Industrywide Issues

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Chemung County | Industrywide Issues | New York | Steuben County | Tompkins County

Weekend Anti-Gas Propaganda-fest Scheduled for Upstate NY Towns
April 26, 2013April 26, 2013

An all-hands-on-deck anti-drilling propaganda-fest will be held this weekend in Bath, Spencer and Elmira (all in NY state). The so-called “Fracking vs. Human Health Forums” will feature lies and distortions carefully crafted to scare the general public. If you’re a landowner who lives in those areas, attend and make your voice heard to counter the untruths that will be presented.

The details on times and locations:

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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Regulation | Statewide MD

Food & Water Watch Tells MD Gov "Not so Fast" on Fracking
April 26, 2013April 26, 2013

The odious anti-drilling group Food & Water Watch (FWW) sent a letter yesterday to Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley expressing “serious concerns” that O’Malley’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission’s draft report, while issuing warnings about fracking, seems to be resigned that fracking in Maryland is “inevitable” and therefore should be regulated. That doesn’t sit well with far-out groups like FWW, Josh Fox and a small list of other anti-drillers.

The statement (and letter) issued by FWW:

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Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles

Have We Reached the Tipping Point for LNG Trucks?
April 26, 2013April 26, 2013

Yesterday MDN brought you the announcement from UPS that they have just committed to adding an additional 700 new LNG tractor trailers to their current fleet of 112 LNG tractors (see UPS to Grow NG Fleet with Additional 700 LNG Tractor Trailers). An article by the New York Times assembles all of the strings that provides in evidence, to MDN, that we may well have just reached a “tipping point” where natural gas vehicles, at least for trucking fleets, and will now start to rapidly expand. What are those strings?…

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Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Susquehanna County

Big News: PA Supreme Court Decides Shale Mineral Rights Case
April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has just ruled on a case with huge consequences for the natural gas drilling industry in the state. We won’t keep you in suspense: the ruling is favorable to the drilling industry.

In Butler v Powers, the Supreme Court justices took up the issue of whether or not natural gas rights should be part of the broader concept of “mineral rights” in PA. In most states when a deed or lease agreement is signed for mineral rights it includes natural gas as well, on the theory that the gas comes from a mineral—shale rock. But that has not been the case in PA. Going all the way back to a case in 1882, PA has had “the Dunham rule” which separates natural gas rights from the broader concept of mineral rights (for background on the Dunham rule, see the MDN article PA Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Critical O&G Case).

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

FracFocus Responds to Flawed Harvard Study + MDN has a Question
April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

Earlier this week Harvard Law School released a so-called study saying the independent FracFocus hydraulic fracturing chemical registry falls short and the federal government should step in to enforce reporting by drillers (see Harvard Law School Says FracFocus “Fails” as Compliance Tool).

The two organizations behind FracFocus, the Ground Water Protection Council and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission have responded to the charges leveled by Harvard. FracFocus points out Harvard never even talked to them or asked to see the inner workings of the organization and how it operates—so how in the world can Harvard come to the conclusions they did? MDN knows: Lefty bias—how else? Who needs facts when your own anti-drilling opinions will do just fine? Here’s the detailed response from FracFocus utterly refutes and humiliates the “study” from Harvard:

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

NY Consulting Company Successfully Repels Smear-job by NYPIRG
April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

An attempted smearing of the independent consulting company Ecology and Environment, Inc. by Gannett and anti-drilling groups like NYPIRG has not worked. In 2011 E & E authored a study for the state Dept. of Environmental Conservation on the economic benefits of shale drilling and fracking. Earlier this week the Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York (IOGA of NY) sent a letter to Gov. Cuomo telling him his indecision is killing all drilling in the state (see IOGA of NY to Cuomo: Your Indecision is Killing ALL NY Drilling). One of the 200 signatories of the letter was E & E, which Gannett and NYPIRG trumpeted as proof the study was not impartial and that the entire set of draft regulations it’s a part of should be scrapped (see NYPIRG calls on Cuomo to rescind fracking review).

Not so fast, says E & E. They are not members of IOGA of NY and only paid membership dues for one of their employees so that person could monitor the meetings and publications of IOGA of NY, according to a letter they sent to the DEC (letter embedded below). What will anti-drillers use now to try and discredit the DEC’s work on new rules for fracking? Here’s the story on E & E and IOGA:

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Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Public Opinion | Statewide OH

Opinion Shows Strong Majority Favor Fracking/Drilling in Ohio
April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

In New York, public opinion polling shows the state is largely split on the question of whether or not fracking for natural gas should be done. Over the past few years it’s been pretty close to a 50/50 split—which is what keeps Andy “Ditherer” Cuomo up at night agonizing over his presidential aspirations which have gone “poof” because of the drilling issue.

However, the folks in Ohio don’t have freak shows like Yoko Ono wandering around to inspire angst (and if they did, they would ignore her as should be done). In Ohio, public opinion polling shows a strong 2/3 majority favor fracking and drilling…

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Commodity Price | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WVU Spring NatGas Conference: $4-$6 Gas for Next "Decade or More"
April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

Several interesting speakers addressed the spring natural gas conference held by West Virginia University in Morgantown on Wednesday. Among them was keynote speaker David McCurdy, president and CEO of the American Gas Association. He told attendees he believes natural gas will stay in the $4-$6 per Mcf range “for a decade or more.”

