Weekly News Roundup for January 29, 2016

These are some of the stories we’ve been following this week.

Fracking rig in backyard in Justin, Texas, courtesy of Jeremy Buckingham, CC BY 2.0.

• A new study published in American Economic Review examined how hydraulic fracturing can negatively affect property values of nearby homes.

• A new study will look at whether recent earthquakes in Texas are caused by fracking-related wastewater injection wells. Texas is caught between a very profitable oil and gas industry and the effects that industry’s activities are having on residents and businesses.

• A panel of scientists says that the U.S. EPA’s June 2015 draft assessment of fracking’s effects on drinking water resources lacked baseline testing and case studies that would have added important data points. The EPA study released last year was met with criticism after its release.

• In June 2014, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources released 20 rules it was considering to regulate and oversee fracking in the state. However, today only one of those rules is in effect in Ohio, and its only focus is on the construction of well pads.

• The Obama administration has proposed new regulations requiring oil and gas operations to reduce methane gas emissions on public lands. A 2010 GAO report suggested that roughly 40% of natural gas vented on onshore federal leases could be economically captured with technologies available at the time.

• A class-action lawsuit was filed against Statoil USA over disputed calculations for oil and gas lease royalties.

• Two proposed oil train projects that would travel through northern California will be coming up for key votes in the coming weeks. Officials are recommending that at least one of the plans be denied.

• The Arlington, Texas City Council approved a new land-use designation for payday and auto-title lenders that will restrict where these alternative financial establishments can be opened.

• In Ohio, lead poisoning concerns forced education officials to close three schools in one village.

• The contaminated water flowing through Flint, Michigan isn’t just affecting the health of residents. Local gardeners are also concerned about how the lead-contaminated water is affecting garden soils and produce.

• The total value of the world’s real estate topped $217 trillion, which is 2.7 times the global gross domestic product (GDP).