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Concerned About Gas-Drilling?

How will it impact You?

Rally at the

Otsego County Board Meeting

Wednesday, July 7, 9:30 a.m.

Meet in front of the County Office Building, 197 Main Street, Cooperstown

Tell our county government we are concerned about:

· Contaminated ground water

· Decreased property values

· Industrialization of our rural way of life

Conserve energy and CARPOOL!

Parking is tricky. Leave in time to park and arrive at the County Office Building by 9:30!

United We Stand, Divided We’re Fracked!

Above is a poster devised and posted locally by Jeri Wachter with info regarding a rally at Wednesday’s county board meeting.  Please try to come so we can show our county government the depth and breadth of concern over the threat of hydrofracking.  Try to enlist others to come with you.  Carpool if possible.

Parking in Cooperstown is problematic in the summer.  The spaces immediately in front of the building have a 2-hour limit (which should be enough, provided you find a space).  Nelson Ave and Pine Blvd are good options for parking, with no time limit.  You may wish to arive extra early.  Cooperstown Diner and Doubleday Cafe have great breakfasts.  The Stagecoach and Danny’s cafes are nice, too.  Another option is to go via Oneonta, park in the public parking, and take the bus.  Buses leave every hour, on the hour, so it’s recommended to take the 8 a.m. bus.  Get your pass in OPT office, just across from Vic’s Service on Main St.  Tell the bus driver you’re going to the county office building, and he/she will know where to let you off.

Tags: Gas drilling, Otsego County Board, Otsego County Board Meeting

The coalitions of landowners who have fallen for the gas-industries propaganda like to say that high-density, high-pressure, horizontal hydraulic fracturing extraction natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale is “highly regulated.” Of course that is baloney. The regulations are meaningless when you can’t enforce them, and the gas industry laughs at them.

Big companies outsource to smaller companies, most of which are from out of state and somehow just don’t feel beholden to the interests of the locals or our area. If the big companies have certain screenings for their employees (and that is a big “if”), they can always hire smaller companies to do the dirty work. If the smaller companies are not rigorous in screening their employees, the bigger ones feel insulated against responsibility. This is what’s called “plausible deniability.” It works against the interests of the suckers who think the industry regulations are sufficient. It also works against everyone in the communities that are affected.

It’s sort of how the mafia works. Lenny the Shark contacts Joey the Fish who hires Sammy the Clam to hit Elmer the Yokel. Sammy is caught, but doesn’t rat on Joey. We all know that Lenny knew what he was doing, and is responsible. But just try to pin it on him.

It’s also similar to terrorist cells. Smaller groups are sacrificed to do the dirty work, but you can’t trace it back to the source. In our case you can trace it back, but convoluted laws and exemptions from laws protect the real perpetrators.

So what is happens when a small company hires someone who screws up? What happens when the person who screws up disappears from the scene? What happens if the company has been cited for violations before, but it keeps operating the without much accountability? What good are the regulations? Not much good, it appears.

Read this story about how 5J Oilfields Services violated permits several times in March of this year.

The tractor trailer, driven for 5J Oilfield Services, LLC out of Texas, was in violation of its permit and weighed in at nearly 53,000 pounds over the limit. The driver was fined more than $16,000 and released.

A $16,000 fine to the gas industry is a joke. That’s less than their lobbyists spend influencing local government officials and industry collaborators all over NY state in the time it takes to rent hotel space for a supposed “information conference”.

Less than 24 hours later, police stopped two more trucks from the same company at that same location after people called in traffic complaints.

Is there no end to this?

Then read about how a few months later how this Texas company’s truck ran off the road while speeding through Owego, NY, shearing off several telephone poles and a guardrail before resting the cab in a stormwater drainage ditch near a Family Practice office, and cut of local power to the area, including a nursing home, for hours.

