Hydraulic Fracturing

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Orange County | Regulation

Warwick, NY Hypocritically Bans Fracking – We Have a Suggestion
March 1, 2013March 1, 2013

Another group of well-meaning but energy-ignorant New York town board members have voted to ban fracking—this time in the town of Warwick, NY (Orange County—Hudson Valley area). Although there’s no Marcellus or Utica Shale under the town, town council members wanted to make a statement—loud and clear—that they hate fracking and want to strip away the property rights of landowners in the town. Message received.

Just a thought: As MDN readers know, all natural gas comes from well bores that have been fracked. Fracking is used in both horizontal (unconventional) and vertical (conventional) wells. Even conventional natural gas wells in New York are fracked—you did know that, right? If Warwick council members want to make a more meaningful and impactful statement about fracking, we propose the town simply ban the use of natural gas inside town boundaries—by everyone. What’s that? Warwick Town Supervisor Mike Sweeton himself burns natural gas? Say it ain’t so!…

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Energy Services | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Sand/Proppant | Stark County | Unimin

New Utica Frack Sand Terminal Opens Near Canton, OH
March 1, 2013March 1, 2013

Frack sand company Unimin Corporation announced yesterday they have opened a new proppant (or frack sand) distribution terminal in Navarre (Stark County), Ohio—near Canton. Unimin will provide frack sand to Utica Shale drillers from the facility. This is the company’s seventh terminal in the Marcellus and Utica region (see the complete list below).

The company’s announcement:

Read More “New Utica Frack Sand Terminal Opens Near Canton, OH”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Unions Say Anti-Fracking Celebrities are Killing Jobs in NY
March 1, 2013March 1, 2013

New York State unions are blasting Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, Mark Ruffalo and other celebrities (elitist 1 percenters) for killing jobs for hard-working union members (99 percenters) with their activist opposition to shale gas drilling and fracking in New York.

Greg Lancette, political director of the New York State Pipetrades Association—14 local unions with 25,000 members—penned the following op-ed that appears in today’s New York Post:

Read More “Unions Say Anti-Fracking Celebrities are Killing Jobs in NY”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

JLCNY Loses Faith in Cuomo, Initiates Lawsuit over Fracking Rules
February 28, 2013February 28, 2013

The Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY), a 77,000-member umbrella organization for New York landowners interested in leasing their property for natural gas drilling, announced yesterday they will move forward with a lawsuit against New York State on behalf of their members. The group has decided to litigate in light of the now expired Feb. 27 deadline to adopt new rules to allow high volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the state. MDN spoke to Dan Fitzsimmons, president of the JLCNY. He commented it took Illinois 14 months to research and write new legislation for fracking, and just 8 months for new rules to be researched and adopted in Ohio. New York’s rulemaking process has now languished for more than 4 1/2 years. Enough is enough.

Feeling they are left with no other alternative, the JLCNY will select several representative plaintiffs for the lawsuit that, presuming they win, would serve as a precedent for all landowners in the state to make the same claim. The basis of the lawsuit is a legal concept called “takings.” The U.S. and New York State Constitutions both say government cannot take a citizen’s private property or deny them use of their private property without just compensation. MDN previously interviewed JLCNY attorney Scott Kurkoski about the lawsuit a few weeks ago. Watch that interview here: 77K NY Landowners Prepare Lawsuit Against DEC.

Read More “JLCNY Loses Faith in Cuomo, Initiates Lawsuit over Fracking Rules”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Feb. 27: (In)Decision Day for Gov. Cuomo and Fracking in NY
February 27, 2013February 27, 2013

It’s D-Day (Decision Day) in New York. Today, Feb. 27, is the final day for the Dept. of Environmental Conservation to release new fracking rules or the process is once again delayed—by at least 45 days and likely much longer. What can we expect? Nothing. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proven he’s indecisive and and not worthy to lead the state, let alone pursue “higher office.” The Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY) is gearing up for a major lawsuit to sue the state for illegal de facto “takings” of its citizens’ private property. If the state is going to deny landowners the right to allow drilling amidst overwhelming evidence it’s safe, the state will have to pay them the equivalent amount of money they would have made by leasing and drilling (certainly billions, maybe trillions?). Hello bankruptcy for New York.

