Obama and House Republicans moving swiftly for natural gas exploration

picture: seekingalpha.com

Expansion of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska get's the "OK" from President Obama. At the same time, House Republicans are passing oil and gas legislation at record rates. So far this term, the House has passed four pieces of legislation that would make it easier for oil and gas companies to conduct natural gas exploration.

One of the most popular ways of extracting natural gas in the Marcellus Shale is by using the hydraulic fracturing method ("fracking") --- a method where a mixture of sand, water and chemicals are used to fracture the bedrock, allowing pressurized natural gas to escape. Fracking is controversial because of the several environmental and social consequences that are attributed to it.






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Groups Applaud NY State Assembly for Passing a "Timeout" on Fracking for Natural Gas

Yesterday, the New York State Assembly voted to protect NY's watershed by passing legislation that puts a timeout on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. By passing this bill, A.11443, the Assembly has taken a stand, and recognizes the potential hazards of fracking activities.


The bill suspends the issuance of permits to hydraulically fracture natural gas wells in New York State until May 15, 2011. 


For more info, check out this EarthJustice Press Release.

Halliburton Subpoenaed After Failing to Meet EPA’s Voluntary Requests for Information

The EPA announced yesterday that eight of nine U.S. companies that deal in hydraulic fracturing (aka "fracking") for natural gas extraction will work with the agency in studies on fracking. Who was the ninth? Of course, our old friends, Halliburton.

Halliburton has failed to provide EPA the information necessary to move forward with this important study. As a result, and as part of the Agency's effort to move forward as quickly as possible, today EPA issued a subpoena to the company requiring submission of the information that has yet to be provided.

What a shady bunch of characters, that Halliburton. Then again, the company is a perfect fit for someone like Mr. Dick Cheney. I guess shady companies invite shady individuals.

DRBC Again Delays Rules Covering Natural Gas Drilling

The Delaware River Basin Commission is again delaying the release of rules covering the drilling of natural gas within the watershed.

In a statement, the commission announced that the proposed regulations, which were to be unveiled in September and then were delayed until mid-October, now won't come for at least another month. The commission said the delay was to give staffers time to ensure that it minimizes bureaucratic overlap with other regulators.

"The commissioners are working with staff to continue refining the draft regulations to ensure protection of basin waters while minimizing regulatory duplication," the statement said. "The draft regulations will likely be published in November or December 2010, and will be accompanied by a public rulemaking process. This process will entail two public hearings and a written comment period."

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network, which opposes drilling, urged supporters to lobby against releasing the proposed regulations until a federal study is completed. "This federally funded comprehensive study must be done first and then the information learned be used to inform the regulations that the DRBC will adopt regarding gas development in the Delaware River Watershed," said Riverkeeper Maya van Rossum in a statement. "This is essential to [prevent] … pollution and degradation to the Delaware River and the water supply for more than 15 million people."

Gasland Screening and Q&A w/Director, 9/29, Central Park‏

Gasland is a movie about fracking and its actual and potential effects on drinking water, our environment and the tectonic plates. The director will be having a screening and a question and answer session after the screening on Wednesday September 29, 2010 at the Arsenal Gallery - 830 5th Avenue at East 64th St.

Be sure to get your tickets early. Not only is this a great movie, but it has also been known to cause a ton of controversy among environmentalists, the government, and non believers. Please see this interesting article in the Huffington Post about the governments reaction to Gasland moviegoers in PA: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alison-rose-levy/guess-what-seeing-a-movie_b_717241.htmlk

No Drilling in NYC Watershed, Good News?

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced yesterday that the Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement for natural gas drilling currently under review will not apply to watersheds that supply unfiltered drinking water.  For now, that means a de facto moratorium on drilling in the New York City watershed.




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Tell NY to Wait!

The EPA recently announced that it was launching a study into the effects of hydraulic fracturing on human health and the environment.  New York's own Department of Environmental Conservation is considering similar issues, following the close of the public comment period on their Generic Environmental Impact Statement in December.

Fracking is the process of drilling horizontally into deep layers of rock to create fissures, then pouring millions of gallons of chemical-laced water into the rock formations to soften them.

Gas companies can then suck out the gas, compress it, and transport it around the nation. But when the gas comes up, so does a large part of the water-called flowback. It is not only laden with the lubricating chemicals that the gas company added but also elements like radium, which naturally occur in the rock.

Several New York state legislators have introduced a measure that would put all hydraulic fracturing on hold until the EPA study is complete.  Tell your legislators and Governor Paterson to support the moratorium on fracking until the EPA study is completed--or tell us why you think they shouldn't.