Natural Gas Industry, Panacea or Toxic Destroyer of America?

Natural gas has been described by many as the cleaner and cheaper energy alternative.  But, is this really true?  Josh Fox, the filmmaker behind Gasland look at the dark side of the natural gas industry as he traces hydraulic fracturing across 34 states.    Believe me.  It isn’t pretty.  To get a glimpse of what Fox found, watch the video below of  the interview of Josh Fox by Aaron Task, host of Yahoo! Tech Ticker.

The movie aired on HBO on June 21, 2010. But don’t despair. I missed it too.   You can see it on HBO on Demand or check the schedule here. Stay tuned to future movie screenings in New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Wyoming and other states.

After watching the above interview, yours truly was speechless.

What’s it all about, Alfie?

Why are we, the public, not aware of the dangers associated with drilling for natural gas?  Were any of you aware of the dark side of natural gas.  To be honest, I was clueless. Fox states that the life cycle of natural gas creates the following problems:

• Air contaimination
• Destruction of Land
• The injection of toxic chemicals into the Earth.  Think drinking turpentine tasting water.

Fracking is “involves injecting millions of gallons of water, sand, and chemicals, many of them toxic, into the earth at high pressures to break up rock formations and release natural gas trapped inside.” [Source].  To be specific,  according to Fox, 956 different types of chemicals which may include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. (Want to see what this all means?  See the fracking illustration here.)

To make matter worse….

According to Fox, the Natural Gas industry is exempt from the Safe Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and other environmental acts which make them responsible for the damage they are doing to our water supply.  Fox states once you contaminate an aquifer, it is extremely hard to clean it up.

Is Fox Off his Rocker?

So many may dismiss Fox’s movie, but other media outlets are writing about similar stories.  Take a recent Vanity Fair article about how fracking has changed the town of Dimock.

“You don’t need to drive around Dimock long to notice how the rolling hills and farmland of this Appalachian town are scarred by barren, square-shaped clearings, jagged, newly constructed roads with 18-wheelers driving up and down them, and colorful freight containers labeled “residual waste.” Although there is a moratorium on drilling new wells for the time being, you can still see the occasional active drill site, manned by figures in hazmat suits and surrounded by klieg lights, trailers, and pits of toxic wastewater, the derricks towering over barns, horses, and cows in their shadows.

“The real shock that Dimock has undergone, however, is in the aquifer that residents rely on for their fresh water. Dimock is now known as the place where, over the past two years, people’s water started turning brown and making them sick, one woman’s water well spontaneously combusted, and horses and pets mysteriously began to lose their hair.”

Take Action

Before you bury your head in the sand and whine, “is anything safe anymore,”  Fox suggests the following to stand up like Norma Rae and say, “No” to the Big Bad Natural Gas Industry.

“Start Locally

1. Join a local (and national) organization fighting fracking. You can find a list of them here.

2. Elect one person to become your community captain. They will be the point person for web alerts, legislative efforts and coordinating group attendance at rallies. Sign up for here for timely alerts.

3. New Yorkers, call your State Senator and Majority Leader Sampson – (518) 455-2800 and your Assemblyperson and Speaker Silver – (518) 455-4100. Urge them to enact a minimum 2-year moratorium on fracking in NY (A10940/Englebright & S.7592/Addabo) and require the DEC to stop issuing fracking permits until 120 days following the EPA Study on fracking and drinking water supplies.

4. Pennsylvania residents, contact your House Representative to reign in gas drilling by approving HB 2213 and contact your State Senator to stop leasing of State Forests for gas drilling by approving Bill 2235. Find your legislatorhere.

5. Live outside of NY and PA? Go to our site to find and submit ideas for state specific actions.

6. Write a Letter To The Editor of your local newspaper with your concerns. To see sample letters, see page five. First learn more about fracking from the Environmental Working Group and OGAP. Talk to Washington

7. Contact your Federal Representatives and tell them to pass the FRAC Act. E-mail them, send a postcard, give them a call tomorrow morning. Let your voice be heard.

8. Tell the White House natural gas is not the solution to our oil spill or energy problems- 202.456.1111.

Your Gas Drilling Routine

9. Set a reminder on your phone, computer or refrigerator to call your representatives each day or use an easy to remember time like 11:11 am. Here’s a call script:

I live in_______(state/town) and I am worried about the effects that Hydraulic Fracturing for natural gas can have on our water, air and public health. I am aware that the industry is exempt from most of our basic federal environmental and public health laws, such as the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Superfund Law. I urge ______(representative’s name) to support the FRAC Act at the Federal level and to move towards a moratorium at the state level until Hydraulic Fracturing can be proven safe or stopped completely.

Monday: Call State Representatives

Tuesday: Call Congressmen and Senators

Wednesday: Call President Obama

Thursday: Call Mayor and City Council members

Friday: Call your mama (or your daughter or son or kids school) Be creative!

10. E-mail the Gasland trailer to 10 friends along with this action list. If you’d like to organize a public screening for these friends and the rest of your community, contact us.”

According to the site,

“The Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act (H.R. 2766), (S. 1215)—was introduced to both houses of the the United States Congress on June 9, 2009, and aims to repeal the exemption for hydraulic fracturing in the Safe Drinking Water Act. It would require the energy industry to disclose the chemicals it mixes with the water and sand it pumps underground in the hydraulic fracturing process (also known as fracking), information that has largely been protected as trade secrets. Controversy surrounds the practice of hydraulic fracturing as a threat to drinking water supplies.[1] The gas industry opposes the legislation.[2]
The House bill was introduced by representatives Diana DeGette, D-Colo., Maurice Hinchey D-N.Y., and Jared Polis, D-Colo. The Senate version was introduced by senators Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.”

Natural Gas Industry, stop hidding behind your Mamas’ skirts.  Take responsibility for your actions!

Readers, thoughts?  Do you live in one of the many town across the US affected by fracking.

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