Some good news to be taken away from today’s DENR announcement:
The big recommendation is requiring companies to disclose the chemicals used in the fracking process, and make that information public except for trade secrets. The chemical content of the process has been a major concern in other states. North Carolina currently does not permit fracking.
DENR officials said they reviewed the experiences of other states and determined that a regulated drilling program could be accomplished safely in North Carolina. The agency’s draft report noted, however, that more information on groundwater resources is needed in areas where fracking could occur before final environmental standards are set.
“To say these things just as her agency gets ready to release its official study and before the public has had a chance to review and comment on it is completely irresponsible,” says Hope Taylor of Clean Water for NC. “This flies in the face of a growing body of information about state regulatory failures and the science pointing to water and air contamination and health damage associated with gas operations.”
“Who will benefit from intensive gas development here?” asks Colleen Kendrick of Deep River Clean Water Society. “Some temporary skilled out of state workers and a smaller number of less technical local workers, large landowners with leases, lawyers in demand to process leases, politicians seeking a new source of campaign funds.”
The groups calling on Governor Perdue to retract her public statements in support of fracking and attend the public hearings in Sanford on March 20 and Chapel Hill on March 27 to listen to the public input. The eight groups also call on Governor Perdue to return to Pennsylvania to talk with impacted communities about their experiences to see how a state that SAYS it’s doing a good job is actually protecting communities and the environment.
Anson County Water Air Land and Lives ¤ Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League ¤ Clean Water for North Carolina ¤ Deep River Clean Water Society ¤ Food and Water Watch ¤ Haw River Assembly ¤ Neuse RiverKeeper Foundation ¤ Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom-Triangle Chapter
PA Dairy Farmers To Speak in NC On Shale Gas Drilling Impacts Nov. 10 & 11
Thurs., November 10, 11:45-1:15, Raleigh Junior League Building, 711 Hillsborough St, Box lunch $10, Click here to register for this event. NC Policy Watch is hosting a very special Crucial Conversation about potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing, featuring the experiences of PA dairy farmers Carol French and Carolyn Knapp. Contact NC Policy Watch: Rob Schofield at 919-861-2065 or rob@ncpolicywatch.com
Thurs., November 10, 7:00-9:00 PM, Free. Southern Pines Day’s Inn, 805 SW Service Rd. (off Rt 1) Save our Sandhills is hosting Carol and Carolyn for the presentation: “Living in Gasland The Good, the Bad and The Ugly”, along with Hope Taylor on the NC background and current status of the study and regulations related to hydraulic fracturing for gas. Contact Save Our Sandhills at 910-315-1233 for info.
Fri., November 11, 4:00-6:00 PM, Free. Durham County Public Library Auditorium, 300 N. Roxboro St. Durham. Sponsored by Clean Water for NC. Carol French and Carolyn Knapp, “Neighbor to Neighbor: Do You Want Gasland, too?” Refreshments served at 4:00, program starts at 4:30. For more info., call CWFNC at 919-401-9600.
Is fracking behind Oklahoma’s earthquakes?
One of the strongest earthquakes in the history of OK hit near the town of Sparks Saturday night. A 5.6 in magnitude, it was the bell-ringer of a series of shakes. What is not clear is where this unusual seismic activity is coming from.
EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Impacts on Water Study
EPA Study Plan on Hydraulic Fracturing Focuses on impact of “water life cycle”
Tomorrow, the NC House reconvenes for what has been promised is a skeletal session regarding redistricting. While Speaker of the House Tom Tillis promises no overrides will be brought up, our old friend SB 709 is on the agenda for tomorrow’s noon session. Anything is possible, and if dirty tricks occur we will send out alerts.
In the meantime, it’s time to remind our representatives about our support of Governor Perdue’s veto of SB 709. Please ask them to be present at the November 28th and 29th session after Thanksgiving. Click here to find your representative’s contact info.
Also, the Governor’s leadership will help strengthen votes against S709, so please thank her again and call on her to hold firm publicly in her opposition to this bill! Phone: (919)733-4240 or governor.office@nc.gov
We are pleased to announce the return of Pa. dairy farmers Carol French and Carolyn Knapp to speak on drilling impacts November 10th and 11th
Thurs., November 10, 11:45-1:15 Raleigh, Junior League Building, 711 Hillsboro St. Box lunch $10, please register.
