New York

East Resources | Energy Companies | Erie County (NY) | New York

Buffalo “Marcellus” Bills – Team Sold to Fracker for $1.4B
October 10, 2014October 10, 2014

As MDN previously told you, Marcellus money has just purchased the Buffalo Bills NFL team (see Buffalo Bills Stay in Buffalo, Thanks to $1.4B of Marcellus Money). Yesterday NFL owners, who had gathered to vote, took all of about 15 seconds to approve the $1.4 BILLION purchase of the Bills team by East Resources (and former Marcellus Shale driller) Terry Pegula and his wife Kim. The vote was 32-0 in favor of the sale. We think in honor of this momentous occasion the team should be renamed to be the Buffalo Marcellus Bills. Maybe we can just call them the “MarBills” for short?…
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Alternative Energy | Erie County (NY) | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY Gov. Cuomo Backs Billionaire Solar Guy Over Fracking
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is about to direct $750 million of taxpayer’s hard-earned money to go to Elon Musk, founder of Paypal and Tesla Motors, a man whose net worth is $11.7 BILLION. Why? It’s Cuomo’s crony capitalism move to get Musk to build a manufacturing plant near Buffalo that will produce (don’t laugh) solar panels. Can anyone say “Solyndra”? Cuomo is hoping to buy ~~votes~~ Upstate NY jobs with his latest sleazy move. Meanwhile, if Cuomo would only open the state for hydraulic fracturing, he wouldn’t have to spend a dime of taxpayer money to create thousands of new jobs and lift the standard of living for everyone in Upstate. Instead, he prefers to steal from already-poor taxpayers and reward the super rich. Here’s more on the latest travesty unfolding in NY…
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Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Second Look at New NY Law: Climate Change & Drilling Permits
October 7, 2014October 7, 2014

Last week MDN reported on the recent New York “Community Risk and Resiliency Act” signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. We raised the issue that it may be a surreptitious way of controlling shale drilling when/if it’s allowed (see NY Law Back Door Way to Stop Widespread Shale Drilling?). The new law requires the state Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to take into account climate change and sea levels rising when making certain decisions and evaluating certain permits. We referenced one law firm’s take that “Applications and/or permits [for oil and gas drilling] received after the adoption of the Department’s guidance must comply with the law.” Our speculation was that maybe the law could be used to slow down or stop shale drilling. We’ve received a strong dissenting opinion on that view from another attorney, and from landowners in the Southern Tier area of New York, who have reviewed the law and find that, at best, the new law is dealing with storage tanks and not actual drilling permits…
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Bradford County | New York | Pennsylvania | Statewide NY

Video: Whirlwind Tour of Shale Drilling in Bradford County, PA
October 7, 2014October 7, 2014

Let’s go on a quick pickup truck tour of Bradford County, PA, shall we? Anti-drillers always make veiled references to the “sacrifice zones” in Pennsylvania where there’s a lot of drilling. Places like Bradford County, PA–one of THE most drilled counties in the PA Marcellus Shale. We always say, “go look for yourselves!” The reality of what you will find when you tour the countryside in PA’s most-drilled counties is far different from what anti-drillers would have you believe. Recently the Empire Energy Forum (from New York) accepted an invitation from Bradford County, PA Commissioner Doug McLinko to visit and tour with him. They did, and produced a 6-minute video of their experience…
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Anadarko | Energy Companies | EOG Resources | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY AG Schneiderman Shakes Down Anadarko & EOG Resources
October 6, 2014October 6, 2014

New York State’s out-of-control Attorney General, Eric “the anti-driller” Schneiderman, continues his out-of-control ways vis a vis shale drilling. It makes no difference that there is no shale drilling in New York State. Schneiderman continues to go after shale drilling in other states–abusing his office’s power to investigate the world of Wall Street. In what appears to us to be nothing more than smoke and mirrors, AG Schneiderman’s office on Friday announced he has reached an “agreement” with both Anadarko Petroleum and EOG Resources to disclose more information on the financial effects of regulation, litigation, and environmental impacts related to hydraulic fracturing. That is, Anadarko and EOG have volunteered to provide information about fracking that may cause their respective companies’ stock to take a hit. In other words, they’ve agreed to provide information to the public that they already provide to the public…
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Chenango County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Research

Cornell Grad Students Publish Well Water Study from Upstate NY
October 3, 2014October 3, 2014

