6 Things Bernie Sanders Would Do to Crack Down on Fracking, Even if Congress Doesn’t Go Along

February 22, 2016

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by Ben Adler (Grist) ... Instead of embracing gas as a supposedly cleaner “bridge fuel,” Sanders wants to go straight to renewables.

Here are the six most significant executive actions that a President Sanders would likely take to put the squeeze on fracking and natural gas:

–Change the Clean Power Plan to incentivize renewables instead of gas.

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–Regulate methane, not just carbon, through the Clean Power Plan.

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–Use the Clean Air Act to regulate methane leakage from existing sources and strengthen rules on new sources.

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–Regulate containment of fracking fluid under the Clean Water Act.

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–Investigate the effects of fracking.

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–Support state and local efforts to ban fracking.

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These moves would serve the same basic purpose: stop letting natural gas be artificially cheap by sticking the rest of society with the cost for water, air, and climate pollution. By limiting that pollution and requiring gas companies to spend more money on protecting surrounding communities, Sanders would raise the cost of fracking and the gas and oil it produces. “You impact the market through regulatory authority,” says one Sanders aide.

It’s good to know that the Sanders team has these pragmatic plans for grinding out small-bore victories if their wholesale political revolution doesn’t come to pass. READ MORE