Memorial Day Reflection on Gas and Oil Drilling

The seminal language of freedom espoused so eloquently by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence can afford us an original blueprint of God given rights that can be applied to our situation with he current gas drilling mania and its concurrent abuses. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Certainly we can all agree that "Life" could be defined as the ability to live without the threat of impending death. The current state of affairs in the universe of gas drilling and the documented despoiling of our water without any impunity threatens the very essence of what can sustain life. A human being can live without food for weeks, but will perish without water in days. Not only are we threatened by the lack of water (hydraulic fracturing removes a certain percentage of water from the water cycle forever), but we are also threatened by the contamination of acquifers that according to certain scientists, may never be restored. To drink from these fouled waters could bring about a slow death; the victim's sipping slowly bringing upon disease (cancer, neurological diseases etc.) and thereby threatening life itself. Surely the Declaration assures us of the right to life; we must assert this right most assiduously.

Secondly, the Declaration embraces the rights to Liberty. Liberty, according to Merriam-Webster is 1 : the quality or state of being free: a : the power to do as one pleases b : freedom from physical restraint c : freedom from arbitrary or despotic control d : the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges e : the power of choice
If that is indeed so, that we should have positive enjoyment of various social, political or economic rights and privileges and freedom from arbitrary or despotic control, how is it that gas companies and our government have contrived a scheme where the tyranny of of this unholy marriage between government and big oil and gas trumps citizen's rights to enjoy reasonable property use and rights? When the landman comes to the door he does not fully inform residents...he tells them that they frack by injecting sand and water-No mention of toxic chemicals. Then, he coerces them by informing them that if they don't sign up, they will forced to by the local courts. Sadly, the local courts actually do force the residents to be a part of this. Eminent Domain in its historical context never conceived of these violations. It's bad enough there have been abuses of the right of eminent domain, but when gas drilling is done in such an irresponsible manner with no regard to contamination of humans and wildlife, this amounts to unreasonable seisure of property. If you have contaminated water, soil and air - your property is worthless.

Thirdly, when Jefferson mentioned the Pursuit of Happiness he echoed Mason's language which alluded to property rights. Hardworking individuals who save and pursue prosperity according to these almost sacred Jeffersonian ideals have been coerced into poverty and ill-health by the these behemoth entities who utilize their enormous wealth to influence our government into tossing aside protections that every other industry must follow. The Halliburton Loophole, and the many exemptions from statutes set up to protect citizens health have permitted them to completely destroy any Pursuit of Happiness.

Finally, Jefferson advises us that That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,. If governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed, then we have the right to cry out against these abuses and demand that our government (including state and federal agencies) alter its current modus operendi, and bow to the will of the people. He goes on to say: That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Now, I don't propose that we abolish our government to secure safety and happiness, but simply alter it. We demand that gas drilling not use toxic chemicals, that they utilize practices that do not destroy water, air and soil and that they are so held accountable by statutes with teeth: not by an honor code. The gas and oil industry has broken any honor time and time again. The Gulf Oil Spill is just one mortal wound that was performed without care and oversight by an industry drunken with power and a government who lies in bed with them like a reclining filthy mistress - eyes closed because she was purchased with gold and blood.

Let us remember our heritage and assert our God given rights.

Texas Agency in Hot Water for Not Revealing Problems with Air Tests!!!!

Audit reveals Texas Commission on Environmental quality gave out inaccurate test results and then failed to correct this information even when they knew it was incorrect. Critics call for an investigation of these actions!
Arkansans...We need to watch carefully what is happening in our state.
The state of affairs here is dubious at best!!!
Read full story:
http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/05/27/2223239/texas-agency-gave-inaccurate-air.html

Clinton Quorum Court Meeting - Gas Drilling Concerns Discussed!!!

See Article in Van Buren County Democrat:
Regarding gas drilling:

JP George Bruen said the county judge needs to get ADEQ “to get busy and get down here” to monitor the situation.

“We should go to the state and make an issue out of it,” Bruen said.

“This is your home, your air, your water,” the teacher said, urging the JPs to hold the gas and oil firms accountable.

She noted that newspaper articles have said gas and oil companies name Arkansas as “their favorite place to drill” because there are no state laws to protect the people.

