Friday, August 8, 2008
Texas residents want gas drilling permits stopped
Posted at Common Ground United from msn money/Associated Press:
"FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Holding "Just say, Whoa!" signs, about 300 people rallied Thursday to urge Fort Worth leaders to stop natural gas drilling permits and pipeline easements in the city...."
"...We expect the city to put a moratorium for as long as it takes to address these issues," said Cathy Hirt, a former City Council member who helped form the Coalition for a Reformed Drilling Ordinance. "With such a large, diverse group of people here from all walks of life, it speaks to the fact that this is not a small group of naysayers — it's a cross-section of the community who have a lot of concerns...."
"...They are also concerned about companies using eminent domain to acquire property for pipeline easements.
Last week Chesapeake Energy's subsidiary, Texas Midstream Gas Services, started condemnation proceedings against a 72-year-old woman who refused the company's offer of nearly $13,000 for a 20-foot strip across the front of her 100-foot-wide lot.
The pipeline, which would be 10 to 20 feet underground and connect two well sites along an interstate, requires easements under the front yards of nearly 50 homes and vacant lots." More>>>>
Related Story: "Urban Gas Drilling Causes Backlash In Boomtown "
"Chesapeake Energy's CEO, Aubrey McClendon, is a big believer in aggressive media campaigns. He was a major backer of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that attacked Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's military record when he ran for president in 2004, and other right-wing causes.
The comany's stock market value tops $28 billion, and last year McClendon's compensation and stock options totaled nearly $19 million.
In the wake of Chesapeake's infomercial comes Shale TV, a daily talk show about the Barnett Shale set to air this fall. The company has hired three award-winning Dallas broadcast journalists to produce the show.
Julie Wilson, Chesapeake vice president for corporate development, says she understands there's skepticism about the objectivity of Shale TV, but she insists it's no different than the rest of corporate media.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
SF County information not timely
Public Information Officer Steve Ulibarri says the county met legal requirements by inserting small-print notices in local newspapers a week or so in advance of the meetings.
A 32-word newspaper legal notice about a County Development Review Committee meeting held this week did not say that an agenda item included information from consultants working on the county's drilling ordinance.
(Update: The web listing for the County's County Development Review Committee was updated about 3 p.m., today, Aug. 6 to present the first meeting agenda since March 2007.) © Copyright 2008, KSFR"
Tribe: Rules tougher than state’s
How will the rules address proprietary secrets?
"Halliburton has said that having to identify its frac'ing ingredients would mean giving away trade secrets, much like requiring Coca-Cola to reveal its secret for Coke. Here's a thought: Coke does tell consumers what's in every can of its soft drinks, even if it doesn't reveal the exact recipe. And last time I checked, spilling some on your lap won't bring on heart, liver and respiratory failure" (Gas industry secrets and a nurse's story).
"The intensive care doctor decided to treat her for chemical exposure, but when he called the energy company to find out how to diagnose and treat her, he couldn’t get what he needed" (Nurse sick after aiding gas worker).
Congress exempted fracturing fluids from the Safe Drinking Water Act as part of the 2005 energy bill. "ZetaFlow is a proprietary chemical of Weatherford, a hydraulic fracturing company working on contract for BP on the Southern Ute land where the spill occurred. The makeup of the liquid is a trade secret" (S. Utes not told of frac spill).
Posts
