MDN Weekly Update

Thank you to those who voted in last week’s online poll. Here are the results:

Do you think burning fossil fuels like natural gas causes dangerously high levels of global warming?

No (67%, 133 Votes)
Yes (26%, 52 Votes)
I don’t know (7%, 15 Votes)

Total Voters: 200

This Week’s Poll

I have made no secret that I think New York’s Commissioner of the DEC, the man in charge of the agency that oversees all oil and gas drilling in NY—Joe Martens—is mostly on the side of anti-drilling. I’m told to “tone it down Jim, don’t rock the boat, we have to work with this guy” with regard to Martens—yet I have to call them like I see them. For years as president of the Open Space Institute his job, his life’s mission, has been to take as much land out of circulation from any kind of development (including drilling) as possible. And his on-the-record statements as recently as last year (prior to his job at the DEC) have Mr. Martens stating he wants to go very, very slow with regard to allowing drilling in New York (see MDN’s original profile of him here). His more recent statements showing his go-slow approach led me to predict that Marcellus drilling in New York will not begin until 2012 at the earliest (see MDN’s prediction here).

Mr. Martens is clearly dragging his feet with regard to release of the new draft Marcellus drilling regulations. But his boss, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, gave him a little motivation this past week—telling the DEC to have the new draft regulations ready by July 1st (see the MDN story here). A “kick in the pants” if you will. Ouch. Can’t have made Mr. Martens very happy. As strongly as he opposes drilling (in my opinion), he also wants to keep his job and make the boss happy. If indeed the new draft regulations are ready in early July, does that move the timetable up and might drilling permits be issued sooner rather than later? A good question. I would like to know what you think. So this week’s poll question:

When do you think Marcellus Shale drilling in New York State will begin?

Will it be this year? Next year? Never? Please note: This is not when you hope it will begin, but when you think it actually will begin. Go to any page on the website and click to vote on the right-hand side of the page in this week’s poll. I’ll report the results next week.

Below you’ll find the “top 5” lists and this week’s calendar listings.

Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor

Read More “MDN Weekly Update – Jun 5, 2011”

Thank you to those who voted in last week’s online poll. Here are the results:

Should Marcellus Shale pipeline companies be granted public utility status (i.e. eminent domain)?

No (74%, 151 Votes)
Yes (23%, 47 Votes)
Not sure (3%, 6 Votes)

Total Voters: 204

This Week’s Poll

This week I wade into waters few dare to go: the global warming (or climate change or whatever you want to call it) debate. I do so because of the interest in the story I posted this past week about the Cornell study recently published by Profs. Howarth, Ingraffea and Santoro. That study says, among other things, that using shale gas—not only burning it, but also the process of drilling it and transporting it—is a bigger contributor to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than mining and burning coal. A writer on the Council on Foreign Relations website pointed out new findings from the Department of Energy that refutes the methodology and resulting conclusions from the Howarth study.

Many who oppose drilling for Marcellus Shale gas do so because of their philosophical viewpoint, a viewpoint that believes (oversimplification here) that burning fossil fuels are bad because they cause an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere resulting in an increase in the average temperature on the earth with potentially catastrophic effects. That line of thinking or viewpoint is represented in the work by Howarth et al. Those who hold that viewpoint generally support alternative sources of energy like wind and solar and believe that humans should, more or less, be forced to change to those sources of energy.

There are others, MDN among them, who do not believe man is contributing in any meaningful way to an increase in global warming—at least not to the extent that it endangers anyone or anything on planet earth. Can and does air pollution exist? Of course. Do carbon-based fuels contribute to said pollution? Yes. But is mankind’s burning of carbon-based fossil fuels leading to doomsday for life on earth because of greenhouse gases? No. Not in my opinion. And not in the opinion of many scientists and experts.

Maybe you think man does contribute to the “problem” of global warming, but man’s contribution is not dangerous. Maybe you think all fossil fuel use should end asap. Maybe you think using natural gas, because of lower carbon emissions than oil and coal is the best solution for now, but not for the long-term. People come down on all sides of the debate. I’ve tried to word the poll this week to get at the root philosophy or belief that may or may not lead people to support or oppose drilling. It’s not a perfect question, but hopefully will do the trick.

