Legislative History of Fracking Legislative history is a term used to refer to the background or events that contribute to the enactment of a statute (Taylor, p.1).  This process includes various activities and/or events such as committee reports, hearings, and floor debates.  Apart from referring to events leading to the enactment of a law, legislative history is usually documented so that it can be utilized in the future to help in the interpretation of a law.  Generally, legislative history provides a suitable foundation for understanding what was involved in the formulation and enactment of a statute.  An example of an issue with a strong legislative history in the United States is hydraulic fracking, which is commonly known as fracking.  This paper examines the legislative history of fracking in the United States and part of policy writing and analysis.  The evaluation includes a brief description of the historical/political context of the issue and an analysis of laws with respect to the development of the policy issue.

Historical and/or Political Context of Fracking in the US

Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is one of the major issues in the United States energy sector in the past decade (Manfreda par, 1).  Hydraulic fracturing is defined as a means of enhancing the output at oil and natural gas wells through the use of high-pressure fluid injection to open gas-breaking rock formations (Marten Law par, 1).  This technique has received considerable attention in the United States because it has enabled oil and gas producers to extract these commodities from shale rock.  Since the technique has increased oil and natural gas production within the United States, it has received significant attention to an extent that it’s regarded as a technological breakthrough.  Through this process, this drilling technique has enabled the United States to become one of the largest producers of oil and natural gas across the globe and is projected to enable the U.S. become energy independent by 2020.

In light of these developments, hydraulic fracturing has...

energy sector has generated call for changes in regulation of hydraulic fracturing/fracking.  These calls have in turn acted as the historical and/or political context for the formulation of federal regulations on this issue.
Laws and the Development of the Policy Issue

As previously indicated, legislative initiatives regarding hydraulic fracturing/fracking have largely been fueled by the exemption of this drilling technique in the Safe Drinking Water Act.  While this federal regulation covers underground injection activities, it does not contain provisions that cover fracking activities, which has contributed to a regulatory gap…