At the end of the meeting, Clinton Mayor Roger Rorie said he agreed with the woman’s statements and urged the county and all the towns in the county to pass a resolution to seek a temporary moratorium to injection wells and ask for a water study. He said the resolution should be presented to the governor, ADEQ and other state agencies. Vaden said he would work with the mayor on such a resolution.



http://www.vanburencountydem.com/articles/2010/05/28/news/nws03.txt

Texas Agency of Destruction - Article in the Texas Observer Reveals Similar Problems in Texas

Most assume state agencies work for the people...This article reveals that at least in some states like Texas, the agency's real "customer" is not the people, but it is the Gas Industry. What can we say about Arkansas???
Read article:
http://www.texasobserver.org/cover-story/agency-of-destruction

Andy Chesier, Chairman of CARE, Awarded Organizer of the Year Award from the Sierra Club

Andy Cheseir was honored this weekend in Fayetteville, Arkansas with the Organizer of the Year Award from the Sierra Club for his tireless efforts educating citizens about the perils of current gas drilling practices. He has successfully organized this burgeoning grassroots movement in Arkansas by standing by the side of many citizens who have experienced contaminated water and air due to gas drilling/fracking. He has sacrificed so much to help others and this award is well deserved. We thank Rob Leflar and the Sierra Club for recognizing such a fine person.

Split Estate - a Blueprint of an Arkansas Disaster

A friend sent me the documentary Split Estate, and I watched it with my family last night. The movie chronicles the fate of residents who live in the shadow of natural gas drilling in western Colorado. Sweeping plateau grasslands are encircled by the breathtaking snowcapped Rockies - emblems of American freedom. Amidst this once pristine landscape, hundreds of gas wells now ensconce themselves precariously close to families' homes like evil alien creatures squatting - preparing to take over the land. Clear, fresh streams and prodigious fresh ground water have been sullied by the gas drilling activity. Air, that was once a remedy for those with breathing problems has now become dense with carcinogens and particulates.

Roots grow deep. Good stock - some of these people come from generations of frontiersman, strengthened by the wild beauty and freedom of the West. Others have fled the big cities and retired to enjoy their halcyon years on peaceful homesteads. One Native American man, his enigmatic face betraying visible grief over the desecration of thousands of acres of his family’s land by the scarring of gas wells, tried to make sense of the senseless. Another, once vibrant woman was poisoned by chemical fumes and contaminated water was rendered a pitiful invalid. She had speech problems, neurological problems and she was nearly completely bedridden. A young family, living on their dream ranch, had a gas well drilled a few hundred feet from their house, and soon after their water became grey. The state agency tested the water and told them it was safe to drink. During this time their young baby suckled at her mother’s breast while the mother drank freely from the water well. After a period of time the family developed endocrine tumors, only to discover in horror that the well was indeed contaminated with very toxic chemicals. The gas company and the agencies knew.

Families fought bravely for change, but change came too late for some. Fighting these egregious wrongs sapped them of energy that many of them needed to fight health problems. Soon, many tried to sell their homes only to discover that the gas drilling activities rendered these once valuable pieces of property absolutely worthless. They abandoned these in droves and moved to areas completely removed from gas drilling activities. Some are now dead. These gas drilling ghost towns are similar to the Old West ghost towns, left behind after the gold rush subsided, except for one distinct difference – gas drilling ghost towns may never again have clean water. We just don’t know if that water could ever be cleaned up again - Some scientists have their doubts.

How does this apply to Arkansas? If we let gas drilling continue unabated, with little or no oversight, we too will become the next ghost town. Despite the hyperbolic claims of a tremendous economic boon, I have sat in on quorum court county meetings where officials struggle to give raises to county employees for well deserved services. Many of the license plates of employees I see at gas drilling sites are from out of state. Even residents that hold hefty shares of mineral rights and are on city water may actually be deceived with regard to their current prosperity. I recently interviewed a whistle blower, a former gas driller, who explained the stark reality of the economics of gas drilling. He told me that they are indeed able to extract gas without harmful chemicals, but they prefer to use the chemicals to accelerate the release of the gas – not for America, but for pure dark profit. He said they are shipping a lot of gas to other nations. With this accelerated technology these gas wells will be depleted within five years and when they are done in an area, they will sell off to lesser companies. Once they are finished gorging themselves, they will leave the table, and move on to other feasts, leaving us with the cleanup of an environmental disaster, the likes of which has not been seen. I’ve interviewed others who have told me of once rich landowners in states like West Virginia, where farmers were forced to vacate their land because they could not afford to clean up waste left behind by energy companies.

