THE WHITE HOUSEOffice of the Press SecretaryFor Immediate Release April 13, 2012EXECUTIVE ORDER- - - - - - -SUPPORTING SAFE AND RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OFUNCONVENTIONAL DOMESTIC NATURAL GAS RESOURCESBy the authority vested in me as President by theConstitution and the laws of the United States of America,and in order to coordinate the efforts of Federal agenciesresponsible for overseeing the safe and responsible developmentof unconventional domestic natural gas resources and associatedinfrastructure and to help reduce our dependence on oil, it ishereby ordered as follows:Section 1. Policy. In 2011, natural gas provided25 percent of the energy consumed in the United States. Itsproduction creates jobs and provides economic benefits to theentire domestic production supply chain, as well as to chemicaland other manufacturers, who benefit from lower feedstock andenergy costs. By helping to power our transportation system,greater use of natural gas can also reduce our dependence onoil. And with appropriate safeguards, natural gas can providea cleaner source of energy than other fossil fuels.For these reasons, it is vital that we take full advantageof our natural gas resources, while giving American families andcommunities confidence that natural and cultural resources, airand water quality, and public health and safety will not becompromised.While natural gas production is carried out by privatefirms, and States are the primary regulators of onshore oiland gas activities, the Federal Government has an importantrole to play by regulating oil and gas activities on publicand Indian trust lands, encouraging greater use of natural gasin transportation, supporting research and development aimedat improving the safety of natural gas development andtransportation activities, and setting sensible, cost-effectivepublic health and environmental standards to implement Federallaw and augment State safeguards.Because efforts to promote safe, responsible, and efficientdevelopment of unconventional domestic natural gas resourcesare underway at a number of executive departments and agencies(agencies), close interagency coordination is important foreffective implementation of these programs and activities. Toformalize and promote ongoing interagency coordination, thisorder establishes a high-level, interagency working group thatwill facilitate coordinated Administration policy efforts tosupport safe and responsible unconventional domestic naturalgas development.
2Sec. 2. Interagency Working Group to Support Safe andResponsible Development of Unconventional Domestic NaturalGas Resources. There is established an Interagency WorkingGroup to Support Safe and Responsible Development ofUnconventional Domestic Natural Gas Resources (Working Group),to be chaired by the Director of the Domestic Policy Council,or a designated representative.(a) Membership. In addition to the Chair, the WorkingGroup shall include deputy-level representatives or equivalentofficials, designated by the head of the respective agency oroffice, from:(i) the Department of Defense;(ii) the Department of the Interior;(iii) the Department of Agriculture;(iv) the Department of Commerce;(v) the Department of Health and Human Services;(vi) the Department of Transportation;(vii) the Department of Energy;(viii) the Department of Homeland Security;(ix) the Environmental Protection Agency;(x) the Council on Environmental Quality;(xi) the Office of Science and Technology Policy;(xii) the Office of Management and Budget;(xiii) the National Economic Council; and(xiv) such other agencies or offices as the Chairmay invite to participate.(b) Functions. Consistent with the authorities andresponsibilities of participating agencies and offices, theWorking Group shall support the safe and responsible productionof domestic unconventional natural gas by performing thefollowing functions:(i) coordinate agency policy activities,ensuring their efficient and effective operationand facilitating cooperation among agencies, asappropriate;(ii) coordinate among agencies the sharing ofscientific, environmental, and related technicaland economic information;(iii) engage in long-term planning and ensurecoordination among the appropriate Federal entitieswith respect to such issues as research, naturalresource assessment, and the development ofinfrastructure;
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