Do you think burning fossil fuels like natural gas causes dangerously high levels of global warming?

If you believe there is a direct connection between burning fossil fuels and dangerously high global warming, my guess is that you oppose drilling for shale gas. You may have other reasons to oppose drilling (impact on water supplies, etc.). But fundamentally, if you believe the planet is endangered by carbon, my guess is you don’t want drilling. Am I right?

Go to any page on the website and click to vote on the right-hand side of the page in this week’s poll. I’ll report the results next week.

Below you’ll find the “top 5” lists and this week’s calendar listings.

Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor

Read More “MDN Weekly Update – May 29, 2011”

Thank you to those who voted in last week’s online poll. Here are the results:

Should the federal EPA regulate hydraulic fracturing?

No (52%, 131 Votes)
Yes (44%, 111 Votes)
I don’t know (4%, 10 Votes)

Total Voters: 252

This Week’s Poll

Eminent domain is one of the strongest powers granted to government, and in some cases delegated by government to private companies. It is the right to seize a piece of property and use it for the common good. The owner of the private property seized or used in this way is given “fair and just” compensation by the government or organization. The power of eminent domain is used to secure land for roads and highways, run electrical lines above (and below) ground, for railroads, water and sewer lines and for other purposes. It’s also used for natural gas pipelines installed by public utilities like your local electric and gas company to deliver gas to your house (if you live in an urban area). In order for a company to use the power of eminent domain, it first must be designated as a public utility. That is, it’s a private company, but serving the general public. There are commissions set up in individual states to regulate and control these private companies that serve the public—public utility commissions.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUG) this past week rendered a decision that will, in all likelihood, lead to designating a private company (Laser Northeast Gathering) as a public utility. Laser is building pipelines for gathering gas from Marcellus Shale wells in Northeastern PA. If Laser is designated as a public utility, it will have the power of eminent domain, meaning they can run their gas pipelines wherever they want (within reason). By all accounts Laser is an excellent and responsible company.

The question at hand is, should gathering pipelines from gas wells be granted the status of public utility? Some would say running a pipeline from a well is different than running, say, an interstate pipeline. Those who oppose gas drilling would likely oppose a pipeline running under their property. Should they be forced to allow it? On the other hand, should a pipeline company have to go miles out of the way to lay a pipeline if there’s only one or two property owners who won’t allow it under their land? Isn’t there a greater public good? It’s a tough issue. MDN has already commented which side we come down on (read the story here). How about you?

Should Marcellus Shale pipeline companies be granted public utility status (i.e. eminent domain)? Go to any page on the website and click to vote on the right-hand side of the page in this week’s poll. I’ll report the results next week.

Below you’ll find the “top 5” lists and this week’s calendar listings.

Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor

Read More “MDN Weekly Update – May 22, 2011”

Thank you to all of you who voted in last week’s (and MDN’s first-ever) online poll. Here are the results from 403 MDN readers:

Are You in Favor of Shale Gas Drilling?
Yes – with safeguards in place (69%, 278 Votes)
No – can’t be done safely (26%, 103 Votes)
Not sure – still forming an opinion (5%, 22 Votes)

Total Voters: 403

This Week’s Poll

I’ve made no bones about the fact that I believe the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is “out of bounds” in trying to regulate hydraulic fracturing. It is my opinion that regulation of gas drilling is best left to the individual states. Others will argue that water crosses boundaries in the form of rivers and streams and aquifers, and therefore a federal role is important to protect water supplies. I’m interested in knowing what you think. So this week’s question, as plainly and succinctly as I can ask it (no hidden agendas, no attempt to manipulate the outcome for those who like to needle me) is: Should the federal EPA regulate hydraulic fracturing? Go to any page on the website and click to vote on the right-hand side of the page. I’ll report the results next week.

Below you’ll find the “top 5” lists and this week’s calendar listings.

Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor

Read More “MDN Weekly Update – May 15, 2011”

MDN is pleased to announce a new site feature this week: The Weekly Poll. I’ve been around websites, building them and maintaining them, since the mid-1990s. I’ve seen polls come and polls go—most of the time they are useless. So why try a poll on MDN? Seems to me with a monthly reading audience that now exceeds 18,000 people (“uniques” as it’s called in biz), MDN has a great core of people that represent a healthy cross-section of those interested in this important topic. I think it would be good to regularly understand what people are thinking on a given drilling-related issue of the day. My intent is to drill down (pun intended) into specific issues and “take the temperature” of MDN readers.

For this first question, we’ll keep it simple: Are you in favor of shale gas drilling? Just go to any page on the MDN website and along the right-hand side of the page you’ll see “Weekly Poll”. Check an answer and click the Vote button.

Once you’ve voted you’ll see the results of all votes by both percentage and actual number of votes cast. Every time you return to the MDN site, or even click to view a new page, the numbers will automatically update. You can only vote once for a given poll. When a new poll is posted, you’ll be able to vote for that poll once. How does MDN keep track of whether or not you’ve voted? A cookie (or little snip of code) is placed in your web browser’s cache. You may or may not realize it, but almost every website you visit does the same thing. A cookie is nothing to fear, and it’s completely anonymous—MDN is not tracking who you are, what other websites you visit, etc. The cookie only says, “hey, this person has already voted for this poll” and that’s it.

It is possible to “game” the poll and try to influence the results by deleting your cookies and re-voting again and again. I guess if you’re up for that, you have a lot of time on your hands and a very small existence. Hopefully we can be adults and appreciate the outcome, no matter what it is, for any given opinion poll. And a further comment: The poll is in no way scientific. It is only intended to be a reflection of those who are visiting and reading the MDN website.

So, for those who subscribe to the daily email, and for those who just happen by and read this posting, please vote! I’ll report on the results the following week when I post a new question.

Below you’ll find the “top 5” lists and this week’s calendar listings.

Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor

Read More “MDN Weekly Update – May 8, 2011”

Coming soon to a fire hall, museum, legion hall, university or television set near you: The Calvin Tillman Show. For those new to the drilling debate, Calvin Tillman is, or rather was, mayor of the small town of DISH, Texas which sits smack in the middle of the Barnett Shale deposit. Mr. Tillman has made a cottage industry of touring the country, including the Marcellus Shale region, and accusing gas drilling companies of poisoning the good citizens of the USA wherever they drill. His evidence? Well, er, let’s not bother with evidence. It’s the accusations that matter! And the children! His children! Other people’s children! Headaches, nose bleeds, asthma…the list goes on. Problem is, there’s never any evidence that ties drilling activities in the DISH region with said ailments, even though a number of environmental tests have been performed.

Mr. Tillman and fellow Texan Tim Ruggiero, a landowner who claims he too was adversely affected by gas drilling, founded an organization in 2010 called ShaleTest.org. The organization’s stated aim according to their website: “ShaleTest.org is a non-profit organization that will collect environmental data, and provide environmental testing to lower income families and neighborhoods that are effected by natural gas exploration.”

In the spring of this year, ShaleTest.org became affiliated with (ie funded by) the larger organization Earthworks, an organization whose goal is to stop mining and energy extraction of every kind on the planet. Apparently Earthworks has showered its largesse on the good Mr. Tillman who can now devote himself full-time to traveling the country and bashing the drilling industry.

Before Mr. Tillman co-founded ShaleTest.org, MDN had the pleasure of hearing him in person when he made an anti-gas campaign stop in Binghamton, NY in February 2010. You can read about that meeting here.

If you would like to hear Mr. Tillman in person when he visits the Northeast, you can find his current speaking itinerary here.

Below you’ll find the “top 5” lists and this week’s calendar listings.

Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor

Read More “MDN Weekly Update – Apr 24, 2011”

MDN attended a meeting of the Central New York Landowner’s Coalition on Saturday, April 9th in New Berlin, NY. Look for stories coming in the near future that detail what was discussed at the meeting. The CNY Coalition held two sessions that day, one in the morning for part of the members of the coalition, and another identical meeting in the afternoon. The coalition is so big it requires two sessions to handle all the members.