NC Policy Watch is hosting a very special Crucial Conversation about potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing, featuring the experiences of PA dairy farmers Carol French and Carolyn Knapp. Grady McCallie of NC Conservation Network will give an update on the NC policy developments and the current shale gas study underway. Contact NC Policy Watch at Rob Schofield at 919-861-2065 or rob@ncpolicywatch.com
Thurs., November 10 7:00 PM, Free. Southern Pines Day’s Inn, 805 SW Service Rd. (off Rt 1)
Save our Sandhills is hosting Carol and Carolyn for the presentation: “Living in Gasland, The Good, the Bad and The Ugly”, along with Hope Taylor, of Clean Water for NC on the NC background and current status of the study and regulations related to hydraulic fracturing for gas. Contact Save Our Sandhills at 910-315-1233 for info.
Fri., November 11, 4:00 PM, Free. Durham County Public Library Auditorium, 300 N. Roxboro St. Durham. Sponsored by Clean Water for NC and Deep River Clean Water Society. Carol French and Carolyn Knapp, “Neighbor to Neighbor: Do You Want Gasland, too?” Refreshments served at 4:00PM, program starts at 4:30PM. For more information, contact Hope Taylor at 919-401-9600.
Here is a moving clip form our Dispersed documentarian friends. This short film expresses some of the realities of allowing big oil and gas to develop NC. Please feel free to share it with each and every NC state senator and representative.
Many Thanks,
Colleen Kendrick, Organizer
Deep River Clean Water Society
- Via email
Action Alert
DENR Calls for Public Input to Shale Gas Study—Oct 10, Sanford
The agency has announced a meeting to get public input on the shale gas study, Oct. 10 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in Sanford at the McSwain Extension Education & Agriculture Center located at 2420 Tramway Rd. Written comments on the draft plan of study will be accepted through Oct. 18, in addition to any feedback received at the Oct. 10 public meeting. Written comments can be sent to Shale_gas_comments@ncdenr.gov; or through the mail to NCDENR, attn: Trina Ozer, 1601 MSC, Raleigh, NC 27699.
Points of concern for farmers and foodies:
· The fact that industry has such a vast need for millions of gallons of water for fracking puts our food security at risk. If industry were to withdraw water from central NC, it would force farmers to look elsewhere for water. Fracking uses an average of 4 million gallons of water per frack. (1) NC currently experiences drought stress without the gas industry’s presence. NC just recently got out of a moderate drought. (2) Look at Texas for comparison, where fracking is rampant and farmers can’t get the water they need to operate. (3)
· The industry has a history and high risk of contaminating soil and water on surrounding areas as well as downstream. (4) This would mean not only NC‘s shale basins, but the Cape Fear, Yadkin-Pee Dee and Roanoke River basins. (5)
· Should well water and surface water become contaminated either from spillage, chemical migration, or improper wastewater treatment, this could impact farmers, livestock, private well owners, sustainable and organic agriculture, agritourism, and NC’s growing wineries. (6, 7, 8,)
· There are numerous documented health effects of the industry, from the fracking process to the refining process. None of these are currently in the proposed outline of the DENR study for shale gas in NC. (health effects: 9,10,11, DENR study outline: 2)
· DENR is charged with assessing the feasibility of how NC could frack, not whether NC should frack. HB 242 “requires DENR, in cooperation with the Department of Commerce, Department of Transportation, Attorney General’s Office and Rural Advancement Foundation International, to conduct a study of the potential development of shale gas in North Carolina and make recommendations regarding the regulatory framework necessary for development of this resource.” (13)
1. http://www.bctwa.org/Frk-HowManyTankerTrucks.pdf
2. http://nc.water.usgs.gov/drought/index.html
3. http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/, http://www2.sacurrent.com/news/story.asp?id=71891
4. http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2011/04/19/gas-drilling-industry-makes-stunning-admission/
5. http://www.southernenvironment.org//uploads/fck/Hydrofraking_Potential_NC_Map_web.jpg
6. http://www.pnas.org/content/108/20/8172.full.pdf
7. http://www.catskillmountainkeeper.org/node/2657
8. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/27/us/natural-gas-map.html?scp=4&sq=fracking&st=cse
9. http://www.earthworksaction.org/oilgashealth.cfm
10. http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/chemicals.multistate.php
11. http://63.134.196.109/documents/RiskAssessmentNaturalGasExtraction.pdf
12, 13. http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/guest/denr-study
Colleen Kendrick, Organizer
Deep River Clean Water Society
More resources:
Excellent Article on what farmers are experiencing in the Marcellus Shale
http://www.valleytable.com/article.php?article=002+Features%2FFarmers+get+fracked
Video clips on farmers’ experiences leasing land and with gas companies:
farmers against fracking
Clean Water for NC invites you to:
Keeping NC’s Water, Air and Communities Safe From Hydraulic Fracturing for Gas
Saturday, September 10, 1:30 – 5:30 PM
Central Carolina Community College
Multi-Purpose Room
764 West Street
Pittsboro, NC
Registration $15 by Sept. 2 at http://www.CWFNC.org
Speakers include:
Calvin Tillman, former mayor of Dish, TX and founder of Shaletest.org discusses air impacts and the need to test, featured in “GASLAND”
Dr. Avner Vengosh, Duke University, co-author of “Methane Contamination of Drinking Water Accompanying Gas Well Drilling and Hydraulic Fracturing”
Carol French, farmer from Bradford County, PA talks about her community’s experiences in dealing with massive gas extraction
Jordan Treakle, Rural Advancement Foundation Intl., advising farmers and landowners to protect themselves from predatory leases
More invited speakers on community, water and economic impacts of “fracking”.
For more information, contact Clean Water for NC
(919) 401-9600 or hope@cwfnc.org
From Clean Water for North Carolina:
Rally in Raleigh, Monday, July 25 at 11:30am
Come out and show peaceful solidarity against bad bills S709 and S781! The House will attempt to override the Governor’s vetoes of bad bills that would make environmental protections in North Carolina worthless and would put us on track for fracking and offshore drilling. We can’t let that happen!
When: Monday July 25 11:30 a.m. (At noon the plan is to move peacefully and quietly into the viewing gallery for the House session.)
Where: In front of NC Legislative Building, 16 West Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27601 (between Salisbury and Wilmington Streets)
More information from Haw River Assembly about the Event:
This rally is a group effort by the Chatham Anti-fracking alliance: including Deep River Clean Water Society, CCEC and others. Other organizations and supporters of these efforts are welcome and encouraged to join.
This will be a permitted peaceful and lawful demonstration of our support for clean water and healthy communities.
RSVP to info@hawriver.org if you are planning on attending with Haw River Assembly – If you’re coming from Chatham, there is the option to car pool from the Bynum Ballfield parking lot at 10:15am on Monday.
You can bring a sign as long as it is on paper and not fastened to a stick of any kind and is not vulgar or libelous. You will not be able to take your sign into the Legislative Building.
You can wear a badge or paper (letter size) fastened to your shirt or clothing to wear inside the building. Let’s be creative!
The House of Representatives convenes at 12 noon to take up the vote on overturning these vetoes. We can watch from the gallery (with good behavior, please).
The good folks at Environment NC have developed a web email form that allows you to send a direct message to your North Carolina legislator and let them know you are concerned about the potential dangers of hydraulic fracturing, which is currently banned in North Carolina.
Let’s keep it that way.
Proponents of hydraulic fracturing love to talk about science and how wonderfully innovative the drilling process is. Well here is some science for you. Researchers in West Virginia studying methods for disposal of frack waste water applied the liquid to a research forest:
During application, severe damage and mortality of ground vegetation was observed, followed about 10 d later by premature leaf drop by the overstory trees. Two years after fluid application, 56% of the trees within the fluid application area were dead.
Small farmers from western Pennsylvania speak about their recent experiences with gas companies with lease rights to their acreage and their own individual experiences with the hydraulic fracturing process.
