Interior Sec. Ken Salazar Offers Statement on Fracking

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Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar recently said that his agency is working on new regulations that will lower the risk of water supplies becoming tainted from hydraulic fracturing operations. Whatever that means. Sec. Salazar was touring a “man camp” housing settlement in the Bakken Shale area of North Dakota on Monday and during a back and forth with the press had this to say on the topic of hydraulic fracturing:

“We are going to go through a long process to make sure there are the right rules, but our hope is that by approaching hydraulic fracturing in a way that creates confidence by the American public, it won’t become the Achilles heel to the oil and gas industry for whom fracking is so important.”*

Whatever that means.

*KX News/CBS (Apr 2, 2012) – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Visits Crew Camp Facility

9 Comments

  1. I think it shows a rather unprofessional level of editing that you inject a somewhat sarcastic and unnecessary “whatever that means” in two places.  You do not do us any service by adding rather sophomoric comments like this.  If you are claiming to represent the industry, then a higher level of professionalism would benefit all.  Please stick to reporting news and events with out such pointless editorial asides.  

  2. I agree with ridgeandvalley40. Your aside comments add nothing to the contend and make you look foolish.

  3.  ridgeandvalley40 and exdent11, this is a ‘pro’ drilling  site and you both need to either get thicker skin or head to the Sierra club site or some other Anti site to get your feel good lies of the day. Jim has every right to put his comments in just as you do. It amazes me that when someone disagrees or has comment about a news report contrary to “your” views the gloves come off. The anti’s go to extreme measures ( arrests,protesting, propaganda photography, even straight out lies) to get their message across, and all of that is fine with you both, I suppose. Jim makes a tongue in cheek comment and you both have to jump on him like you have been seriously offended. Exdent11 whats up with you anyway, your half in half out? This is a battle of Pro’s and Anti’s,  people are starving out there and need something to hang their hat on, pick a side already.You know my side, and remember that this is America and freedom of speech is number one in our constitution, so if both of you don’t like what is written, let your mouse do the walking over to another site. Jim, I applaud your reporting on this site, I enjoy reading your comments and insight on MDN. What I especially like is you are fair and give the Anti’s a voice, and also post articles that are not favorable to drilling at times. I would like to see that in the Anti sites, there is no room in their blogging for healthy debating , it’s their way or the highway.

  4.  This site should not be a battle of pros and antis as Wacoyaco put it ; but  about facts! I loath irrational anti drilling types that speak from unwarranted fear as much as smug,  right wing,  anti climate change , anti renewable energy dittoheads. Both groups refuse to look at the science and the economics; both groups follow their chosen ideological false prophets instead of doing the research and thinking for themselves.
     If Jim or others don’t think that happens on the right , they only have to read the article written by conservative former vice chairmen of GM , Bob Lutz for Forbes.
     Mr. Lutz , intimately knowledgeable  of the Chevy Volt, was appalled at  right wing radio’s , right wing editorial writers’s, and Fox News’s  smear campaign against the Volt. To paraphrase, he said if conservatives are willing lie about something I know well  [ in order to damage Obama ] , then what other subjects are they lying about which I am less knowledgeable?……By the way , GM sold 2300 Volts in March.

  5. Exdent11, although I am right winger as you put it, I have said in previous posts that I’ m all for renewable energy. I explained my views on it and we can agree to disagree, simple.  The public makes their decisions on purchasing  based on many aspects. I believe first and foremost affordability ( especially in this hostile environment), second comfort level ( knowledge of the product and feasibility of its use) and , third the abundance of the resource. Renewable  energy is coming, I hope and pray that they will be here in my lifetime, ( I’m 52), BUT, the logistics of three reasons I mentioned above tells me its not ready yet. Why is it that you have to slander me and my political views , when the obvious is right in front of your face.” Most ” people can not afford your idea’s of renewable energy. Most people can not afford the Chevy Volt, Most people do not believe that wind turbines are the answer to electricity and heating, or it would have happened already. When “everyone” can afford it and it is completely proven that this power source will produce enough energy to power a city any decent size city, then the general public will buy into it. The problem is your probably a fairly wealthy person, living in your personal bubble, you just believe everyone can and should drop $25,000 bucks to solar panel your home. Its not feasible!! You agree that NG is the answer, your so right, as a greenie you know the carbon footprint produced by burning this resource is quite small, compared to oil and coal. The impact on the environment placing NG wells ( 2-5 acres) as opposed to thousands acres of wind turbines makes much more sense to me. Its just plain and simple the most cost effective, non intrusive form of energy, you must agree on that. I’m sure you read my rebuttal to Mary on this site. These are the left wingers that drive me crazy too.

