A stronger state
Natural gas a boon for Arkansas
As executive vice president of the Arkansas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association (AIPRO), natural gas production is something I work with every day. I see the jobs and revenue that natural gas is bringing to communities that would otherwise face tougher budget choices and more challenging economic times.
Everywhere I travel, I see the positive impact that natural gas is making in Arkansas. People in towns all around our state ask me if natural gas is clean and safe to develop. The industry works hard during production to ensure the safety of all Arkansans and to protect our state’s treasured natural resources.
A recent review by the nonprofit State Review of Oil and Natural Gas Environmental Regulations Inc. (STRONGER) found that Arkansas’ natural gas industry is well-managed and meets the group’s guidelines. I would like to commend STRONGER for recognizing the strenuous efforts Arkansas’ natural gas industry has taken to protect the people and pristine landscape of our state.
The organization’s praise of Arkansas’ hydraulic-fracturing rules and its well-water complaint protocol is further recognition and proof the industry is taking the necessary steps to ensure that natural gas is being produced safely. In short, existing regulations are working.
Arkansas is a leader in regulatory standards, with several regulations dictating how natural gas production is performed. The review finding reinforces the importance the industry places on the safe and responsible development of natural gas.
Oversight is a necessary function that the industry supports. In fact, Arkansas was one of the first states in the country to require public disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, known as rule B-19. As the state’s landmark disclosure rule, this regulation requires disclosure of additives used in hydraulic fracturing on a well-by-well basis. The Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission also recently adopted rule D-20, which regulates compressor noise levels.
All of these regulations point to a state that takes oversight very seriously, and to an industry committed to the same goal.
Arkansans do not have to choose between economic growth and environmental protection, nor should they. States with increased natural gas production have seen positive economic growth and enviable jobcreation statistics, a sign of a bright economic future for our state as we continue to develop this abundant resource.
Natural gas production in Arkansas is responsible for thousands of well-paying jobs and provides muchneeded income to state and local governments. During a time when many states face financial hardship, job growth fueled by natural gas acts as an engine for economic prosperity. In fact, the natural gas community has contributed nearly $154 million in severance-tax receipts under the current severance-tax structure since 2009, up from $1.3 million in 2008.
The abundance of natural gas in our state makes this possible, and if we support this viable domestic energy resource, we can look forward to continued economic growth. Natural gas also benefits dozens of ancillary industries, generating over $1.14 billion in labor income outside the natural gas community in 2010.
Those of us who work in the natural gas industry are also residents of this great state. Industry personnel work where they live because we all believe in the benefits that natural gas production brings, and will continue to bring, to Arkansas.
We, your friends and neighbors who work in the industry, want to ensure that natural gas production is performed in a safe and responsible way; one that does not interfere or harm Arkansans’ quality of life, but rather enhances it and makes Arkansas a better place to live for generations to come.