The driver left the scene and wasn’t found by the police until hours later, after an extensive search. He was charged with fleeing the scene of a property damage accident, Driving While Intoxicated, imprudent speed, and criminal mischief 4th degree. According to Owego Police officer Brett Kobylarcz, Mohr was arrested and remanded to the Tioga County Jail in lieu of $5,000 cash or $10,000 property bond. (Another joke!)  (Thanks to Wendy Post at the Owego Pennysaver for her coverage of this incident.)

How serious is this industry? Just look at the website of the company they outsource to. Is it a sham?

After all of the egregious BS this industry hands out, and after we’ve all seen how lax regulations work (or don’t work) from the Gulf of Mexico to Wall Street, how is it that some flunky from the gas coalitions still think anyone will take them seriously when they try to pretend that the “DEC and a good lease will protect us?”

Tags: DEC, gas drilling regulations, natural gas drilling regulation

Josh Fox (left) and James Hermann (right) at the screening of "Gasland" in Cooperstown, June 16, 2010

Josh Fox presented Gasland – The Movie last night in Cooperstown to a packed house and several standing ovations.The presentation was sponsored by the remarkable groups Sustainable Otsego and Otsego 2000.

Josh fielded questions from what was obviously a very well-informed public. A lot was learned this evening. I must say, it was one of the few times when I left the meeting not feeling disheartened. Combine that with the fact  that one of two bills before the New York State assembly, each calling for a moratorium on gas drilling in the Marcelllus Shale, had a good chance of passing the following day.

A call to action was made by Josh and the sponsoring organizations for audience members to call their representatives and the next morning expressing their support for the bills.

What can I say about this amazing film? It was a labor of love by a filmmaker who obviously loves where he lives and labored hard on this prize-winning film. Gasland is the winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

Gasland is premiering on HBO, Monday, June 21 at 9 PM Eastern / 8 PM Central time. If you live anywhere in New York State, including New York City, you will really want to see this film. Natural gas drilling is the next environmental disaster waiting to happen. This film will inform you of the dangers, and what you can do about them.

You can find out more about Gasland  at http://gaslandthemovie.com/

Bunk

Josh Fox releases response to industry attacks on GASLAND,

“AFFIRMING GASLAND”

co-written with Weston Wilson, EPA, Professor Anthony Ingraffea, Cornell University, and Barbara Arrindell of Damascus Citizens for Sustainability and others.

41-page document addresses industry attacks point by point.

Read the document: http://www.damascuscitizens.org/Affirming-GASLAND.pdf

Tags: Gasland, Gasland - The Movie, Josh Fox

This is from the facebook page of Action Otsego, at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=89726813783

Also see their website at: http://www.actionotsego.org/

It’s working! The NYS Assembly may well pass a moratorium

Quick report:

A few days ago the Senate’s Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Committee passed the 1-year moratorium as proposed by committee chair Sen. Antoine Thompson. That’s certainly better than nothing!

Sen. Thompson has told us that he doesn’t think the Addabbo bill would pass on the floor of the full legislature; he thinks his bill has a better chance. He may be right, but the folks calling our senators have been getting increasingly positive responses! If we keep the pressure up FOR ADDABBO, in other words FOR SCIENCE BEFORE DRILLING, we just might push them into doing the right thing!

Thompson himself told me that if the Addabbo bill is the one that comes to the floor, he will vote for it!

So here are TODAY’s ACTION STEPS from our friends who know Albany:

BOTTOM LINE: WE NEED A MORATORIUM BILL TO PASS

WHAT TO SAY: ASK the Senate leadership to make sure we get a moratorium bill. Explain that you prefer the Englebright/Addabbo bill (Senate 7592A, which links the moratorium to the EPA study), or register your desire to at least see the Thompson bill pass (that’s the one-year moratorium, not tied to the EPA). But, keep pushing, we are almost to the end of the session. Senate majority leadership is the key target.

Simple message in support of the Addabbo bill: Do the science before the drilling!