The only thing MDN sees that might postpone a lawsuit by the 77,000-member JLCNY is if DEC Commissioner Joe Martens were to issue a few provisional permits to drill—and issue them today—as a sign of good faith that the state really is serious about completing and adopting new fracking rules. Will that happen? “Not bloody likely” as our Brit friends say…

Read More “Feb. 27: (In)Decision Day for Gov. Cuomo and Fracking in NY”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

New York Democrats Try, Once Again, To Ban Fracking
February 27, 2013February 27, 2013

Although the evidence has always been there for all to see, it’s now abundantly clear that New York’s Democrat party wants to outright kill oil and gas drilling in the state. They prefer economic suicide to facing down the fracking extremists in their own party.

Yesterday, 30 Assembly Democrats, led by the nose by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Environmental Conservation Chairman Robert Sweeney introduced a bill that would ban high volume hydraulic fracturing in the state until 2014. You might as well say it will ban it “forever” because that’s the true intent. They have zero interest in “waiting a little longer for yet one more study.” If you believe that, I have bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you…

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Big News: AP Writes Story About How NY’s Delays Hurt Landowners
February 26, 2013February 26, 2013

Wonders never cease. The Associated Press has actually written an article about the true costs of what “just a few more weeks of delay” in New York State really means to the state’s landowners—how it’s crushing them. The article looks at three struggling landowners—people who need New York to get off the dime and allow drilling to move forward. It begins this way:

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Aqua America | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Penn Virginia Corporation | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

PVR Water Services – Now Pumping 3M Gal of Water/Day for Drilling
February 26, 2013February 26, 2013

Aqua America is one of the largest U.S.-based, publicly-traded water utilities with almost 3 million residents in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, Florida and Georgia. They also have a joint venture with Penn Virginia Resource Partners called PVR Water Services which provides water to Marcellus drillers in Pennsylvania. So far business is good.

A short section of Aqua America’s annual financial and operations report updates us on PVR Water Services:

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide WV | Taxation | West Virginia

Closer Look at Shale Bills Before WV Legislature
February 25, 2013February 25, 2013

The West Virginia legislature only meets for 60 calendar days each year, so when they convene, a flurry of new bills are introduced. MDN recently told you this year legislators have already introduced some 60 bills dealing with energy issues in the state—22 of those bills were introduced by Delegate Mike Manypenny, D-Taylor (see New Rules/Laws for Shale Drilling Will Come to WV in 2013).

Not all of the bills will become law, but some will. Here’s a look at a few of the more serious contenders that stand a chance of getting enacted, and one (forced pooling) that hasn’t even been introduced—yet:

Read More “Closer Look at Shale Bills Before WV Legislature”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Mahoning County | Ohio | Regulation | Utica Shale

Youngstown, OH to Commit Utica Suicide with Vote to Ban Drilling
February 25, 2013February 25, 2013

Is it right for a simple majority to strip away the hard-earned property of their neighbors with an up or down vote? The Founding Fathers called it mob rule, which is why the United States was founded as a democratic republic—not a straight democracy. They recognized that up or down votes that allow citizens to take away property (money, use of land, possessions) from fellow citizens is abhorrent and immoral, which is why they cooked up the ingenious document called the Constitution—full of checks and balances to prevent it from happening.

But alas, the Constitution has become nothing more than toilet paper in some places, like Youngstown, Ohio…

Read More “Youngstown, OH to Commit Utica Suicide with Vote to Ban Drilling”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DEP Sec. Krancer Faces Tough Questions from Senators
February 22, 2013February 22, 2013

MDN loves Pennsylvania Dept. of Environment Protection Sec. Michael Krancer—primarily because he doesn’t take any guff from politically posturing Democrats. He also happens to be very smart and very funny. Krancer faced a grilling yesterday during budget hearings from (some) PA senators who wanted to score political points. Krancer fired right back when challenged. He also refused to answer questions about his religious beliefs on global warming. It’s dangerous to go against GW orthodoxy. You’re branded a heretic and imbecile if you’re not a Kool-Aid drinker of the GW mythology.