Colorado and New Mexico have tightened their controls of gas drilling to protect their residents. Arkansas has not, and now gas companies consider Arkansas the best place to drill - best for whom? They can drill safely, but they will not if we don’t make them. Arkansans survived many tough times in the past leaning on self-reliance and common sense. Let us now embrace these values of the past and demand that our government set limits to protect us from dangerous gas drilling practices.

The Gas Drilling Man (A little doggerel for fun)

The Gas Drilling Man
Inspired by Alfred Noyes “Highwayman” by Slingshot

The wind brought a whiff of diesel among the gusty trees
The frack fluid left its glaze and its fumes caused me to wheeze
The road was a ribbon of moonlight that revealed the chamber door
And the gas driller came drilling –
Drilling-
Drilling -
And the gas driller came drilling up to the farmhouse door.


He’d a Cowboy’s hat on his forehead and a scarf around his chin,
And a coat of burnished leather, and jeans that were worn thin,
With gloves to protect his hands and goggles for his eyes,
And he dare not light a match
or he’d blow up to the skies,
His hose filled up the pit, under the gas filled sky.

Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed on the country lane,
With his monstrous truck he reeled along driving residents insane,
He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there,
But the farmer with her minerals
Jess, the farmer with her minerals
Waiting to sign the on the line, with her long scared stare.

One signature’s all that’s needed, I’m after a prize tonight,
But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light,
If you press me too sharply with questions or hurry me through the day,
Then look for me by moonlight,
Watch for me by moonlight,
I’ll come to thee by moonlight and that is when I’ll spray.

He rose up for his lease, and he grasped it from her hand.
She didn’t get to read it, the court would force it on the land.
With friends who get many favors and benefits galore,
He waved goodbye in the moonlight,
Oh, sweet, sweet brine of the moonlight,
Then he chugged at his wheel in the moonlight, and coursed away through the door.
Part Two

He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon
And out o’ the tawny sunset, before the rise of the moon,
He set up his lights in the daytime and kept them on night and day
A troop of men came marching,
Marching, marching
Those gas drilling men came marching up to the farmhouse door.

Now they said no word to the farmer, sucked her stream dry instead,
But they gagged her by buying off press and bound her to her narrow stead;
A few of them came a knocking, with their briefcases at their side!
There was death at every window;
And hell at one dark window;
For Jess could see, through her casement, the road that they would ride.


They had tied her up with lawyers, with many a sniggering jest;
Then they drilled with manic fury shaking every hill and crest,
“Now, keep a good watch!” and they kissed her
Though she heard the dead man say –
Watch for them by the moonlight;
They’ll sully your well by the moonlight;
Your clear water well by the moonlight will turn a bloody grey!

She twisted her hands behind her; but the lack of laws just stood!
The agencies writhed through her fingers; they didn’t even try to make good
On their promises of protection so the hours crawled on like years,
Till, now, on the stroke of midnight,
Cold, on the stroke of midnight,
The poisoning of the aquifer…will wring out many tears.

Drrrop; drrrop! Had they heard it? The drill-bits ringing clear
Drrrop, Drrop in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?
Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,
The gas man came a drilling,
Drilling, drilling!
The gas men looked to their fracking! She stood up, straight and still!

Drrop, in the frosty silence! Drrrop in the echoing night!
Nearer he with his drilling piercing the shale that night.
Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath,
Then her voice cried out in the moonlight,
Stop all this in the moonlight
She shattered her silence in the moonlight and refused to die a slow death.

He turned and told her to keep her peace, didn’t she know he could
Carry bags of money to pay off all that he could
To keep her quiet, to hide the truth to keep the farmers mum.
Now Jess, the farmer’s daughter,
The blue-eyed farmer’s daughter,
Had watched them pierce in the moonlight, and splinter the earth in the moonlight
And God said that’s not fair.

Back they drilled like madmen, shrieking a curse to the sky,
With white tankers smoking behind them, and their drill bits brandished high!
Blood-red were their sludge pits in the golden noon, ghostly white were their trucks
When they shot down on the highway,
When they drilled up and down the highway, armed with loads of bucks.

