<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Industry defends federal loophole for drilling before packed Congressional hearing]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by Tasermons Partner http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-06-gas-drilling-congress-hearing/ Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:59:33 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-06-gas-drilling-congress-hearing/1 Be sure to keep us updated.

]]> Be sure to keep us updated.

]]> Comment #2 by randino http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-06-gas-drilling-congress-hearing/ Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:17:23 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-06-gas-drilling-congress-hearing/2 I am not surprised that state regulators would compose an amen chorus to the oil and gas industry.  Industry buys state house politicians by the lot, and those politicians have little sympathy for regulators who do what they are supposed to do, instead of what they really do - which is suck up to industry.  For environmental groups on the ground, it is a truism that much of your fight is not against the despoilers, it against the people who are allegedly protecting the public and the environment, when in fact they are more lap dogs than watch dogs.

As far as the Democrats who are not on the pay of the rape, loot and pillage crowd, their greatest enemies are other Democrats.  That is why it is unfortunate that Republicans who are pro-environment, have just about been hunted to extinction by the party's hard right.

Randy Cunningham  Cleveland, OH

]]> I am not surprised that state regulators would compose an amen chorus to the oil and gas industry.  Industry buys state house politicians by the lot, and those politicians have little sympathy for regulators who do what they are supposed to do, instead of what they really do - which is suck up to industry.  For environmental groups on the ground, it is a truism that much of your fight is not against the despoilers, it against the people who are allegedly protecting the public and the environment, when in fact they are more lap dogs than watch dogs.

As far as the Democrats who are not on the pay of the rape, loot and pillage crowd, their greatest enemies are other Democrats.  That is why it is unfortunate that Republicans who are pro-environment, have just about been hunted to extinction by the party's hard right.

Randy Cunningham  Cleveland, OH

]]> Comment #3 by Tyler Durden http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-06-gas-drilling-congress-hearing/ Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:07:38 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-06-gas-drilling-congress-hearing/3 Industry never has anything credible to say re the environment, but there's a much bigger issue here:  As it gets harder to get oil and gas out of the ground, ever more environmentally destructive methods are being used.  The debate should not be about whether to properly regulate this practice, but whether to stop it.

]]> Industry never has anything credible to say re the environment, but there's a much bigger issue here:  As it gets harder to get oil and gas out of the ground, ever more environmentally destructive methods are being used.  The debate should not be about whether to properly regulate this practice, but whether to stop it.

]]> Comment #4 by randino http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-06-gas-drilling-congress-hearing/ Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:42:36 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-06-gas-drilling-congress-hearing/4 This is a particularly relevant article given our situation in Ohio, where there is an almost annual effort made to turn our state parks, forests and nature preserves over to the drillers.  The latest scam is a part of the war that is on its way between the Repubican Senate and Democratic House over the budget.  The Republicans slipped in another drilling proposal as part of their budget resolution.  The Democratic House Speaker tried to do the same earlier and was told in no uncertain terms by the rest of the causcas that the proposal was DOA.  The excuse in the past was to provide natural gas to Ohioans facing an energy shortage.  The excuse now is that the state's cut in the action, will be able to help fill the fiscal melt down the state is in.  Behind it all, is the fact that a state that is poor in public lands that its ciitizens could enjoy, has a state house that does not respect our public lands, really would prefer not have any, and looks upon what we have as a plumb to reward supporters in the timber and mining industries. 

Randy Cunningham   Cleveland, OH

]]> This is a particularly relevant article given our situation in Ohio, where there is an almost annual effort made to turn our state parks, forests and nature preserves over to the drillers.  The latest scam is a part of the war that is on its way between the Repubican Senate and Democratic House over the budget.  The Republicans slipped in another drilling proposal as part of their budget resolution.  The Democratic House Speaker tried to do the same earlier and was told in no uncertain terms by the rest of the causcas that the proposal was DOA.  The excuse in the past was to provide natural gas to Ohioans facing an energy shortage.  The excuse now is that the state's cut in the action, will be able to help fill the fiscal melt down the state is in.  Behind it all, is the fact that a state that is poor in public lands that its ciitizens could enjoy, has a state house that does not respect our public lands, really would prefer not have any, and looks upon what we have as a plumb to reward supporters in the timber and mining industries. 

Randy Cunningham   Cleveland, OH

]]> Comment #5 by kblissdc http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-06-gas-drilling-congress-hearing/ Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:48:05 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-06-gas-drilling-congress-hearing/5 It appears obvious that ProPublica, which describes itself as a purveyor of "independent journalism in the public interest", isn't even close to independent.  Its reporter at the House hearing last week all too obviously walked into the room with his mind already made up.  He had no interest in talking to Lynn Helms, a state regulator from the State of North Dakota, who testified.  I was at the hearing and was surprised to see the reporter fawning all over the witness from New York who blasted hydraulic fracturing but he had little interest in anyone else's perspective.

I have followed this issue for close to a decade -- not representing industry but states and state regulators.  We don't have one state oil and natural gas regulator in the country who believes that hydraulic fracturing is an activity that is harming the nation's drinking water.  Don't forget, it is basically the job of the state regulator of oil and natural gas production to protect drinking water from anything having to do with oil and natural gas.  State regulators, through the Interstate Oil and Natural Gas Compact Commission, for which I work here in Washington DC, meet regularly with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, our co-regulator in protecting water resources during the development of oil and natural gas.  To understand the "Bush-era loophole" (which by the way was ultimately authored by Senator Bingaman and approved as part of the BIPARTISAN Energy Policy Act of 2005) you have to know the history of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and the the case that changed the way the SDWA had always been interpreted.

Anyone wanting a thoughtful and non-demagogic discussion of this complex issue is welcome to call me.  I will offer history and facts, something one might have hoped from "independent journalism in the public interest".  

My telephone number is 202-416-5062.

Kevin Bliss, Washington Representative, Interstate Oil and Natural Gas Compact Commission

]]> It appears obvious that ProPublica, which describes itself as a purveyor of "independent journalism in the public interest", isn't even close to independent.  Its reporter at the House hearing last week all too obviously walked into the room with his mind already made up.  He had no interest in talking to Lynn Helms, a state regulator from the State of North Dakota, who testified.  I was at the hearing and was surprised to see the reporter fawning all over the witness from New York who blasted hydraulic fracturing but he had little interest in anyone else's perspective.

I have followed this issue for close to a decade -- not representing industry but states and state regulators.  We don't have one state oil and natural gas regulator in the country who believes that hydraulic fracturing is an activity that is harming the nation's drinking water.  Don't forget, it is basically the job of the state regulator of oil and natural gas production to protect drinking water from anything having to do with oil and natural gas.  State regulators, through the Interstate Oil and Natural Gas Compact Commission, for which I work here in Washington DC, meet regularly with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, our co-regulator in protecting water resources during the development of oil and natural gas.  To understand the "Bush-era loophole" (which by the way was ultimately authored by Senator Bingaman and approved as part of the BIPARTISAN Energy Policy Act of 2005) you have to know the history of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and the the case that changed the way the SDWA had always been interpreted.

Anyone wanting a thoughtful and non-demagogic discussion of this complex issue is welcome to call me.  I will offer history and facts, something one might have hoped from "independent journalism in the public interest".  

My telephone number is 202-416-5062.

Kevin Bliss, Washington Representative, Interstate Oil and Natural Gas Compact Commission

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