Today’s Essential Reads
FRACKING:
Activists Question Fracking Near Schools
State and national children’s advocates and child health groups are calling on New York State officials to broaden their assessments of the impacts of hydrofracking as a method of tapping underground natural gas deposits to include child health impacts and impacts on schools. Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
Perry’s Day Ends in Confrontation Over Fracking, Gays in the Military
The question came from 22-year-old Carrie Kauffamn, a student from the nearby Luther College, who said that it had been proven that the technology used for fracking has polluted groundwater. “No ma’am,” Perry said. When Kauffman insisted on the point, Perry cut her off, replying, “We can have this conversation, but you cannot show me one place where there is a proven, not one, where there is a proven pollution of groundwater by hydraulic fracturing.”
When the EPA released a draft report about water tests in the Pavillion area that barely and cautiously implicated hydraulic fracturing, the reaction from all sides of the debate over the use of the practice was swift, very, very predictable, and completely missed the point.
BP OIL SPILL:
The Truth Behind the GCCF and the General Frenzy Created by its Mode of Operation
People who have suffered loss of income and revenue, or physical injury as a direct result of the BP oil spill are definitely disappointed by the GCCF (Gulf Coast Claims Facility). The majority of them are struggling with denied bp claims or underpayment offers. Those who want to know the true story of the GCCF, what its role should be and how it operates in reality, should visit the following website for more information:www.bpclaim.com
Coast Guard Plans to Use Dispersants If Cuban Drilling Produces Oil Spill
As Cuba prepares to begin allowing a Spanish company to drill for oil 12 miles north of Havana next year, U.S. Coast Guard officials say they have learned from the mistakes made during the Deepwater Horizon disaster and will be prepared for the worst should a spill happen so close to the Florida Keys.
Is Gulf Seafood Really Safe for Children and Pregnant Women?
Since the BP oil spill last year devastated the Gulf region, the federal government has encouraged the purchase of local seafood to help fishermen get back on their feet. But a new study raises the question of whether this fish is safe to consume, especially for mothers and adolescents.
Spill Reported at Oil Giant Shell’s Gulf of Mexico Site
A well of Royal Dutch Shell, a global oil and gas company, spilled about 13,000 gallons of oil and drilling fluids into the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, U.S. media reported on Monday.
Galleries Renew £10m BP Deal Despite Environmental Protests
Four of the UK’s biggest cultural organisations – the British Museum, theNational Portrait Gallery, the Royal Opera House and Tate – have announced they are to renew sponsorship deals with BP worth £10m despite opposition from environmental campaigners.
RADIATION:
Government ‘Should Assume Responsibility’ For Fukushima Recovery
The Japanese government should assume overall responsibility for the recovery effort at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant until decommissioning is completed, a report approved by the Japan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) has said. The report, drafted by a JAEC advisory committee, is the result of discussions on medium-range and long-term measures to be taken at Fukushima-Daiichi following the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011.
