Friday, September 25, 2015

BREAKING: Oil and Gas Drilling Impacts Public Drinking Water in Potter County (PA)

Journalist writer Melissa Troutman, Executive Director of Public Herald, reports that drinking water systems have been impacted and at least five private water supplies  are contaminated due to ongoing pollution being caused by a natural gas fracking operation of JKLM Energy in Potter County, PA.  An emergency public meeting occurred  this week in downtown Coudersport (Ms. Troutman's hometown). The water contamination has been sourced to the Reese Hollow #118 shale gas well where drilling operations began on August 28, 2015.

An interesting side issue:  JKLM Energy, a young company, whose largest shareholder, Terry Pegula,  sold the former East Resources for $4.6 billion and then purchased the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres.  A study revealed that East Resources ranked first among about 45 drillers cited for violations during the period of the study.

Another revolting aspect:  DEP is telling local residents to direct their complaints to JKLM Energy.  So they are kind of on their own I guess.

Read Troutman's report here. In the article, there are many links which will take you to other places to learn more about this horrible situation.

http://publicherald.org/breaking-oil-gas-drilling-impacts-public-drinking-water-supplies-in-potter-county/

Demand accountability!

Friday, August 14, 2015

Emergency Protest in Albany, NY, Against the Constitution Pipeline



Published on Aug 13, 2015
Governor Cuomo and Acting DEC Commissioner Gerstman must deny issuing a 401 Water Quality Certificate (WQC) fort the Constitution Pipeline.

Visit: www.stopthepipeline.org


Do not issue a 401 Water Quality Certificate (WQC) for the Constitution Pipeline!  Thank you to all the protestors who went to Albany August 11th!

Friday, July 3, 2015

Vera Scroggins: Anti-Fracking Activist Talks About Her Injunction



Uploaded on Jun 29, 2015
Vera Scroggins explains the injunction set by Cabot oil and gas against her she must follow in Susquehanna County. She also explains a new phenomenon: Vera sightings.

Vera has been revealing what is actually happening in Susquehanna County, PA, through her video documentation and the tours she gives of the area, during which she shows people the effects of the gas industry.  To say she is relentless is an understatement.  She has been sued by Cabot Oil and made several court appearances.  An injunction was given to her in May which has many orders in it, limiting her access to many places in her county, and will never expire.

She explains what Vera Sightings are here.  Cabot is trying to build a case against her even now after all she has been through. 

Friday, May 15, 2015

We Are Seneca Lake: Josh Fox Speaks Out About Nat Gas Storage Under Seneca Lake



"[Josh] Fox  put together this short documentary, which premiered exclusively at the Daily Beast on Wednesday—a call to action from him and fracking activist Sandra Steingraber, an ecologist and author who has been at the forefront of the We Are Seneca Lake campaign."

Horizontal slickwater hydrofracking was banned in New York State in 2014.  However, the infrastructure needed to support the natural gas industry, i.e. pipelines, storage facilities, trains, compressor stations, etc., are equally as disturbing and dangerous.  We must not let up on the fight to protect the planet.

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Sharon Wilson: How She Became an Activist Against the Gas Industry in Texas


Sharon Wilson - Ft. Worth, Texas from Oceans 8 Films on Vimeo.

Sharon Wilson is a horsewoman and blogger from Texas whose bucolic property suddenly became prime real estate for hydrofracking. In response, she organized other landowners in similar predicaments and made sure their voices could be heard.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Earth Day Message from Rep. Louise Slaughter of New York

Happy Earth Day!
 
 
God bless Mother Earth, our island home.

Stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership!


To get involved in the movement to stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership, click here.

#noTPP
 
The good news is that this is a plan we can stop. Today, Congress introduced a bill that would allow the TPP to be signed into law. This legislation, called Fast Track, faces a close vote -- if enough Members of Congress come out against this plan in the next few weeks, TPP stops in its tracks.
 
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is being negotiated in secret because it is such a bad idea, and the corporations behind it are hoping it moves forward without too many people noticing. If our representatives know we're watching, they're much less likely to get behind this thing.
TPP could also be used to attack worker's rights, and so many other things that matter. For instance, if New York finally raises the minimum wage to $15, multinational corporations could sue the state and make taxpayers pay for lost profit. Every major organization fighting for economic justice for workers opposes it.

