called “fracking” for short – has been used since the 1940s […]