Some real science coming from Cornell University–who knew it was possible? Normally we associate the discredited theories of professors Robert Howarth and Anthony Ingraffea with the storied Cornell. They claim burning coal is better for the environment than burning natural gas (see Forbes Article Exposes Cornell Prof Howarth and His “Research”). It took a grad student at Cornell to conduct some real, fundamental, in-the-field research that will benefit Marcellus and Utica Shale drilling–IF it ever happens in New York. Doctoral student Lauren McPhillips is the lead author of a research paper recently published in the Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies. The study is titled “Assessing dissolved methane patterns in central New York groundwater” (full copy below). McPhillips and her fellow researchers recorded the chemicals found in 113 water wells in Chenango County, NY, to serve as a baseline when/if widespread shale drilling comes to the county…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY Law Back Door Way to Stop Widespread Shale Drilling?
October 1, 2014October 2, 2014

Some days it’s just plain hard to live in New York State. We have so many stoners in our Assembly and Senate, so-called representatives (like Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo of Endicott) that force their will on the people rather than do the people’s bidding, it feels like New York is an outpost in North Korea or Putin’s Stalinist Russia instead of one of 50 free states in North America. Our latest reason for depression is a quick-get-it-passed-before-anyone-notices bill that all but ensures even if Andrew Cuomo approves shale drilling/fracking today, it will now be unlikely to produce any serious drilling programs. The misnamed and innocent-sounding “Community Risk and Resiliency Act” was signed into law by Cuomo last week. What’s that? Never heard of it? Neither had we. Here’s the gory details…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | New York | Statewide NY

NY Anti-Drillers Offer Cuomo a Tour of PA Fracking
September 30, 2014September 30, 2014

This one is really funny. The bizarre people who run New Yorkers Against Fracking, namely Sandra Steingraber, who gets paid by Ithaca College to travel around trash talking fracking, and a few others from virulent anti-fossil fuel groups, have dogged New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo everywhere he goes for the past two years. They pester him so much that when one of their nutty number isn’t at one of his public events, Cuomo’s daughter wonders if the stars are out of alignment (see NY Gov Cuomo Comments on Fracking, Hounding by Protesters). Those same ever-present protesters recently sent a letter to Cuomo offering to take him on a tour of Pennsylvania’s gas drilling areas. Are they just temporarily nuts? Or permanently insane? Do they really think he would ever, in this life, accept such an offer?…
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Albany County | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | New York | Research | Statewide NY

Albany Times Union’s Continued Obtuseness on Fracking
September 22, 2014September 22, 2014

Last week MDN highlighted two new studies out that prove fracking doesn’t pollute water supplies (see New Study Finds Well Casings, Not Fracking, Cause Methane Migration and Federal NETL Study: Fracking Doesn’t Contaminate Water Supplies). Objective science proving that fracking is A-OK is anathema to liberal editors at publications like the Albany Times Union. What to do? Ah yes, write an editorial acknowledging those studies (because you can’t hide the news forever), and then lie about those studies by saying people still have “polluted” water…
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Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Norse Energy | Regulation | Statewide NY | Tompkins County

Norse Energy Appeals Town Ban Case Back to NY High Court
September 16, 2014September 16, 2014

In April MDN reported on the rumors that Norse Energy, the ill-fated company that bet big on New York State with 180,000 acres of leased land in NY, had been sold at bankruptcy court (see Highest Bid for Norse Energy $2.65M – Was it Sold & Who Bid?). As we pointed out in the story, we don’t know if the company was actually sold, and if it was, who the actual buyer was. We still don’t know. What we do know is that the only thing left to sell were Norse’s leases, since they had already sold off all of the hard assets (see Lights Turned Off, Door Closed – Good Night, Norse Energy). However, the Norse trustee retained at least some of the leases assets so the company could continue their lawsuit against New York for bankrupting them. Try to get back at least some of that money. Then the double-whammy: The New York Court of Appeals (our highest court) ruled against Norse and said local towns can ban fracking (see Shale Drilling in NY is Over – High Court Upholds Town Bans). The new news, just coming to light for us, is that Norse appealed that decision back to the Court of Appeals for a second time, based on a recent decision in a Colorado court…
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East Resources | Energy Companies | Erie County (NY) | New York | Statewide NY

National Media Acknowledges Marcellus Shale Saved the Bills
September 15, 2014September 15, 2014

It’s not often that MDN sets the trend for national news, but we have to say we believe we did this time. Going back to June 2014, MDN speculated that if the Buffalo Bills franchise was purchased by billionairre Terry Pegula, it would be Marcellus money funding the purchase (see Fascinating Connection Between NFL & Marcellus/Utica). We then brought you the news that Aubrey McClendon, the former Chesapeake CEO and fracking “bad boy” the media loves to hate, would also help fund the purchase via his purchases of Marcellus and Utica property from Pegula (see Aubrey McClendon’s Money Makes Purchase of Buffalo Bills Possible). Last week the deal was struck and indeed, Pegula the Marcellus fracking billionaire, was the winner (see Buffalo Bills Stay in Buffalo, Thanks to $1.4B of Marcellus Money). After we reported that story on Wednesday, it took a couple of days, but eventually even Gannett and the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin had to admit we were right. In an interesting twist, the PSB reports that NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo is gushing with praise for Pegula, which of course just points out his sleazy, political double-standard on the fracking issue…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY Gov Cuomo Comments on Fracking, Hounding by Protesters
September 10, 2014September 10, 2014