Fracking Intimidation: Vera Scroggins Edition




on Apr 21, 2015
Cabot Oil and Gas does not tolerate dissent. They've used lies and intimidation to silence Vera Scroggins, who does citizen tours around Dimock Pennsylvania. But the harassment of any and all critics is very common - I found this out personally as I filmed installation across America. I was reported to Homeland Security for filming a gas refinery - Homeland security gave my boss a call after they tracked the license plate on the rented car I was driving to him. "To know who rules over you, find out who you can not criticize" The fossil fuel industry - using the fracking boom - has decided we will remain on fossil fuels no matter what science says. Silencing critics is pone way they get this done - which destroying our democracy, our environment and our communities at the same time.

"Vera Scroggins, a Pennsylvania grandmother who gives tours of her local area to people interested in knowing more about fracking, could be jailed for her work. Cabot Gas and Oil has been trying to stop her citizen tours by using false claims to place a legal injunction against her. Cabot's attack on Vera reached a zenith this Spring when an industry worker falsely testified that Vera Scroggins violated the court's order.

Vera has many witnesses who testified that the worker was wrong and Vera was well within the boundary set for her by the injunction. But the judge, who has financial interests in the gas industry - rejected the testimony of three witnesses and accepted the testimony of the singular gas worker who had no proof of his claims.

Why is Cabot so dead set on punishing Mrs. Scroggins? Cabot takes this approach with anyone who defies them. The corporation uses local media propagandists and local pro-gas groups to harass, intimidate and obstruct all opposition. This time Cabot Gas and Oil hopes to jail a critic based on false testimony.

Vera is encouraging anyone in the area to come to the Montrose Courthouse on Thursday, April 23, at 1:30 to stand in support of democracy, decency and justice."

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

How Hilary Clinton's State Department Sold Fracking to the World

I want a woman to be president.  Hilary is running for president.  Can I support her?  Here is an article that appeared in Mother Jones last fall. An excerpt:

"One icy morning in February 2012, Hillary Clinton's plane touched down in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, which was just digging out from a fierce blizzard. Wrapped in a thick coat, the secretary of state descended the stairs to the snow-covered tarmac, where she and her aides piled into a motorcade bound for the presidential palace. That afternoon, they huddled with Bulgarian leaders, including Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, discussing everything from Syria's bloody civil war to their joint search for loose nukes. But the focus of the talks was fracking."

Hilary Clinton also urged Romanian officials to give fracking another chance.  She bent over backwards to encourage Bulgarian officials to go forward with fracking, including sending her special envoy for energy in Eurasia to stop fracking bans. With her help, Romania's parliament voted down its proposed fracking ban and Bulgaria's eased its moratorium.

Mrs. Clinton worked very hard to promote and spread fracking around the globe.  She employed the services of David Goldwyn as her special envoy for international energy affairs.  He had a long history of promoting drilling overseas- both as a Department of Energy official under Bill Clinton and as a representative of the oil industry.

I am very, very, very concerned about Hilary Clinton's position on fracking worldwide and, of course, global climate change.  I think it is painfully obvious that she is not going to promote sustainable energy policies.  And that is very unfortunate.

Here is the link to the article:  http://portside.org/2015-04-14/how-hillary-clintons-state-department-sold-fracking-world

We may have to sort out what we can live with when choosing our next president, and having a woman occupy the office may not be the most important consideration.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Anti Pipeline Rally: Josh Fox in Schoharie, NY




Published on Apr 9, 2015
This is at the Press Conference in Days Inn, Schoharie, NY; by a group of organizations concerned about the latest, 30" gas pipeline coming through NY and the group of additional gas compressor stations along the route; Open House followed this by the Kinder Morgan Pipeline Company with their reps...Mohawk Nation Natives of NY attended and in the background. Like Josh says , we don't need this gas and we can be 100% independent using non-fossil fuels alternatives...

Video:  Vera Scroggins

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Richmond, VA, People's Climate March



A impressive and creative People's Climate March took place in Richmond, VA, on February 23, 2015.  Ten protestors were arrested. 

#NOACP
 
Stop selling our future!

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Terry Greenwood- Living on the Shale (PA)



Published on Feb 21, 2015
This video was produced at our event Living on the Shale" on May 17th, 2014 by CECA, (Coshocton Environmental and Community Awareness Inc.). It featured citizens from around the nation who are at the forefront in the fight to protect our communities from the extreme environmental impacts of slickwater horizontal hydrofracking . The event was entitled "Living on the Shale" and was held in Coshocton, Ohio. Visit our website at www.Cecaware.org.

 
RIP Terry Greenwood:  October 26, 1947- June 8, 2014

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Say No to the Keystone XL Pipeline




President Obama says he’ll veto the latest attempt by Congress to push through the Keystone XL pipeline, but he hasn’t yet committed to rejecting this dangerous proposal outright.