  6. Wacoyaco,
    It is accurate the majority of people can not directly afford some of the renewables . That is why government must invest by providing incentives, feed in tariffs, credits, etc ; it spreads the cost to make it affordable . For example: If you needed a new furnace, you may need to borrow money. You could borrow say 5000 $ instead of 3500$ to get new furnace technology that is say 30% more efficient . The extra efficiency will pay for the extra 1500$ plus interest in perhaps 10-15 years with savings on fuel. After that the fuel savings are free. But would you look that far ahead? Perhaps, whether you are willing to borrow that extra money might be influenced if the government was offering some sort of tax credit at the moment.Millions of such decisions made to go the extra mile will determine whether factories invest in building those higher efficiency furnaces. Renewables work on the same principle except the fuel is free from the start . Borrow upfront or lease [solar panels ] to save 15 or 20 years down the road instead of being stuck endlessly buying fossil fueled electricity whose price is likely to go up in the future. And when you and I and a million others buy , companies continue to scale up; reducing cost and improving their products to compete in the market place. This price reduction curve for solar is dropping so fast that it will be cheaper than some fossil fuels in less than a decade without subsidies in large parts of the country. Commercial wind is already cheaper than new coal plants without subsidies in parts of the country. Natural gas will be the strongest competition for the next decade at least.
    All I want is the Republicans to stop treating these youthful renewable
    industries as the enemy. To support them until they mature;recognize their
    inherent advantages to human health and climate.

  7.  exdent11, I have mentioned government subsidies/incentives in other blogs and remember you poking fun at that suggestion.In order for any “New” energy source to succeed our government must clear a path and assist in the push forward. I’m all for left or right wing to do just that.  Obama made some hasty moves that shot him in the foot ( Solyndra). I would like to see Solar become a viable option, it has gotten somewhat better, but still not enough for average households. I’m not a fan of the wind turbine, period. Even  though it is cleaner power, it will destroy our landscape as we know it. I would just rather have NG and a much smaller footprint on the eyes, ears and landscape. That is just my opinion. They are just plain ugly, huge, and deafening to the ears. You and I really do not differ much. I’m not convinced that ” The Green Way” is the best way( logistics only). There are pro’s and cons to every energy source since it has to be able to handle millions of consumers. That is a tall order and what makes the most sense is what I will be all in on. I am open to all, but in the end political agenda’s, the lobbyists behind those agenda’s, and profits, will dictate the way the world will turn. You and I really won’t have much of a say in this anyway.The one thing that I see that is going in the right direction, is this country has had it with foreign oil, OPEC, and their influences on our economy. I hope that the ” Global” market that has been formed to control gas prices worldwide,finally breaks up into a free market system, where supply and demand can dictate pricing with healthy competition.

  8. Thanks for the back and forth comments. Thanks wacoyaco for sticking up for me. exdent11 and others’ admonition to me to just “stick with the facts” is something I’ve often heard. Sorry, but if my snarky asides bother you, you need to read another website, because they’re not going away. This is the way I feel and think, and that’s what you’ll get on this blog–no apologies. I do try to be truthful in my reporting, but ultimately everyone (including me) has a point of view, a “bias” if you will, and my bias is that drilling, when done safely, is a good thing. In that regard this is “an industry rag” if you like–although it’s not paid for by industry (other than a small contribution in the way of advertising). And if you think the haughty, pretentious reporting from the New York Times and other places is unbiased and “objective,” well, I won’t try to burst the false bubble-world you live in.