CALL THESE SENATORS: (I just called them all and it only took a few minutes. All the receptionists were friendly, helpful, and thankful for the support. – Brian)

Sen. Sampson 518-455-2788 or 718-649-7653,

Sen. Malcolm Smith, 518-455-2701. They have started a petition that people can sign to push the Addabbo Bill! PLEASE CALL AND SIGN. It only takes a minute. THEY SAID THAT THEY ARE RECEIVING MANY CALLS! It’s fantastic that they’ve done this!

Sen. Espada 518-455-3395 or 718-652-4329,

Sen. Klein (co-sponsor of Addabbo bill, so thank him!) 518-455-3595 or 718-822-2049

Sen. Addabbo – 518-455-2322

Sen. Hassell-Thompson 518-455-2061 or 718-547-8854

CALL THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE — 518-474-8390 Remember, if one of these bills passes, we have to make sure that Governor Paterson signs it!

Click here for details about Why it is necessary to suport the Englebright/Adabbo bill currently in the NYS legislature (A.10490/S.7592)

In a nutshell: The Englebright/Adabbo bill should be passed to establish a moratorium on conducting unconventional gas drilling in NYS until 120 days after the issuance of a report thereon by the federal EPA.

Tags: arcellus shale, fracking, Gas drilling, hydraulic fracturing, hydro fracking, Marcellus shale, natural gas drilling, Otego NY, water pollution

Thanks to Laurie from the weblog at un-naturalgas.org for turning me on to the great cartoons, illustrations and commentary about New York State by Mark Wilson at EmpireWire.com.

Cartoon courtesy of MARQUIL at EmpireWire.com

Cartoon courtesy of MARQUIL at EmpireWire.com

Cartoon courtesy of MARQUIL at EmpireWire.com

8WHCSN4RDPJT

Tags: fracking, Gas drilling, hydraulic fracturing, hydro fracking, Marcellus shale, natural gas drilling, Otego NY, water pollution

The prize for public service went to the tiny Bristol Herald Courier of southwestern Virginia, circulation 29,000, for revealing that many energy companies failed to pay required royalties on natural gas drilling, and that the royalties that were paid were not reaching the local people who deserved them.

Once again – another reason why you shouldn’t trust ‘em as far as you can spit rats.

Tags: arcellus shale, fracking, Gas drilling, hydraulic fracturing, hydro fracking, natural gas drilling, Otego NY, water pollution

Citizens’ group sponsors second public forum on gas drilling

The Concerned Citizens of the Butternut Valley is hosting a public forum titled “Gas Drilling:  What Lies Beneath, What Lies Ahead,” to be held on March 23 at 7 p.m. at Morris Central School.

It will address concerns related to horizontal drilling for natural gas, an issue which has been the subject of intense public debate over the last year.

“We share concerns for the future of this beautiful area and feel it’s imperative for our residents to know all the implications and “what ifs” associated with natural gas drilling,” said Fred Johnson who has been helping to organize the forum.

“We have an opportunity to make decisions based experiences in other states and on a complete review of the procedures, regulations and consequences associated with the fracking process,” he said.

By “fracking,” Johnson was referring to hydrofracturing or hydraulic fracturing – a process used to extract natural gas from previously impermeable shale. Millions of gallons of water, sand, and chemicals are injected at high pressure into horizontally drilled wells as far as 10,000 feet below the surface to extract contain the gas for energy use.  Concern about the environmental impacts of this process has been expressed by many individuals and environmental groups throughout the state.

Governor Paterson is currently reviewing thousands of public comments on the Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement crafted by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.  Public input on this document was closed at the end of 2009.  The SGEIS will regulate horizontal gas drilling operations, should this process ultimately be permitted in the state.

Presenters and topics for the evening’s program include Brian Brock, a geologist who will talk about how natural gas was formed formed, where it is now, and how gas companies plan to extract it from the earth’s sub-surface. Scott Fickbohm, District manager, Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation will address how gas as drilling issues will affect the local watershed.

