Federal Rule on Fracking? - NYTimes.com Re "The Wise Way to Regulate Gas Drilling," by Jody Freeman (Op-Ed, July 6): The oil and natural gas industry is regulated under the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and other federal regulations. But states have proved that they are best positioned to regulate drilling operations, given differences in geology and hydrology of producing regions. That view is shared by Lisa Jackson, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal and state regulators. The industry, through the American Petroleum Institute's standards program, has developed world-class best practices for operations like proper well construction and integrity, water management-disposal and good-neighbor performance. The industry also helped create FracFocus.org, on which producers list chemical components used in wells. It now includes information on 21,470 wells from some 300 companies. Heather Zichal, the White House energy adviser, recently said FracFocus "provides transparency to the American people," and indeed, the site has already recorded some 280,00 visits. Ms. Freeman's approach would add unnecessary layers of federal regulation - a surefire way to drive investment away. ERIK MILITO Upstream Director American Petroleum Institute Washington, July 6, 2012