Today’s Essential Reads
FRACKING:
Fracking Industry Needs to Follow Laws, Too
The shale gas industry has made a habit of overstating fracking’s benefits and understating its risks. It likes to point only to economic benefits, which are mostly isolated and temporary, while ignoring a rising number of reports of broken industry promises, harm to local communities, and air pollution and water contamination. Just recently, in Pavillion, Wyo., the Environmental Protection Agency found fracking chemicals in well water.
Are New York Lawmakers Poised To Throw Upstate Residents Under The Fracking Bus?
Despite last week’s temporary win protecting the Delaware River Basin and its inhabitants from natural gas fracking, the debate rages on in New York State. Lawmakers, industry lobbyists and concerned landowners have debated for over a year about whether or not to open up the state to the Marcellus Shale fracking bonanza.
New Jersey Legislature Moves Bill to Ban Fracking Wastewater
Fueled by massive opposition to fracking, demonstrated by last week’s 1,000 person rally outside of the New Jersey State House, the Assembly Environment Committee passed A-4231 [Wagner (D-Bergen), Gusciora (D-Mercer)] a bill that would ban the importation of fracking wastewater into New Jersey for transport or processing. This legislation aims to protect New Jersey residents from the residual impacts of fracking in Pennsylvania and other states.
Fracking Opponents Urge ‘Legal’ Protests
Organizers of the march and rally tomorrow at the site of the Youngstown Ohio Utica & Natural Gas 2011 Conference & Expo are using various social media sites to urge protestors from across Ohio to mobilize here tomorrow and wear red clothing to call attention to Ohio’s “state of emergency” caused by hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
BP OIL SPILL:
BP’s Macondo Legal Troubles May Last Until 2014
BP Plc’s legal proceedings over the Macondo well that caused the worst U.S. oil spill may last into 2014, Citigroup Inc. said, citing the company’s lead lawyer.
Gulfport Going Public With Oil Spill Frustrations
On the advice of their consultants, city leaders are going public with their frustration over BP’s failure to pay what the city believes it is owed for 2010 oil catastrophe losses.
Additional Violations in Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
BP, Transocean and Halliburton should expect to be notified soon regarding additional violations tied to last year’s Gulf of Mexico spill, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Director Michael Bromwich said Monday.
Gulf Oil Spill: BP Faces More Citations
The Obama administration says BP and two other companies are likely to face new citations for alleged safety and environmental violations stemming from last year’s Gulf oil spill.
RADIATION:
Radiation Covers 8% of Japan, Fukushima Crisis “Stunting Children’s Growth”
Japan’s science ministry says 8 per cent of the country’s surface area has been contaminated by radiation from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.
