EARTHblog

On Tuesday the Onondaga county legislature voted to prohibit hydrofracking on county property until more is known about its effects on health and the environment. The legislature also passed on non-binding resolution calling on law makers to pass laws ensuring public protection from the environmental and health risks associated with fracking.

Onondaga county's actions are a promising step for communities dealing with fracking. Current regulations are inadequate, which is why we need to support the FRAC act and stronger state regulations governing the drilliing process.

For More Information:

• As NY mulls hydrofracking regulations, gas companies lease land in CNY watersheds, by Delen Goldberg in the Post-Standard. 12/28/09
• Onondaga County Legislature bans hydrofracking on county property, by Tim Knauss in the Post-Standard. 2/2/10.
• EARTHWORKS hydraulic fracturing page

Richard Bass, along with his partner William H. Hunt, are currently trying to permit the largest coal strip-mine in Alaska’s history, the Chuitna Coal Project, along the Chuitna River. The mine would be built directly on top of 11 miles of prime salmon fisheries feeding the Cook Inlet.

Mr. Bass is the owner of the world famous Snowbird ski resort in Utah.  Ironically, his proposed mine threatens the very resort in which he takes so much pride. The Chuitna mine would release nearly 54 million pounds of greenhouse gases per year, piling on to man-made global warming -- the boogeyman of ski resorts and all winter sports. In addition, the mine would destroy one of Alaska’s most productive salmon fisheries and poses a direct threat to area wildlife.

For More Information:

• www.nobasscoal.org

Amnesty International has released a report urging the Papua New Guinean Government to investigate forced evictions and police violence associated with the Porgera gold mine in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.

Amnesty's report, Undermining Rights: Forced evictions and police brutality around the Porgera gold mine, Papua New Guinea, details the raids on villages that occurred between April- July of 2009, in which at least 130 buildings were burned down and families were forced out of their homes.

TXSharon over at Bluedaze just posted a series of aerial photos showing how one family, the Ruggieros, has been impacted by irresponsible gas drilling.

Since the day Aruba Petroleum invaded the Ruggieros, they have been subjected to overpowering diesel fumes, destruction of their property, a drilling waste spill, noise, another drilling waste spill, fugitive emission fumes, endless lies and much more.

Currently, the emissions from Aruba's wells are constantly pumping horrible smelling gas into the air. Christine suffers from headaches and blurry vision. Nine year-old Reilly sometimes feels as if she can't inhale fully. Tim has headaches, numbness in his extremities and sometimes looses his balance.

Yesterday, New Mexico state legislator Thomas Taylor -- acting on behalf of the oil & gas drilling industry -- introduced a bill that would rescind the hard-won regulations protecting water and public health from toxic oil and gas waste pits.

The 2008 rules require lining all oil & gas waste pits.  They also prohibit waste pits entirely when groundwater is within 50 feet of the surface.

"Closed-loop" or "pitless" systems actually save drillers money -- on the order of 3% per well -- according to testimony before the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission.

Hopefully the New Mexico legislature hasn't forgotten its responsibility to its citizens and their health, or the drilling industry's history of contaminated groundwater.

If not, this bill will die and quick and well-deserved death.

For more information:

• EARTHWORKS' Gwen Lachelt on the importance of the rules now under attack
• Text of HB 192, Taylor's bill to rescind the public health/groundwater protections

This is great news for Bristol Bay, and the fisherfolk and communities that rely upon it.

Canada's Supreme Court rules that federal government, industry can't avoid rigorous environmental analysis of mine proposals through administrative chicanery.

"That's why when I go to the dentist, I have him remove my teeth through the top of my head."
(video after the jump)

Today on NPR's Science Friday our Gwen Lachelt and industry's Kathleen Sgamma discussed hydraulic fracturing with Ira Flatow.

You can download the audio file here.

EARTHWORKS applauds the Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey for their initiative to bring balance to the Nation’s oil and gas program . For the past decade, there was an unprecedented run on the federal lands by big energy companies, securing oil and gas leases at bargain basement prices and speculating on the federal estate at the expense of the taxpayer and other resources.