Texas Legislature Fails Us Again

Here is an article from
Public Citizen that explains
Texas Legislature Fails to
Protect Public Health or Achieve
Clean Energy Jobs Potential
in the 82nd Legislative
Session.
http://texasvox.org/2011/06/01/texas-legislature-fails-to-protect-public-health-or-achieve-clean-energy-jobs-potential-in-82nd-state-legislative-session/

Resitance to Gas Drilling in Ft. Worth Reported in New York Times

News of the controversial
procedure of hydraulic
fracturing (fracking), in Ft.
Worth is covered by New York
Times in link below.
On Wednesday, several dozen protesters marched through downtown Fort Worth, waving signs and chanting anti-drilling slogans that reflected concern over air and water pollution.
“It’s our health that’s at stake,” said Dana Schultes, who lives in south Fort Worth and worries about the impact of the drilling on her young daughter.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/24/us/24ttnaturalgas.html?_r=1

New York Times Report: Fracked Water Thousands Of Times More Dangerous Than They Are Telling Us

Astonishing but true. Your
Government, politicians, the
Oil & Gas industry collaborated
in a conspiracy of silence
regarding the safety of using
hydrofracking techniques to
produce natural gas. Follow
link in Alternet story to New
York Times. http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/508316/ny_times_report%3A_fracked_water_thousands_of_times_more_dangerous_than_they%27re_telling_us/

Gasland Official USA Theatrical Trailer! Opening Soon!

Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS: GASLAND Official USA Theatrical Trailer! Opening Soon!#links#links#links#links#links

If you have to drive 100 miles, to see this movie...
it will be well worth it.

FDL says Moratorium on "Fracking" in NYS

   Cynthia Kouril
Senator Joeseph P. Addabbo Jr.,
is sponsoring a bill calling for
a moratorium on hydro-fracing
in up-state New York watershed.
It may come up for a vote in the
Senate before the end of the
current legislative session,
scheduled to resume the week
of July 12th.
http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/58725?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+firedoglake%2Foxdown+%28Oxdown+Gazette%29

Fracas Over 'Fracking'

Damascus Citizens Reports
from Houston Business
Journal
by: Ford Gunter
   "It's going to be over very
quick, I think the EPA is
going to rule very quickly
'frac' water is carcinogenic.
They have to put it back
under the (Safe Drinking
Water Act). Everyone in the
industry says when that
happens... it's over."
Despite the best intentions of
energy icon T. Boone Pickens
and regardless of the controversy
over deep water exploration in
the Gulf of Mexico, onshore gas
operations in the United States
face a serious and distracting
problem.
http://www.damascuscitizens.org/news.html

EPA Broadens Study of Fracking Industry Ire Boils

The EPA begins public hearings in Washington
today about it's study of hydraulic fracturing,
which could sway Congress on whether or
not to repeal an exemption for the process
in the Safe Drinking Water Act.
   By Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, Guest
Writer, 4-07-10.
  The Oil & Gas Industry strongly opposes
this new approach. Plans for the study have
attracted international attention and have
been the focus of intense debate among law-
makers and the Oil & Gas industry. The
findings could affect Congress' decision
whether to repeal an exemption that shields
the fracturing process from federal legis-
lation under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Industry received a get-out-of-jail-free
exemption from the Bush administation
that allows them to keep fracking formulas
secret and  propriatary.http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/as_epa_broadens_study_of_fracking_industry_ire_boils/C35/L35/

Drillers May Be Injecting Benzene

Dallas Morning News....Randy Lee Loftis
Environmental Writer
"Companies are basically doing an end
run around the law" said Dusty
Horwitt, senior counsel for the Envi-
ronmental Working Group, a Wash-
ington, D.C.-based research and ad-
vocacy organization."Congress should
never have given the oil & gas
industry a free pass."
Ramona Nye spokeswoman for the
Texas Railroad Commission, said
in an e-mail that the agency does not
ask drilling companies operating
in Texas what is in the fluids they inject
into the ground.That is because
state rules for well construction
have prevented even a single docu-
mented case of ground water con-
tamination from the injected fluids,
she said. "Therefore,the commission
does not see a need to monitor
fracturing fluids," Nye said.
More: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-barnett_20met.ART0.State.Edition1.4ba4a7d.html

A Fracking Mischaracterization

             ProPublica  ... By: Paul Steiger 
   ProPublica has been reporting on
this method of obtaining natural
gas for 18 months. Lead reporter
Abrahm Lustgarten has researched
and written over 50 stories. The
fact that some gas industries want
to deny, are significant risks to
the water supply. Read more:
 http://www.propublica.org/feature/propublicas-drilling-coverage-what-investors-business-daily-missed-1223

Exxon can void purchase of XTO

Clause in deal allows exit if drilling
method, 'fracking,' is restricted
   Dallas Morning News..By: Dave Michaels
                         and Elizabeth Souder
Citizens for Environmental Clean-Up
sets the record straight: the Exxon
back out clause is purely
industry spin aided by lazy
journalism
because there is nothing in the
'Frac Act' or anywhere else
about banning hydraulic
fracturing.
 
More:http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-exxon_17bus.ART0.State.Edition1.3dbdbdc.html    

Hydraulic Fracturing Natural Gas Boom Hits Obstacle

Groundwater Contamination
      Blogging Stocks.... By: Joseph Lazzaro
Perhaps Initial euphoria over prospects
for a massive increase in natural
gas supply~~both in the U.S. and
globally~~ were a bit premature.
The reason, new technologies such
as hydraulic fracturing to access
the gas are causing environmental
problems. Mainly, drinking water wells
and water supplies.The New York
Times reported. The incidence of
groundwater contamination is thin
but, environmental groups say
that's because government has
been slow to monitor and not
looking hard enough for contami-
nation.
   ENERGY ANAYLSIS:
Obviously a setback for natural
gas, as new technology must be
sensitive to drinking water sup-
plies. A comparatively cheap
energy but not worth contamin-
ating wells or groundwater.
Investors should take a wait
and see approach, pending an
EPA review to see if the new
technology can be made safe.
 http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/10/hydraulic-fracturing-natural-gas-boom-hits-obstacle-groundwater/