Today’s Essential Reads
FRACKING:
Fracking Safeguards Not Followed
A U.S. Department of Energy subcommittee charged with examining the safety of shale gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, reports that energy companies aren’t doing enough to cut pollution risks.
Colorado Commission Rule Would Require Fracking Disclosure
The process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the controversial method the energy industry uses to fracture underground rock formations to stimulate oil and natural gas production, may soon become more transparent in Colorado.
A Fracking Chemical Appears in Wyoming Aquifer
An EPA study found cancerous compounds, including one used in hydraulic fracturing to harvest natural gas, in an aquifer in Wyoming, ProPublica reports.
Oklahoma Earthquake Possibly Caused by Controversial Energy-Drilling Process
The reason behind last week’s earthquake in Oklahoma is still eluding scientists though they think it might have been connected to the growing use of hydraulic fracturing.
BP OIL SPILL:
NYT: Lawsuit Against BP in Russia Is Thrown Out
BP won the backing of a Siberian court on Friday in its battle against $16 billion in claims brought by a minority shareholder in TNK-BP, the oil company’s Russian joint venture.
Oil-Spill Cleanup Continues at Beach
The continued removal of oil from Fourchon Beach won’t be affected by the U.S. Coast Guard’s decision to begin moving from cleanup to restoration activities this week.
Congress Needs Urgency In Passing Bill On BP Spill Fines: An Editorial
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will consider legislation early next month that directs 80 percent of BP’s oil spill fines to Gulf Coast states, and that’s crucial timing for this important bill. Unless legislation directing most of the fines to the Gulf Coast is adopted quickly, it could get sidelined as the focus shifts to the 2012 elections and Congress slows down legislative activity.
“The Big Fix” Film: Gulf Oil Spill Not Over
The deeply-personal documentary “The Big Fix” investigates the corporate negligence and the corruption of officials both before and after last year’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It delves into the ongoing aftereffects on the Gulf Coast both in the water and on shore.
RADIATION:
First Glimpse Inside Fukushima…
At the end of a long shift, a group of workers at Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant head back to their lockers and collect their belongings.
