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Fracking News

Reflections from twelve months of fracking in 2012

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My NUMBER ONE favorite highlight from 2012 was having a billion-dollar corporation, Range Resources, single me out. I know it’s self centered to make this event the  highlight of my year but they made me feel special and helped double my Twitter followers!

 

Monthly countdown of blog highlights:

January

My first highlight of 2012 came on January 8 with the most thorough reporting to date of the fracking mafia’s use of PSYOPS in our neighborhoods.

The Denton Record Chronicle
Into hostile territory
Recordings: Companies endorse military tactics to counter the anti-drilling ‘insurgency’
Peggy Henkel-Wolfe and Lowell Brown

And who can forget the bizarre wall of stinking foam in a creek caused by runoff from the Magnablend fracking chemical plant and the even more bizarre response from TCEQ saying it’s all perfectly safe.

February

Denton City Council passed a 120 day moratorium on new drilling permits. That moratorium has been extended a couple of times and recently was extended through February of 2013.

I love a good story and this is a great story with disastrous consequences for water drinkers: A case study in how industry influence squelches the science of gas drilling impacts

February 28th I got served.

March

March was a big month for exposing the health impacts caused by fracking.

The shale gas scam was exposed in Rolling Stone and CHK’s Michael Keys made a fool of himself responding.

April

April brought us a low point with the resignation of our beloved Dr. Al. But, on second thought, it’s great to have him unfettered by governmental restraints. This was a monumental failure of the media to follow Journalism 101.

Brantley Hargrove waded through a mountain of court records to bring us the best reporting, to date, on the Range Resources Parker County water contamination case.

How One Man’s Flaming Water Fired Up a Battle Between Texas and the EPA
Steve Lipsky’s epic battle and what it means for the future of fracking.
By Brantley Hargrove Thursday, Apr 26 2012

We proved with independent testing that the vapors released during flowback are not steam.

Let it hereby be known that I predicted the new reality show for fracking mafia wives on April 2. I think I should receive royalties.

May

The merry, merry month of May may have been my favorite month of the whole year. I went to court for a hearing that was meant to intimidate me but we decided to stand up against intimidation. The judge ruled against me using faulty logic and math but I got some really good press. I had to comply with the subpoena. The judge got some really bad press and Karma found him.

Range Resources got sued by several families in Pennsylvania for fraud and contamination and the pleading is a thing of beauty.

June

Chesapeake and Encana were accused of price fixing. Later in the year they were served.

A few hours after I posted this blog post, I received notice that Range Resources wanted to set the date for my deposition. The notice included a cease and desist. Their decision looks like retaliation since my discovery and sworn testimony at the hearing showed I was innocent of any conspiracy. This same month, my blog logged its 1 millionth view.

Concerns over fracking dams and fracking earthquakes grew.

I visited Montana to talk fracking.

July

I received a letter from the Eagle Ford Shale.

A new word was coined. Frackademia: noun – An academic aligned with frackers.

We were right about Chesapeake’s blowout in Oklahoma.

5,000 march to STOP THE FRACK ATTACK.

August

I was deposed and it was ridiculous. My favorite moment may have been when my generous and kind attorney, Scott McLain, said something like this: Andy are you going to ask any questions about the Lipsky case because if you’re not we are going to leave.

When you think of Energy In Depth, think of Joe Camel pushing cigarettes on teenagers.  Energy In Depth is fracking’s Joe Camel. Our dear Dory connected the DOTs and exposed the GASroots connections and made fracking Joe Camel player cards in a three part series. One of the fracking Joe Camel did a silly response to my Austin American Statesman fracking oped.

The mother of all sinkholes swallowed up a big bunch of Louisiana.

Someone finally noticed the accidental releases of toxic fracking gas.

France banned fracking citing irreversible pollution.

September 

Important reports released:

Some Eagle Ford Shale cities start refusing to sell water.

The Village Voice weighed in on fracking.

Fracking: Boom or Doom
America’s hydraulic fracturing gold rush portends the greatest environmental disaster of a generation
By Denise Grollmus Wednesday, Sep 19 2012
Village Voice

Can we trust our water to a bunch of bozos who lose radioactive devices, bulldoze historical buildings and cheat royalty owners?

The Tar Sands Blockade shows extraordinary courage.

October

Dr. Al Armendaris received one of the MANY cease and desist letters sent this year by Range Resources.

New research links health problems with oil and natural gas development.

Halliburton VP does his part for fracking job creation.

November

Fracking disclosure: I told you so.

This peer reviewed exploratory study of air quality near oil and gas activities and the resulting health impacts is consistent with the findings in Earthworks health surveys done in Pennsylvania, Pavillion, WY and the case studies fromFlowback.

Winners. loses, louses and losers: Obama wins but a Vietnam Veteran lost it all. I was called a “kid killer,” and Range Resources withdrew an offer.

December

Fracadema is busted again so can we please stop talking about the UT “study” now?

Judge rules that court should hear arguments to unseal the Hallowich non-disclosure agreement.

Fracking earthquakes: told ya so.  So remember I’ve been saying for years that you should document the condition of your foundation? Experts say vibrations from fracking caused home damage.

Energy In Depth aka fracking Joe Camel takes some major hits this month.

Dr. Colborn reads a letter to President Obama – VIDEO

Promised Land the movie exposed the predatory practices used by industry to gain access to our backyards.

 

Have a happy and safe new year.  

 

About Sharon Wilson

Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.

Comments

  1. Ophelia says

    Thank you for all that you have done. I am wishing you the best New Year. May it be filled with health, love, and peace.

  2. Ophelia says

    P.S. I am going to “share” this article on Obama’s site, CNN, Fox, and anywhere else there are many viewers.

  3. Dory says

    thanks for the mentions! Enjoy today with family/friends for tomorrow we go back to connecting the fracking dots

  4. GhostBlogger says

    Another Blow to the Fracking Industry—Chesapeake Energy’s Aubrey McClendon Makes Worst CEO of 2012 List

    http://ecowatch.org/2012/worst-ceo-of-2012/

    http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/worst-ceo-2012-best-buy-brian-dunn-124535841.html

    2. Aubrey McClendon, CEO, Chesapeake Energy (resigned as chairman, still CEO)

    “Aubrey McClendon is a classic entrepreneur who breaks all the rules,” says Finkelstein.

    While he was a visionary in his line of work, he also pushed the envelope when it came to mixing business finances with personal finances. For example, McClendon used the corporate jet for his personal use and he cut a corporate sponsorship deal with a sports team he privately owned.

    According to Finkelstein, McClendon’s inappropriate behavior includes:

    Documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal show that several major Wall Street banks lent McClendon money and then received lucrative work as public-offering underwriters or financial advisers to Chesapeake.

    Personally borrowed $500 million from EIG Global Energy Partners, which had also been a large financer for Chesapeake. In securing personal loans from his company’s business associate, McClendon exposed himself to a potential conflict of interest, as it’s reasonable to expect him to feel pressure to serve EIG’s interests in future corporate transactions, potentially at the expense of the best interests of shareholders.

    Reuters exposed a $200 million hedge fund trading oil and gas McClendon ran at the same time he was CEO of Chesapeake — an obvious conflict of interest.

    “Nothing is illegal, everything is disclosed (as far as we know) but it sure doesn’t look good,” says Finkelstein.