How are the local Frac-A-Phobes doing since I have been away from the blog? Well it looks like they might have slowed down some. I don’t know if the FAPs have burned up the projector used to show that Academy Award Nominated film “GASLAND”, but I have seen no Facebook page post announcing any future showings. Maybe HBO stole the show….get it?
Anyway, I would expect ours FAPs to want to investigate and regulate our pipeline industry now that there was a 30 minute leak up in Yellowstone Park. Never let a crisis go to waste. Isn’t that what Rahm Emanuel (former chief of staff for President Obama) said? So, very soon, I expect to see some serious outrage over that.
What I would like is the Frac-A-Phobes to tell us/me, is what do you really want? And don’t just say better regulation of the industry. What specifically do you want? The industry is already heavily regulated by the United States EPA, DOT, as well as every state where fracing occurs has state regulations for drilling and fracing. Give me the new specific rules you want. If you can’t, then that means you haven’t read the existing rules.
Don’t just say you want water resources protected. Tell me how. What rules do you want that are different than those that are in place today? Do you want to change property laws and make water rights a thing of the past? Should all water belong to the “village”?
It is time for Laredo Frac-A-Phobes to lay out their plan. No more comments like “We just want to make sure that things are safe and regulated properly” because I don’t think that is what you are really after. Why are you listening to National-Frac-A-Phobe ex-Mayor Calvin Tillman. I need to clarify that Mayor Tillman didn’t start out as a Frac-A-Phobe. He was upset that Dish, Tx. was the site of a gas pipeline pressurization station. He and the other 200 Dish residents started having all kinds of imagined medical problems once the pipeline station came to Dish. At least that is what they reported to Earthworks. You know, Earthworks, the environmental group who hate everything that man makes, does, or wants to do. Yep the Earthworks folks did a survey (not a scientific study, but a dining room survey) asking if people were sick or had any kind of strange symptoms. But there was no scientific methodology used in this survey. Tillman continued to complain, so the Texas Department of State Health Services came in and conducted a real survey using blood and tissue samples. The TDSHS took samples from 28 Dish residents (14% of residents).
From the TDSHS report: Agency officials collected biological samples from 28 Dish residents in late January to see whether levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in their blood were higher than those in the broader population. “We were looking to see whether a single contaminant or a handful of contaminants were notably elevated in many or all of the people we tested,” said Dr. Carrie Bradford, the toxicologist who led the investigation.*
And here is the summation of that report: Texas health officials found no connection between pollution from a natural gas compressor station in Dish, Texas and levels of toxins in the blood of people living nearby.*
The new report from the Department of State Health Services says levels of benzene and other contaminants was no higher in Dish residents than in the nation’s population in general.**
But the mayor was not discouraged. He signed on with Earthworks and now is a national spokesman for the anti-fracing movement. It goes to show a man with the right cause can reach the national environmental stage with ease. Just look at Al Gore. Facts not required, just a good/right message.
Now is the time for those against natural gas recovery to stand up, be honest, and really tell us why you are upset that our energy companies have found enough natural gas to meet US energy demands for over a century.
Tom- You always have an interesting perspective- I believe, after the Town Hall meeting- and hearing the representative from the Railroad Commission lay out the facts about what information is required to be released regarding types and quantities of chemicals used in the process- that some people are concerned about whether or not it is feasible for water, land or air to be contaminated. Many of the local bloggers encouraged people to attend the Town Hall meeting in order to learn more about the process- which we did. At the time of the Town Hall meeting, the Railroad Commission rep was very honest about the fact that companies could voluntarily divulge the chemicals being used but that there were items that did not necessarily need to be divulged if it was deemed a trade secret. That causes concern if it high levels of carcinogenic chemicals are being used which are not being tested for. Furthermore, there is no baseline water testing being done in the areas where fracking is scheduled to occur. It would be very vindicating for the oil and gas industry if baseline water and air testing were done prior to fracking so there is a benchmark for future analysis. If you ask what I am specifically interested in as a parent and citizen, I am interested in seeing baseline water and air testing. I don't know if fracking has caused these issues in Marcellus Shale or other alleged areas. But, I do know that conditions can be set so as to determine if contamination occurs in projected fracking areas. So, there it is. I want baseline water testing. Frack Away. Get that Gas. I'm all for it. But, let's test the water, land and air after the fracking is done to see if conditions have changed. If nothing has changed- Great! If something has changed for the worse, then let's adjust. I think that is reasonable.
ReplyDeleteAlso- I've seen that recent legislation (post-Town Hall) seems to indicate that chemicals must be divulged. But, I haven't pinpointed whether or not it is a requirement that is still subject to the Trade Secret loophole. If anyone knows whether companies can still withhold chemicals under the Trade Secret clause, then that would be great to know!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post. You can obtain an MSDS from anyone who stores, uses, or transporst any hazardous materials. You can even get EPCRA reports for storage facilities in your area that store high quantities of extremley hazardous materials. All drilling sites, storage facilities, transportation companies, and manufacturers are required to have these on hand and available for review by government officials and employees at anytime.
ReplyDeleteHowever, trade secrets laws are there to protect the company from having to release exact formulas of thier product. There is no loophole. If you were a chemical producer would you want to give up your trade secrets? If the chemical companies have to give up exact fracing chemical quantities, then why not force bug spray manufacturers, motor oil manufacturers, fertilizer manufacturers and anyone who uses chemical compounds give up their proprietary information?
I think the concern centers on the fact that these compounds are injected directly into the earth. The information that was presented to the citizens at the Town Hall did not appear to indicate that it was a matter of quantity, but that actual chemicals and or compounds could be withheld from the public in the interest of protecting trade secrets. If that is, in fact, not the case, that would be good to know. And, if the chemicals ARE being divulged, then I still believe that baseline air and water testing is still a good idea. How will an area know if there were pre-existing toxic conditions unless there is a sample to measure against? You asked for what some of us who would like to understand this process better are looking for- I can't speak for everyone, but that's what I want. If it is harmless, then it will be proven harmless- and everyone wins. We have a new and effective energy source that has been proven safe and concerns may be set to rest. And, as for divulging compounds and chemical from pesticide companies, and other industries who use them- I believe there needs to be a disinterested party ensuring the public health and environmental safety with their use. I know you're not a heavy "Go Green" fan- but there is a reason why the organic/natural movement is gaining momentum. There was a time when crops were sprayed with white arsenic because it was tasteless and odorless. That is not common practice anymore because people became aware that there were better methods of doing things. We're not talking about the secret recipe for the Dove Bar. I would support knowledge of any recipe involving carcinogenic compounds that might impact air, water or soil quality deriving from any industry.
ReplyDeleteWell we will disagree on this, but you and I (to bad we're not legislators with no party affiliation) could probably fix this issue.
ReplyDeletePS. It is not grass roots green folks that bother me, it is the well funded misanthropologist that I am targeting.
And we do have some locals that fit this label.
Tom, disagreement is good. I hope that's how rational solutions are found. :) I know you're not targeting me directly- but, I also don't think that being pro-safe process and pro-oil and gas are mutually exclusive concepts. I consider myself both. Anyway- thanks for your blog- always fun to talk at you. :)
ReplyDeleteKnowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit.
ReplyDeleteWisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I love tomatos....and I love fruit salad.
ReplyDelete