The crowd in the morning session, which MDN attended, numbered around 400 in the audience. The Evening Sun reports the crowd in the afternoon session was about 600 people. The meeting in the morning was orderly and uneventful. But it seems MDN missed the “fun” in the afternoon session:

An otherwise civil gathering of about 600 members of the Central New York Landowners Coalition at Unadilla Valley Central School Saturday turned ugly as protesters erected ‘no frak’ signs out in front of the school, took photos of cars and, later, defamed a coalition’s leader’s ‘Pass Responsible Gas Drilling’ banner located on the lawn of his Route 8 home.

CNYLC Steering Committee member Steve Gage said the perpetrators were taking photos of business decals on automobiles so people also opposed to drilling would know not to patronize those businesses. He said he called the police to his home to investigate his banner which had a swastika painted on it in red along with a racial slur.*

MDN has previously written about anti-drilling protestors who have broken the law by disrupting meetings and shutting down workplaces. To be fair, not all those who oppose drilling resort to these tactics—it’s a small minority. However, these incidents seem to be happening with more frequency.

Below you’ll find the “top 5” lists and this week’s calendar listings.

Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor

*Norwich Evening Sun (Apr 11, 2011) – Protesters target gas landowners meeting (PDF format)

Read More “MDN Weekly Update – Apr 17, 2011”

MDN is excited to announce the release of our advertising media kit. Although the MDN website is first and foremost a “labor of love,” it is increasingly important to get a few nickels from the effort to help pay for hosting and the various services used to make it all happen. Many websites run Google ads that frankly have nothing to do with Marcellus shale gas drilling. MDN believes even the advertising should be relevant, interesting and add value for the people who visit. Therefore, the only way to secure an ad on the MDN website is by ordering it direct from MDN. No Google ads allowed. 🙂

To help potential advertisers understand the demographics of those visiting the MDN site, we have created a “media kit” which outlines how much traffic the site receives, where it comes from, and what visitors say about themselves (age, drilling sentiment, whether or not they have leased their land for drilling, etc.). The media kit is a complete picture of who visits and why. In this way, we hope that advertising on MDN will be effective and benefit both the advertiser as well as those viewing the ads.

To receive a copy of the media kit with details of the MDN audience and available advertising opportunities and rates (including banner ads and messages in the daily email alert), fill out and submit the form on this page: //marcellusdrilling.com/about/advertising/.

Below you’ll find the “top 5” lists and this week’s calendar listings.

Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor

Read More “MDN Weekly Update – Apr 10, 2011”

From time to time I hear from readers who say something along the lines of, “Hey Jim, I really like the news you deliver about Marcellus drilling, but lose the attitude and color commentary.” As you must know by now, I am an advocate of safe drilling. And those who disagree with my viewpoint get irritated by my occasional comments. They want “just the facts please.”

I honestly and truly don’t see any difference in what I do and what is written by mainstream media outlets. I’m just honest about my viewpoints and biases, while they pretend to be above the fray. Yet their bias comes through loud and clear in every article they write. They willfully ignore science and facts and instead color and shade their reporting to fit their preconceived viewpoints. I would argue (go ahead and laugh) that I do a better job of providing balance to both sides of the issue than many mainstream media outlets. I don’t cover up the problems when they happen. But I also shed light on the positive aspects of drilling. Try and find that in the pages of The New York Times.

Unfortunately, drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale by using hydraulic fracturing has become a political issue as much as a scientific one. I don’t believe you can separate the two. There is a philosophy and mindset on the part of many (not all) who oppose drilling that any fossil fuel is evil and the only solution to America’s long-term energy needs is so-called alternative energies (wind, solar, etc.). I think that viewpoint is not only naive, but dangerous to our country’s future.

When I read and repeat news coverage of drilling in the Marcellus, my approach is to “take you by the hand” and point out what I see—what things run through my mind. If I notice that in the newly released Energy Blueprint that the federal government claims they’ve delegated the right to regulate drilling to the states, I point out the inaccuracy of such a statement. Where do they get off!? Our citizenry has become ignorant of our country’s great history, including a Constitution which places severe limits on the federal government, granting states all rights not found in the Constitution. I realize that my rather traditional political viewpoint rankles some readers. So be it.

