News Round-Up: November 16, 2011

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Today’s Essential Reads

FRACKING:

Don’t Frack the Delaware and Risk Our Water and Health

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) was created 50 years ago by Congress “to protect the water quality, quantity and scenic beauty of the Delaware River Basin.” That protection is now in jeopardy, since hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for natural gas can begin here in a few months if three of the five commissioners — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and Col. Christopher Larsen, who represents President Obama and the federal government — vote to approve the just-published Revised Natural Gas Regulations on Nov. 21.

Treatment Plant for Frack Water Proposed for Standing

A Blossburg-based company is proposing to construct a plant on U.S. Route 6 in Standing Stone Township that would treat and recycle flow-back water from the hydraulic fracturing of natural gas wells.

Council Speakers Come Out Against Fracking in Longmont

About 150 people packed the City Council chambers Tuesday night, many to insist they didn’t want “fracking” in Longmont or anywhere near Union Reservoir.

BP OIL SPILL:

Prosecutors Aim to Revoke BP Probation

BP, the biggest oil field operator on Alaska’s North Slope, has failed to fix pervasive management and environmental safety problems and is a repeat environmental offender, federal prosecutors said in a new court filing this week.

SkyTruth: Chevron Oil Spill off Brazil – 10 Times Bigger Than Official Estimate?

We’ve been tracking the oil spill reported off Brazil a few days ago, in the Frade field operated by Chevron in the Campos Basin, Brazil’s most productive area of offshore production, and a place where manydeepwater technology milestones have been made for offshore oil production.

How BP Blew Its Chance to Spearhead a Solar Innovation

BP has had its share of missteps, including the worst oil spill in history. It may have made another sort of mistake in solar energy—failing to capitalize on an important advance that has now been taken up by Chinese solar-panel makers. The advance could help the Chinese companies maintain their overwhelming lead in the solar industry.

Bon Secour Shrimper Dies Waiting on GCCF

Bon Secour shrimper Freddie Coley died Monday night. Documents that would have allowed him to resolve his BP claim arrive Tuesday morning.

RADIATION:

From Minamata to Fukushima — The Japanese Nuclear Crisis Isn’t Over Yet

For me, the saddest stories are about needless human suffering, suffering caused by greed, hate, or more maddeningly, the inability of responsible people to act responsively. Minamata is that kind of story, encapsulated in a single and truly iconic photograph, by W. Eugene Smith. You might remember it as well, a picture of a young woman deformed as a result of industrial mercury poisoning, being bathed by her mother, who regards her with beatific and transcending love.

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Stuart H. Smith is an attorney based in New Orleans fighting major oil companies and other polluters.
Cooper Law Firm

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