Susquehanna River Basin Commission July 13, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document contains proposed rules that would amend the project review regulations of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (Commission) to: Include definitions for new terms that are used in the proposed rulemaking; provide for administrative approval of interbasin transfers of flowback and production fluids between drilling pad sites that are isolated from the waters of the basin; provide for administrative approval of out-of-basin transfers of flowback or produced fluids from a Commission approved hydrocarbon development project to an out-of-basin treatment or disposal facility; insert language authorizing ``renewal'' of expiring approvals, including Approvals by Rule (ABRs); delete specific references to geologic formations that may be the subject of natural gas development using hydrofracture stimulation and replace with a generic category ``unconventional natural gas development;'' broaden the scope of ABRs issued to include hydrocarbon development of any kind utilizing the waters of the basin, not just unconventional natural gas well development; memorialize the current practice of requiring post- hydrofracture reporting; standardize at 15 years the term of ABR approvals for both gas and non-gas projects; and provide further procedures for the approval of water sources utilized at projects subject to the ABR process.