Let me be clear and open and honest: I value the viewpoints of those who disagree with me, and I’m happy to have you in the audience. I do not intentionally try to drive you away with my comments. I welcome an open debate about these issues. But you need to know that I am an advocate for safe drilling. This website is aimed people who want to know both sides of the debate, but in learning about it, appreciate my sometimes “snarky” remarks. I try to keep the snark to a minimum, but hey, sometimes I can’t help it.

I hope that helps you understand where I come from. And now, a favor: If you have thoughts about the coverage MDN provides, please leave me a comment below. I figure if you’re reading this on a Sunday, you’re pretty hard-core on the topic of drilling in the Marcellus, and I would like to know from you, the most dedicated readers, what you like and don’t like. If you don’t like my commentary and comments, tell me. If you do, let me know! It will help guide me as I further develop this service.

Below you’ll find the “top 5” lists and this week’s calendar listings.

Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor

Read More “MDN Weekly Update – Apr 3, 2011”

MDN is pleased to announce that our latest headlines (with links  to the full articles) are now available at the NaturalGasPA.com website. You can see MDN’s page on that site here: //naturalgaspa.com/page/marcellus-drilling-news. Our thanks to Art West who created and manages the NaturalGasPA.com website. The stated purpose of the site is: “A website dedicated to PA residents and the natural gas industry. We connect businesses, residents and places to the Marcellus gas play!” MDN encourages our readers to check out Art’s excellent site and the many resources available in it.

Below you’ll find the “top 5” lists and this week’s calendar listings.

Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor

Read More “MDN Weekly Update – Mar 27, 2011”

It was an exciting week  for MDN. We launched our first special report on Monday, Will There Be Marcellus Shale Drilling Near Me? Drilling Permits for Marcellus Shale Gas Wells from January 2010 to February 2011 (see here). In order to download the free report, users are asked to first fill out a brief survey. Over 300 of you have done just that—a huge thank you! The results of the survey have been very interesting—especially the response to the last question which asks how we can make the site better for you. A number of people have left recommendations and suggestions—very good advice that we take to heart. So in the near future you’ll see some refinements here and there. And a big thank you for the encouragement and compliments you’ve left in your comments. Everyone likes an at-a-boy (or -girl) once in a while.

Among the comments received, from someone who downloaded and used the special report, is that “it sure would be nice if you gave the contact details for the drilling companies in the report.” We had thought of doing just that, but elected to wait and provide that information in a companion report due out soon. Only so many hours in a day! So keep watch on MDN for a guide listing details for each drilling company. In the meantime, you can always visit their websites. Most of them are listed on our Links page under the category “Energy Companies & Drillers”: //marcellusdrilling.com/links/.

Below you’ll find the “top 5” and calendar listings.

Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor

Read More “MDN Weekly Update – Mar 20, 2011”

Coming tomorrow: A new special report exclusively from MDN titled: Will There Be Marcellus Shale Drilling Near Me? Subtitled, Drilling Permits for Marcellus Shale Gas Wells from January 2010 to February 2011. This new report, created by MDN, shows how many permits have been applied for or issued by county and in most cases by local municipality for New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The report not only details the number of well permits, but also lists the numbers by drilling company. Leases are being signed in many locations—landmen are on the move. Although signing a lease can yield a good source of income now, the real money is when an energy company drills on or near your property. You need a permit in order to drill, so permits are a good barometer of the intentions of drilling companies. If you’re a landowner, you can use this special report to see who’s “serious” about drilling near you. If you’ve already signed a lease, use this report to see if drilling may be coming in your area in the near future. Many other interested parties will use this report as well, to see when and if drilling is happening in their communities (local business owners, government officials, residents concerned about traffic, etc.). Note: A slight delay in the release of this special report—apologies! But we think you’ll like the end result. Visit MDN on Monday to find out how to get your copy.

Below you’ll find the “top 5” lists.

Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor

Read More “MDN Weekly Update – Mar 13, 2011”