WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) President and CEO Barry Russell issued a statement in response to a U.S. appeals court's dismissal of a hydraulic fracturing rule case.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit dismissed the appellate case on IPAA and Western Energy Alliance’s challenge to the Obama-era rule governing hydraulic fracturing on federal and Indian lands.

The IPAA statement follows: 

"Today’s court decision confirms what IPAA has advocated all along: Dismissing the appeal would protect independent producers from the uncertainty of whether it was necessary to comply with regulations that are certain to be revoked. All three judges ruled unanimously that it would be a waste of judicial resources to proceed with this case. Today’s appeal validates the overreach taken by the Obama administration and that the regulatory process was flawed from the very beginning. Independent producers have been engaged with the U.S. Department of the Interior on its proposal and repeatedly shared our concerns with the Obama administration at every step of this rulemaking process and in numerous follow-up meetings with federal regulators. IPAA stands ready to work with the Department of the Interior and the new administration on a workable resolution for the environment, American energy production and economic development, well-paying U.S. jobs, and the nation’s energy security.”