This paper is primarily a report. The report portion should be objective and unbiased. The final section is an opinion section where you may include your own ideas on the subject.

1. To understand the legal and environmental issues raised by hydraulic fracturing. To determine what you believe is the most important environmental issue.
2. To be able to distinguish state and federal laws and regulations; to become familiar with proposed federal laws; to be able to compare and contrast state law approaches; to examine at least one other country’s laws and regulations on the issue; to understand the scope of a recent executive order on hydraulic fracturing.
3. To understand the place of hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas as that relates to U.S. energy needs.
4. To form and state your own informed opinion on what hydraulic fracturing laws and regulations should be put in place; to explain with clear reasoning and supporting evidence why you think such laws are necessary.

   Your final paper should address each of these objectives. The report should include a discussion of the legal and environmental issues raised by hydraulic fracturing, including what you believe to be the most important issue; it should contain a discussion of federal and state regulations that address hydraulic fracturing. It should compare the varying approaches of at least two states. It should compare U.S. and foreign approaches to hydraulic fracturing regulation. It should address the scope of the president’s executive order on hydraulic fracturing (see Doc Sharing).

   It should discuss the place of hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas in meeting U.S. energy needs; it should discuss economic impact (could be local, regional, or national) It should conclude with your own informed opinion on what hydraulic fracturing laws and regulations should be put in place, supported with clear reasoning and relevant facts.

MS Word document, 7—8 pages in length, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, APA style.

Include a cover page, table of contents, body of the report, summary or conclusion, and works cited.

Check your work for spelling and grammar. Carefully proofread your paper for spelling and grammar and double check all citations for accuracy. Be sure you have correctly cited all references.

In addition to citing to any of the material which is supplied for the weekly deliverables or which is placed for your use in Doc Sharing or placed for your use in the Webliography, you must cite to at least four sources which are the product of your own research. All sources should be listed on the last page titled Works Cited.

Avoid plagiarism. Carefully review and comply with DeVry’s Academic Integrity Policy.