And still of a winter’s night, they say, when the wind is in the trees,
When politicians are pressed with donations to lie and bring them to their knees
There is a terrible catastrophe of water going dry
As the gas man comes a drilling –
Drilling ---drilling---
A gas man comes a drilling up to the farmhouse door.

Over the cobbles he clatters and rushed away in utter disgrace
As the farmers all gathered and locked their doors and gates
Of the disaster that was upon them, they soon sounded the alarm,
to save each drop of water and every family farm.
Leave us in peace, you robbers, of our health and of our peace.
Your pollution it’s not worth it we demand that it will cease.

The Dictionary of Gas Drilling Euphemisms

Now, Merriam-Webster defines Euphemism as:
the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant; also : the expression so substituted

So, here goes. Let's go through some of the favorite euphemisms used by the gas industry to thinly veil some very nefarious practices.

Best Management Practices
A friend of mine, brought this one to my attention. He calls them Bad Management Practices. In actuality, these are only guidelines and are completely on the "honor" system and are completely unenforceable. Don't ever be beguiled by this nice sounding term. You know the old saying. "There is no honor among...." Just fill in the blanks...you know the old saying!!! Let's get these ideas into laws with some teeth!

Brine - usually thought of as a salt water, but in the case of gas drilling this fluid could include oil products, NORMS or radioactive substances, and a collection of heavy metals.

Drill mud - bentonite clay that is enhanced with toxic biocides and extremely toxic polymers.

Frack Ponds - not a pond at all, but a plastic lined depression to hold fluids for fracking.
A friend says: "A frack pond is actually supposed to hold fresh water that they use for fracking and NOT toxic flow back or waste water. Around here they sneak the flow back in the frack water and think we won't know the difference."

Household products: hydraulic fracturing chemicals.

Land Farms - Nothing bucolic or romantic about these farms. This is the practice where gas companies spread toxic drilling waste over once pristine farmland to simply get rid of the waste. see this article:
http://www.fwweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3374:tilling-in-toxins&catid=30:cover-story&Itemid=375

Proprietary Formulas - Sounds a bit like a pharmacist's delight, but in reality these are the formulas of toxic fracking chemicals that are injected down into gas wells. They include biocides which have been described by gas industry officials themselves as some of the most toxic substances. Over three hundred toxic chemicals have been discovered to have been used in other states, but we never know what is used in each well. Isn't that just precious that these toxic chemicals are protected like trade secrets by an amazing inventor or scientist. Who is being protected here...our water? NOT!!!

Slick Water - water that is lubricated with toxic substances such as diesel.

Water - as in produced water, as in potentially toxic waste

I will add more to this dictionary as we go along...hope this helps translate things for you!!!

New Blog on List - Ouachita River Keepers!!!!

I just added a new blog to my list called Ouachita River Keepers. http://ouachitariverkeeper.org/index.html
This group has fought successfully for clean water for many years in Southern Arkansas and Northern Louisiana. Great Site!!!

Head of EPA District 6 (for Arkansas and Texas) visits DISH, TX

Dr. Armendariz, head of our District 6, visited with residents and the town council recently. Armendariz said:
“Our enforcement initiative doesn’t depend on any state,” “We have the clearance to do what our mission is. We don’t expect any political interference on me or any others.”
"... people should be drinking clean water, and that’s something that we can take immediate action [on], and we can address really quickly,” Armendariz said.

See the whole article from the Denton Record:

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_Dish_0511.13606162.html

Mother's Day Reflection on Gas Drilling

It is a beautiful, cool sunny day in Arkansas today. My husband and children have surrounded me with love and devotion and yet as I make my morning cup of coffee from water filtered from a Big Berkey, I can't help but renew my fight to protect our water on behalf of my cherished children. I want them to grow up safe and healthy and not bear scars of long term illness from undisclosed chemicals from fracking. I always think about this...how do gas company officials, agency personnel and government officials kiss their children and grandchildren goodnight, when they tuck them in at night, knowing full well they are placing at risk other people's precious children. Look into their eyes today and ask yourself - would I allow my child to live next to a gas well? Would I let them bathe in a tub of grey water? Would I allow them to drink from water that could make them seriously ill? I think not. If we were to get the addresses of all top gas company managers and executives, I doubt if one of them would live next to a gas well...especially with what they know. I am listing my farm for sale with full disclosure. Will anyone buy it?