Mary Jo Long, attorney, and Afton town board member legal considerations for individuals and towns.
“Gas drilling is a slow train but a big train,” Long said.  “It’s moving toward us but there are things both individuals and town governments need to know and act on in the face of gas drilling.”

Long will speak on liability issues related to personal injury or damage to property or wells and on compulsory integration, a policy which allows gas to be extracted from properties even when the land-owner has not signed a lease with a gas company.

“Some people think that because of compulsory integration they may as well sign a lease, but this is not necessarily a good idea,” she said.

Long will also urge local governments to have noise ordinances and road preservation laws in place.
In addition to panel members, Chris Haddock, real estate appraiser at Wilber Bank, will be available to answer questions regarding the effects of gas leasing on mortgages and property values.

A question and answer session will follow the presentations.

The forum is free and open to the public.  In case of heavy snow, the forum will be held at the same time and place on March 24.

The CCBV has sent announcements to towns and village officials of the Butternut Valley inviting them to attend the meeting.

The CCBV is a group of residents of the Butternut Valley organized to help educate its residents on the many facets of horizontal drilling for natural gas extraction and to encourage them to be active in protecting their communities from its potential dangers. In December 2009, CCBV sponsored its first forum, “Gas Drilling: Impacts on the Butternut Valley.”
Event organizer Bob Thomas of Morris said that his concern about gas drilling was piqued after perusing the DEC website, where he read, “At least 70,000 oil and gas wells have been drilled in New York since the 1800′s, but information is available for only about 30,000 of them. Locations for the others are unknown . . .”

“If they can lose 40,000 wells over the years and leave us all in peril for each one to some extent — will things really be improved by drilling another 100,000 wells or so?” Thomas asked.

Other event organizers include Paddy Lane and David Grodsky of Pittsfield, Joe Richardson of Morris, Flo Loomis of New Lisbon, Fred Johnson of Gilbertsville and Teresa Winchester of Butternuts.

Tags: Butternut Valley NY, compulsory integration, public forum on gas drilling

‘Stealth’ Measurements of Air Quality Contradict Shale Gas Industry Claims of Safe Air

New technology finds huge methane plumes around shale gas drilling and processing facilities

Technology is new arrow in quiver of shale gas impacted communities nationwide

DISH, TX,  March 4, 2010 Yesterday a team of environmental scientists presented findings from a novel two day emissions gas detection project showing methane levels as much as 20 times above normal background levels in the air around several counties in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

“These findings raise troubling questions about shale gas industry pollution not only in Texas but for states nationwide where shale gas drilling and production is planned or underway,” said Wilma Subra, EARTHWORKS board member, environmental chemist and MacArthur grant recipient.

The results were collected over the past two days by an undercover team driving an unmarked white van around the metroplex to test a new measurement technology that enables drive-by emissions testing on shale gas drilling and pumping facilities — without leaving the vehicle or slowing down from normal driving speeds.

Methane is a surrogate gas for benzene, xylene and other toxic and carcinogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). As a greenhouse gas that is roughly four-times more potent than CO2, methane is also a significant contributor to the ongoing climate crisis.

The results were presented to an overflow crowd at the DISH town hall where Mayor Calvin Tilman had called a special meeting to discuss the findings. DISH and other metroplex residents are concerned shale gas industry pollution are behind serious health problems in the area.

The sampling team, which included Wilma Subra and environmental testing firm Wolf Eagle Environmental, was able to approach and circle the pumping facilities without detection. Previously, companies that own and operate the shale gas installations had spotted sampling teams and turned off compressor and other production operations that produce emissions gases.

In one area, concentrations of methane from emissions plumes were so high that the instruments — manufactured by Picarro Inc. — reached the higher end of its detection range at 40-50 parts per million. When Subra and Wolf Eagle Environmental CEO Alisa Rich contacted air quality regulators, they learned that the Flower Mound facility had failed to report an emissions event, as required by state and federal law.

“These jaw-dropping results show that the shale gas industry is not to be trusted with public health”, said Sharon Wilson, organizer for the Texas Oil & Gas Accountability Project. “Texas OGAP and EARTHWORKS are considering ways to bring unannounced emissions detection to other shale gas regions — and other mining, digging and drilling facilities — around the country.”

Texas OGAP works with communities statewide to prevent and minimize the impacts caused by energy development. EARTHWORKS has 29,000 members nationwide, and offices in California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Texas and Washington, D.C.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

DISH methane emissions information — authored by Wilma Subra, EARTHWORKS board member

Flower Mound methane emissions mapping — authored by Alisa Rich, Wolf Eagle Environmental

DISH / Flower Mound findings and technical information on Picarro technology — authored by Chris Rella, Picarro, Inc.

texasogap.earthworksaction.org

Read the original article at earthworksaction.org

Brilliant video about the industry bedding government.

Of course lease-signers like to believe they are “against big government,” and of course they want to close their eyes to the fact that crooked, deregulated government is the only way that predatory natural gas companies can do business as they do.

It’s amazing what you can’t see if you don’t want to.

Tags: fracking, Gas drilling, hydraulic fracturing, hydro fracking, Marcellus shale, natural gas drilling, Otego NY, PolluterHarmony, water pollution

This letter is being reproduced from Catskill Citizens for Clean Energy.

Tell Paterson to Remove Grannis!

Under Commissioner Pete Grannis, the NYS DEC has concealed the Department’s shoddy safety record and misled the public about what’s really in fracking fluid.which is found on the home page of the website:  http://catskillcitizens.org/.

Throughout 2008, when the gas industry was actively leasing land for shale gas extraction, the DEC misled the public by refusing to acknowledge that high-volume hydraulic fracturing of horizontal shale gas wells would be significantly different than previous gas drilling operations in New York State. Director Field’s mantra that hydraulic fracturing “has been going on in New York for decades”1 seemed deliberately designed to lull the public into thinking that the Marcellus Shale gas play would resemble the low-volume fracturing operations that we had seen in the past.  Numerous inquiries to the Division of Mineral Resources prompted unsigned responses claiming that nothing new or different would be involved.

Also in 2008, the DEC succeeded in pushing a new well-spacing bill though the state legislature with little debate and scant public scrutiny. Although this “departmental” bill”2 was explicitly designed to facilitate the drilling of gigantic horizontal wells  which threaten to radically alter the landscape of western New York, Commissioner  Grannis  disingenuously characterized it as “a technical program bill [that] had nothing to do with anything related to environmental protections.”3   Instead he claimed it was “designed to protect adjacent landowners”.4

This bill was quickly moved out of Committee and passed late at night, on the last day of the legislative session.  Some lawmakers later complained that they weren’t even aware of the bill’s existence until hours before they were to vote on it. 5   Elected officials in New York City, and the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, also felt blindsided by the swift enactment of this law which had enormous implications for the integrity of the city’s watershed.6

At a time when New Yorkers were just becoming aware of the dangers posed by toxic chemicals used in fracking fluid, the DEC misled the public by asserting that “Marcellus shale fracing operations in New York State use fresh water, sand, nitrogen and a diluted soapy solution to fracture the shale. These frac fluids do not contain benzene, toluene or xylene.“7   This May 2008 email from the DEC failed to mention any of the toxic chemicals used in fracking fluids except to say three dangerous chemicals were not used in New York.  Of course we now know that the DEC was not telling the truth – fracking fluids contain dozens of chemicals including benzene, toluene and xylene.8

Perhaps most frustrating of all, New Yorkers have had to listen to Commissioner Grannis and Director Field parrot the industry line that there has not been “one instance of drinking water contamination in over one million frack jobs”.9

All over the country water wells have exploded or been rendered unusable because they have been contaminated by fracking fluid, methane or total dissolved solids due to nearby fracking operations. It’s bad enough to hear industry flacks claim that none of these case count as contamination, but it’s outrageous to hear this absurd claim coming from the very people who should be studying these environmental disasters, and trying to find a way to avoid repeating them in New York.

This manifest indifference to the harm caused by drilling accidents is infuriating.  On at least one occasion, Mr. Field falsely dismissed an accident in Brookfield, New York as one where “a bit got stuck and muddied up a bunch of water wells.”10   This is a false and remarkably insensitive description of an incident in which some water wells were completely destroyed and others were left unusable for months on end.11

1. Director Field speaking at a public meeting in Liberty, New York July 1, 2008.

2. Commissioner Grannis testifying before the New York City Council Commission on Environmental Protection.  September 10, 2008.  Page 44 of the transcript.

3. Ibid.  Page 45 of the transcript.

4. Ibid.  Page 47 of the transcript.

5.  ”This issue came to my attention when a bill regarding well spacing appeared before the Assembly for a vote with very little time to review the issue.”  Testimony of Assembly Member Deborah Glick before the New York City Council Commission on Environmental Protection.  September 10, 2008.  Page 87 of the transcript.

6. See the remarks of Committee on Environmental Protection Chair James Gennaro.  Transcript of hearing, September 10, 2008.

7.   In a email message dated 5/28/2008 2:50:28 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

dmnog@gw.dec.state.ny.us wrote:   “Industry has used horizontal well drilling in New York since the late 1980s. Hydraulic fracturing has been commonly and safely used in New York State for decades. Marcellus shale fracing operations in New York State use fresh water, sand, nitrogen and a diluted soapy solution to fracture the shale. These frac fluids do not contain benzene, toluene or xylene.”

8. Draft SGEIS pp 5.34-5.66.

9. Director Field speaking at a public meeting in Liberty, New York July 1, 2008.

See also this exchange between Commissioner Grannis and Assemblyman Jim Bacalles before the New York State Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation, October 15, 2009

ASSEMBLYMAN JIM BACALLES:  Pete, you mentioned that we have been fracing gas wells for a long time …But are you aware of anywhere where a drinking well or any kind of watershed has been affected by that drilling that’s been going on for 20 years or so?

MR. GRANNIS: We are not Jim. We have no reports of, you know, there are accidental spills that take place on the sites, but we have no reports of water contamination associated with.

Page 79 of transcript

10.  Director Field speaking at a public meeting in Liberty, New York July 1, 2008.

11. The following articles originally appeared in the Syracuse Post:

SOME STILL WAIT FOR THEIR WATER BROOKFIELD SUPERVISOR SAYS MANY PROBLEMS WITH WELLS REMAIN UNSOLVED.  Alaina Potrikus Staff writer

Nearly three months after an accident at a natural gas drilling site caused some backyard water wells to turn into geysers, some North Brookfield residents are still relying on bottled water to meet their daily needs.

Tell Paterson to Remove Grannis!

Under Commissioner Pete Grannis, the NYS DEC has concealed the Department’s shoddy safety record and misled the public about what’s really in fracking fluid.

Note from Brian: I’ve written about the lies about “vertical is the same as horizontal,” and “they’ve been doing this for years,” and “there has never been any contamination.” You’d really have to be as dense as a fence post to still buy that stuff, but still people will believe anything if they are offered “free money” to believe it. It’s like the tooth fairy.

You can read more about it at these posts:

http://otegony.com/they-dont-even-lie-well

http://otegony.com/spinning-the-truth-about-horizontal-fracturing

Tags: Bradley J. Field, DEC, fracking, Gas drilling, hydraulic fracturing, hydro fracking, Marcellus shale, natural gas drilling, Otego NY, Pete Grannis, water pollution