Stop the pipeline permanently!

Saturday, January 24, 2015

North Dakota Spill From Leaking Pipeline: The Biggest Spill On Record

3 million gallons of brine from oil drilling spills in N.D.
January 21 at 11:17 PM
3 million gallons of brine spill in N.D.

Nearly 3 million gallons of saltwater generated by oil drilling have leaked from a North Dakota pipeline, an official said Wednesday, the largest such spill since the state’s oil boom began and nearly three times worse than previous record spills. Two creeks have been affected, but the full environmental effect might not be clear for months.

Operator Summit Midstream Partners detected the pipeline spill on Jan. 6, about 15 miles north of Williston, and told health officials then. Officials said they were not given a full account of the size until Tuesday.

Cleanup has begun and inspectors have been monitoring the area, but it will be difficult to measure the effects on the environment and wildlife until ice melts, said Dave Glatt, chief of the North Dakota Department of Health’s environmental health section. Some previous saltwater spills have taken years to clean up.


“This is not something we want to happen in North Dakota,” Glatt said.

At the moment, the spill does not threaten public drinking water or human health, Glatt said. He said a handful of farmers have been asked to keep their livestock away from the two creeks, the smaller of which will be drained. 

[So there is nothing to worry about, oh, but don't let your animals drink from the creeks, oh, and one of the creeks will be drained.....]

The saltwater, known as brine, is an unwanted byproduct of oil and natural gas production that is much saltier than sea water and may also contain petroleum and residue from hydraulic fracturing operations.

The new spill is almost three times larger than one that fouled a portion of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in July.

— Associated Press

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Friday, January 23, 2015

Sandra Steingraber Greets Large Crowd In Albany Yesterday

Sandra Steingraber addressed the gathering at the Hilton in Albany yesterday.  The occasion was a rally and celebration of the recent decision by Gov. Cuomo to ban fracking in New York State.  Here is the text of her speech:  click here.

Gas Pipelines Installed Next To Homes in PA



Published on Jan 23, 2015
Pipelines dug near homes in Vera's county, Susquehanna County, Pa. and there are no setbacks that I know of. See what it's like in this video near Montrose, Pa. in my county and we now have a spider web of high-pressure gas pipelines all over our county and more regularly being proposed and installed. We are exposed to this risk and change of our landscape with many trees being cut down and wetlands and waterways crossed and impacted...

Video:  Vera Scroggins

Thursday, January 22, 2015

PA Governor's Inaugural Speech: Protestors Chant Throughout!



Published on Jan 22, 2015
Concerned Citizens and Community Members protested and chanted, "Ban Fracking Now" and interrupted Gov. Wolf's Inauguration Speech and some in the bleachers were stopped and removed by the Police, arrested and taken away. Hear Gov. Wolf's total speech and hear the anti-fracking chanting in the background. Large group of protesters were situated about 300' behind the outside setup for the Inauguration....thanks, to the caring Citizens for your protest and letting the new Gov. hear that Fracking needs to be banned and is harmful and dangerous for us....at 9:24 into the video, Gov. Wolf addresses Gas and Pa. Resources and the Protesters....

Unprecedented relentless chanting throughout the entire speech!  Thanks to Vera Scroggins for the video!

Ban Fracking In Pennsylvania Now!

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Furor Over Fuel: Finger Lakes Region (NY) Faces a Crisis

 
New York State has banned horizontal slickwater hydrofracking.  However, there is much work to be done to insure the health of the environment, human health, and the economic health of the state. The infrastructure necessary for the gas industry, namely, pipelines, wastewater treatment, liquid natural gas storage, compressor stations, and transportation of oil and gas via rail, is still very much in question.  In the Finger Lakes region, famous for its pristine water, tourism, and wine industry,  there are those who want the money from the gas industry and those who are more concerned about the inevitable and irreversible health and environmental effects.
 
"The furor is over construction plans by Crestwood Midstream Partners to expand natural gas storage and add LPG storage in existing caverns on Seneca Lake's western shore.  Gas would be withdrawn during heating season, with the facility connected to an intricate pipeline and options to ship by truck and rail."

Read the article from The Ithaca Journal here.

Just about every day, groups of protestors block the two entrances to Crestwood.  This is causing a strain on local law enforcement, so they say.  The costs of the protests, including extra staff and court costs, were not budgeted this year.  The many protestors are people from many walks of life, and they are passionate about this crisis.  Well over a hundred people have been arrested so far, with some serving jail sentences.

Let the protests continue until Crestwood leaves!