Dominion Resources was also on hand, talking about their plan to export natural gas to Japan and India from Cove Point, MD. Highlights:

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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Mahoning County | Ohio

Youngstown, OH Airport Looks to Add Regular Houston, TX Flights
April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

Yet another positive sign for the Ohio Utica Shale. The Youngstown-Warren (OH) Regional Airport is looking to add direct flights to and from Houston, TX. They’ll likely begin with a regular, chartered service and after that, add a permanent route…

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Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles

UPS to Grow NG Fleet with Additional 700 LNG Tractor Trailers
April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

Hats off to UPS—the shipping company that’s probably made a delivery to your business or home within the past week. A week doesn’t go by that MDN HQ doesn’t get a delivery from the big brown truck! UPS currently has a fleet of 2,600 alternative fuel vehicles—running on everything from electric to biomethane. They’re adding another 700 new vehicles to that number—all of them liquefied natural gas (LNG) tractor trailers. UPS will also build four private refueling stations as part of the program—three in Tennessee and one in Texas.

LNG is different from CNG, or compressed natural gas. LNG is natural gas cooled to the point it becomes a liquid and is typically used in long haul vehicles, like tractor trailers. CNG is typically used in passenger vehicles and short haul trucks. Here’s the announcement from UPS about growing their long haul fleet using LNG:

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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Meetings

Postmortem: Video Shows Tribeca/Josh Fox Lied, Censored Farmers
April 24, 2013April 24, 2013

It’s not worth a lot more in the way of “ink”—but it is worth a final post to show how the anti-fracking side simply lies when it suits them. On Sunday, FrackNation creator/director Phelim McAleer and about 20 farmers from Pennsylvania and upstate New York shouted questions to Josh Fox and the freakish Yoko Ono as they entered the debut of Gasland Part Deux at the Tribeca film festival in New York City. The questioners were barred from entering, even though they had paid for and secured tickets (see Upstate NY Farmers with Tickets Barred from Gasland 2 Premier).

Although Tribeca now claims the theater was full (do they now oversell tickets for movies like they do for airplane seats?), Phelim captured the real reason they were not admitted—on film (see it below)…

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

Video: Martens Riffs on Why NY Fracking Decision Taking So Long
April 24, 2013April 24, 2013

New York Commissioner of the Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Joe Martens, was questioned by Gannett reporter Jon Campbell on Monday about the status of New York’s fracking decision. Below is Campbell’s summary of that conversation, and a video of the interview, so you can hear and see Martens in his own words.

Bottom line: Martens and State Health Commissioner Nirav Shah are running interference for their boss, Andrew “Ditherer” Cuomo–giving him time to make up his mind. In the meantime, Martens and Shah are riffing (making it up as they go) when asked to defend why it’s taking so long. Give the video a watch…

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Anadarko | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Bradford County | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Sullivan County

Manufactured Controversy over Drilling in Loyalsock State Forest
April 24, 2013June 6, 2013

A new manufactured “controversy” is being ginned up by PA Democrat officials and anti-drillers over Anadarko Petroleum’s plan to drill on land they legally own the mineral rights to—25,000 acres in Loyalsock State Forest that covers parts of Lycoming, Sullivan and Bradford counties in PA. Here’s the first time we’ve heard this phrase: The forest contains a “critical bird nursery.” I mean, who could possibly drill in a nursery? Drilling will also happen underneath part of the Old Logger’s Path—not the New Logger’s Path, not the Plain and Simple Logger’s path, but the Old Logger’s Path. And drilling may include portions of the exceptional value stream known as Rock Run. We wonder, are other streams unexceptional? And (OMG!) it may include the lumber ghost town of Masten. DO NOT disturb ghosts—they don’t like it.

Isn’t language in an anti-drilling demagogue’s hands a marvel to behold?…

[Please see an update/note at the end of this article.]

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

New Interior Secretary Jewell Says BLM Fracking Rules Coming Soon
April 24, 2013April 24, 2013

Newly approved Sec. of Interior, Sally Jewell, said on Monday that new rules for fracking on federal lands from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be out “fairly soon.” She also said “one size doesn’t fit all,” apparently trying to assuage concerns by the drilling industry that the federal government is attempting a takeover of regulating fracking. She even claimed she was a fracker once upon a time…

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Harvard Law School Says FracFocus "Fails" as Compliance Tool
April 24, 2013April 24, 2013

The online national hydraulic fracturing chemical registry called FracFocus was launched in April of 2011. Created and managed by the Ground Water Protection Council and Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, two organizations whose missions both revolve around conservation and environmental protection, FracFocus was created to provide the public access to reported chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing within their area. By all accounts it’s been a great success with most oil and gas drilling companies participating and supplying data about their drilling operations to the organization.

However, yesterday FracFocus came under heavy criticism from the Harvard Law School who published a 16-page study (embedded below) that says FracFocus doesn’t go far enough—they say voluntary reporting by drillers is “spotty” and the trade secret provision that allows drillers to hold back some information is “overly broad.” The title of this “study” claims that, “FracFocus fails as a regulatory compliance tool.” HLS’ proposed fix? Bring in the feds…

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

The Fractured Reality (and Hypocrisy) of NY Anti-Drillers
April 24, 2013April 24, 2013

A perceptive MDN reader from the Buffalo area emailed to make an excellent point. He told us about a real, existential and present threat in western NY from an old nuclear waste dump called West Valley. Stick with us here—there is a point!

There’s a very real possibility the nuclear waste stockpiled at West Valley may erode and be released into the environment within the next 150 years—and possibly much sooner if the area gets washed away by freak torrential downpours which seem to be occurring more regularly in the region. If that happens, nuclear waste may escape and pollute both Lakes Erie and Ontario, and with it, the drinking water for millions of people…

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