Gas Company Shareholders Cry for Disclosure of Fracking Chemicals and Safer Drilling Practices!!!!

Shareholders start demanding changes in fracking practices!
See below from Investor Environmental Health Network:

http://iehn.org/news.press.fracvotes.php

FALLS CHURCH, VA///May 6, 2010/// Shareholders at Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation (COG) and EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG) cast about a third of their votes in support of resolutions urging the companies to better disclose the environmental hazards of natural gas production and policies to minimize risks. Of shareholders voting for or against, the 36 percent vote at Cabot Oil & Gas on April 27th and the 31 percent vote at EOG Resources on April 28th demonstrate unusually high support for these resolutions presented for the very first time at corporate meetings. The Securities and Exchange Commission had rejected efforts by both companies to keep the resolutions off their proxy ballots.

“Investors are requesting increased transparency because we are concerned that shareholder value may be undermined by company actions that fall behind public and regulatory expectations for environmental protection,” said Larisa Ruoff, Director of Shareholder Advocacy for Green Century Capital Management. “In the absence of meaningful disclosure, investors have no way of fully assessing the risks and rewards from investing in various companies in the energy sector,” she continued.


Additional resolutions are expected to be voted on in May and June at Chesapeake Energy, ExxonMobil, Williams Companies, Inc. and Ultra Petroleum.

AP says Cozy Relationships Between Regulatory Agency and Oil and Gas Industry Led to Rule Changes that May Have Contributed to Spill- Can We Learn From Our Mistakes?

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A rule change two years ago by the federal agency that regulates offshore oil rigs allowed BP to avoid filing a plan specifically for handling a major spill from an uncontrolled blowout at its Deepwater Horizon project — exactly the kind of disaster now unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico.

Oil rig operators generally are required to submit a detailed "blowout scenario." But the federal Minerals Management Service issued a notice in 2008 that exempted some drilling projects in the Gulf under certain conditions.

The Deepwater Horizon disaster is not the first time MMS has been criticized as too close to the oil industry.

In 2008, the Interior Department took disciplinary action against eight MMS employees who accepted lavish gifts, partied and — in some cases — had sex with employees from the energy companies they regulated. An investigation cited a "culture of substance abuse and promiscuity" involving employees in the agency's Denver office.


Read entire article below in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette:
http://hosted2.ap.org/ARLID/a5050f4ad4f44dafab85bb41a15281cf/Article_2010-05-05-US-Gulf-Oil-Spill-Blowout-Plan/id-b1e93bb906ed4649b13f446d51555fd5

Clearly close relationships between agencies who are charged to protect and gas and oil companies can lead to disastrous results.

AP says Oil Rig in Gulf had a History of Spills and Fires before Big One. BP also claimed that a disaster like this could really never happen! "Promises, promises I'm all through with promises, promises now..." Can we compare this to claims of Gas and Oil promising that fracking and injection wells will never affect our acquifers?

Associated Press tells a haunting tale of how the BP's deepwater rig had a history of problems before this huge environmental disaster occured. BP also in papers claimed that it was almost impossible for such a disaster to occur. Many are suing Halliburton in this case for its role in cementing the wells pipes just prior to the blowout.
Oil services contractor Halliburton Inc. said in a statement Friday that workers had finished cementing the well's pipes 20 hours before the rig went up in flames. Halliburton is named as a defendant in most of the more than two dozen lawsuits filed by Gulf Coast people and businesses claiming the oil spill could ruin them financially. Without elaborating, one lawsuit filed by an injured technician on the rig claims that Halliburton improperly performed its job in cementing the well, "increasing the pressure at the well and contributing to the fire, explosion and resulting oil spill." AP
These same players are fracking in our area. Are cement casings able to withstand earthquake activity? What about the injection wells. Poiseidon Entergy has been cited by AOGC for a violation. Dare we entertain having them install yet another injection well in our area. We have already been inundated with gas wells with little oversight of our groundwater. No disclosure of fracking chemicals has been made so no testing of any significance has occurred because of cost. Shall we trust an industry with our lives when we can see from the Gulf the disastrous results of such trust?
See AP article:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GULF_OIL_SPILL_THE_RIG?SITE=NCJAC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT