Yesterday, EARTHWORKS launched the Texas Oil and Gas Accountability Project  – a new watchdog to keep an eye on the drilling industry in the Barnett Shale of north central Texas.Texas OGAP also released DRILL RIGHT TEXAS, a guide to gas extraction best practices.

Like its cousin, the Marcellus Shale gas play that underlies most of the north central Appalachian Mountains including New York and Pennsylvania, the Barnett Shale contains vast reserves of natural gas that recently became economic to extract. 

The reason it's now economic: a relatively new drilling technique called horizontal hydraulic fracturing.

You may have heard that natural gas is better for the environment than other fossil fuels. When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, that is true – certainly when compared to coal. But – and it's a big but – when it comes to local impacts, natural gas extraction/processing/transport as currently practiced is not something you'd wish on your worst enemy, or their drinking water.

Because of his experience exposing the industry's malfeasance, and the public health impacts associated with it (and his success in moving state government to respond),  DISH, Texas Mayor Calvin Tillman was invited up to the Marcellus region in New York and Pennsylvania to share his wisdom -- and to get to know the experiences of other gas industry impacted communities.

After a week "up north" he wrote the following message:

Yesterday a bill that would allow citizens to stop polluters from polluting took a big step towards becoming law.

The New Mexico House Judiciary Committee passed Private Action to Enforce Environmental Statute - HOUSE BILL 259.

It goes to the House floor this afternoon; then it's on to the Senate.  If it passes the whole legislature, the Governor will certainly sign it into law.

More good news.  The New Mexico legislature also killed a ridiculous proposal by drilling industry champions.  Industry wanted to punish communities who regulated oil & gas drilling by prohibiting them from receiving taxes generated by drilling.  Only if a community let industry run wild would they get severance tax revenue.  Fortunately, that proposal died (was tabled) a well deserved death this week.

This is a big deal nationwide because New Mexico is a bellwether for the entire country.  Good drilling laws and regulations in New Mexico will influence other states wrestling with similar issues -- like New York and Pennsylvania.

Thanks to everyone that made calls and donated to help counter industry's initiatives.

Stay tuned for more updates. Things are looking good, but the fight is not over.

UPDATE (2/11): The scorecard and grade for Jostens has been corrected on 2/11/10, to reflect their signing of the Bristol Bay Protection Pledge.

When consumers buy jewelry, they don't want their purchase to underwrite environmental destruction; they don't want to support throwing people out of their homes; they don't want their wedding rings to cause the pollution of drinking water.

But consumers have little reliable assurance about the origins of their jewelry purchases. 

Although there have been several steps in the right direction in the six years since the No Dirty Gold campaign was launched.

Today we released Tarnished Gold? Assessing the jewelry industry's progress on the ethical sourcing of metals.  It evaluates the efforts made by jewelers towards responsible sourcing of precious metals.  It is based on responses to a survey sent to the jewelers that had signed on to No Dirty Gold's Golden Rules of Responsible Mining by mid-February 2009, and ot other large jewelry retailers who sold jewelry worth more than $100 million.

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)