Below is some of the back and forth from yesterday’s budget grilling of Krancer. He addresses the topic of Marcellus Shale drilling and the DEP’s ability to regulate it. He also answers an interesting question about “asexual behavior” in fish…

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY Landowner Group Asks Members to Flood Cuomo with Letters/Calls
February 21, 2013February 21, 2013

The Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY) is putting out the word to its 77,000 members to contact Gov. Andrew Cuomo and let him know that a) they vote, and b) they won’t forget if he doesn’t allow fracking to move forward now, by the end of February. They’re encouraging members to print out and send him a couple of form letters (see them below), as well as call the governor’s office—repeatedly. This is a “numbers game” now according the JLCNY. They want to roar so Gov. Ditherer hears it loud and clear.

Here’s the email MDN received from the JLCNY announcing their latest initiative:

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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Medina County | Ohio | Regulation

Big OH Company Will Leave Town if Anti-Drilling Resolution Passes
February 20, 2013February 20, 2013

Politicians in Brunswick, OH (near Cleveland) are about to learn a lesson the hard way. The Brunswick City Council intends to pass a resolution that calls shale gas drilling “risky” and asks the state legislature to allow local municipalities to ban it—the implication being they want to ban it in Brunswick. The resolution is outright anti-drilling and hostile to the drilling industry. If it passes, a large local company that’s been located in the city for 100 years says they’ll leave and take a huge chunk of tax revenue with them.

Philpott Rubber held a press conference to discuss their very serious threat. Philpott provides “environmentally friendly” products and services for shale drillers through their subsidiary Philpott Energy & Transportation Company. Philpott is planning a major expansion of their business due to an increase in drilling. If Brunswick persists in passing the resolution, Philpott will build a new wholesale operation outside the city, denying the city a boatload of tax money.

Read More “Big OH Company Will Leave Town if Anti-Drilling Resolution Passes”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Washington County

Hearing on PA DEP Water Testing – 2.5 Hour Gripe Session
February 20, 2013February 20, 2013

Pennsylvania State Rep. Jesse White (Democrat from Cecil, PA) held a hearing yesterday in Washington, PA that took aim at practices by the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) over how they test (or don’t test) and report (or don’t report) on water supplies near active shale drilling locations. The DEP was invited to attend their own roasting but declined, calling White’s hearing political theater, unproductive, unprofessional and a waste of time (see PA DEP Not Attending Hearing on Water Testing Near Shale Drilling).

With representatives from anti-drilling organizations like Earthworks and PennFuture scheduled to testify at the hearing, it’s not surprising the DEP declined to show up just to be bullied. The session was apparently a 2 1/2 hour dump-on-the-DEP-fest:

Read More “Hearing on PA DEP Water Testing – 2.5 Hour Gripe Session”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

New Rules/Laws for Shale Drilling Will Come to WV in 2013
February 19, 2013February 19, 2013

Last week a set of legislative rules crafted to regulate the horizontal gas well industry cleared an important committee hurdle when the WV joint Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee gave its qualified blessing to rules proposed by the WV DEP. In addition, some 60 bills related to the energy industry were introduced in the first two days of the new West Virginia legislative session—24 of them concerning natural gas. Conclusion: More regulation of shale drilling is on the way in 2013.

First, details about the DEP fracking rules recently approved by the joint committee:

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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Chautauqua County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Anatomy of a Moratorium – Why Some NY Towns Ban Fracking
February 19, 2013February 19, 2013

Ill-informed (we would call them willfully ignorant) people show up at a town board meeting and make false statements about the shale drilling industry and ask the board to ban fracking. It’s a scene that plays out repeatedly across New York State, and has just happened again—this time in Pomfret (Chautauqua County), NY, in the western part of the state:

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