The IOGCC represents the governors of 30 member and 7 associate member states. The IOGCC’s mission is to promote conservation and efficient recovery of domestic oil and natural gas resources while protecting health, safety, and the environment. The group offers a forum for government, industry, environmentalists, and others to share information and viewpoints. IOGCC annual meetings heavily sponsored by industry. Sponsorship form states; "The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) Annual Conference offers a unique opportunity to spotlight your business to governors and premiers; state, provincial and federal oil and natural gas regulators; state and federal lawmakers and leading oil and natural gas industry representatives. Conference sponsors will receive prominent recognition for their participation." Opposes extending the federal Safe Drinking Water Act to hydraulic fracturing The IOGCC is a compact between the 30 oil and gas producing states in the US, and 8 Canadian provinces. The commission was created by an Act of Congress to avoid the threat of federal regulation of oil and gas. It therefore has the status of a government agency, which is how it describes itself on its website. But this status masks the fact that the commission is funded by oil and gas corporations, and has become an important de facto lobbying apparatus for the oil and gas industry to prevent and influence regulation, while simultaneously avoiding oversight in doing so. The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission was created by an act of Congress in 1935. U.S. Congressman and Oklahoma Governor, E.W. Marland is considered the founder of the Commission. Marland, who owned several oil companies in his lifetime, also founded the US Oil and Gas Association, then called the Mid-Continent Association.