Oil and Gas Commission Won’t Use Options Given by Legislature

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has decided it won't use an option made available by lawmakers earlier this year intended to speed the commission's natural gas and oil decision making process.

The commissioners with the 3-0 vote on Wednesday chose not to use the option given to them by lawmakers earlier this year that allowed the commission to exempt itself from the contested case provision in Idaho law.

Specifically, the commissioners voted to terminate negotiated rulemaking that had been under way and adopted a policy to use the Idaho Administrative Procedures Act where Idaho's oil and gas statutes and rules don't provide procedures.

Commissioner Margaret Chipman says a new round of negotiated rulemaking for Idaho's oil and gas industry could take place in the future.