He speaks! The man-child Andrew Cuomo, erstwhile (and rumored) Governor of New York, someone who has a problem making decisions (should I wear the black tie or the blue tie?), had to run a small gauntlet of anti-drilling protesters to cast his ballot in yesterday’s statewide primary. Cuomo, as we’ve chronicled for years, refuses to allow fracking in New York ahead of this November’s election. The betting money is that he will allow it after the election. When asked about the anti-drilling protesters outside the polling place, Cuomo uttered an entire paragraph on the topic–more than he’s said in a year…
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East Resources | Energy Companies | Erie County (NY) | New York

Buffalo Bills Stay in Buffalo, Thanks to $1.4B of Marcellus Money
September 10, 2014September 10, 2014

For some time we’ve followed, with interest, the story of the sale of the Buffalo Bills NFL football team (see Fascinating Connection Between NFL & Marcellus/Utica). East Resources–an oil & gas driller with extensive holdings in the Marcellus–is owned by Terry Pegula. Terry sold much of his Marcellus holdings in 2010 to Shell/SWEPI for $4.7 billion. He later purchased the Buffalo Sabres NHL hockey team. Not long ago he sold off more (the rest?) of his Marcellus and Utica acreage to Aubrey McClendon for $1.75 billion (see Aubrey McClendon’s Money Makes Purchase of Buffalo Bills Possible). Terry has, according to “sources” of Buffalo Business First, won the bidding contest for the Bills. The price? Uncoincidentally, $1.4 billion–the highest price paid for any NFL franchise in the history of the league…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pennsylvania | Public Opinion | Statewide NY | Statewide PA

Univ of Mich Polls PA & NY on Fracking Views – Paradox in Results
September 9, 2014September 9, 2014

The University of Michigan is fresh out with the results of a poll they conducted in April and May of both New Yorkers and Pennsylvanians and their attitudes on the issue of Marcellus Shale drilling and fracking. We’re not quite sure if the results can be relied on simply because of the small number polled–just 405 New Yorkers and 411 Pennsylvanians. However, the results are interesting nonetheless. If you drill down to the actual questions asked, and the responses (full copy below), you’ll find that in both NY and PA when asked how much the respondent has heard (knows) about fracking–a lot, a little, or never heard of it before–more than half said they’ve heard “a little” about it: 55% in NY and 52% in PA. Even more shocking is that 11% in NY and 10% in PA had “never heard” of fracking before. Add the numbers up and it equals 66% of NY residents and 62% of PA residents that know little to nothing about fracking–which is a huge opportunity for those of us with the truth about this miracle to communicate our message to them and educate them on the benefits of fracking…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | New York | Statewide NY

JLCNY “David” Goes Up Against Park Foundation “Goliath”
September 8, 2014September 8, 2014

MDN recently received the following fundraising letter from the 70,000-member Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY). The JLCNY runs on a shoestring budget. Although many landowners belong to the JLCNY “umbrella” organization through local landowner groups, most of them do not contribute money to the JLCNY. The JLCNY has been on the front lines of the fight to get shale drilling authorized in New York. As they point out in the letter, it’s a real David and Goliath kind of struggle–with mom and pop landowners as David and Park Foundation-backed liberal enviro groups (and their minions) as Goliath. The happy thought we had in reading the letter below is that we know how the original David & Goliath story turns out–the one from 3,000 years ago. Let’s hope we get a repeat with the shale drilling struggle, which right now seems hopeless, in New York State…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | New York | Statewide NY

Who Knew? “Massive” Marcellus is Drilled in “Two Dozen States”
September 4, 2014September 4, 2014

Wow, the Marcellus must have grown quite a bit overnight when no one was looking. According to a reporter at Newsday (Long Island newspaper, sixth largest regional newspaper in the country), “More than two dozen states permit drilling in the massive Marcellus Shale deposit.” Last time we checked there are three states drilling in the Marcellus: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. Most of it happens in two states: PA and WV. When reporters are that sloppy, it makes you wonder if anything else in the article is actually true. In this case, it’s an article about the differences of opinion by gubernatorial candidates in NY on whether or not to allow fracking in the Empire State…
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