The Parade reported yesterday about oil and gas exemptions and the resulting pollution.
The Dirty Side Of Domestic Fuel
Most Americans want the country to be free of its dependence on foreign fuel. But what many might not know is that using homegrown oil and natural gas may come at a high cost.There are close to 1 million oil and gas wells across 33 states in the U.S. New ones are being drilled at a rapid rate—more than 40,000 last year alone. Extracting oil and gas is known to release toxic chemicals, including mercury, benzene and arsenic, and harmful chemicals are routinely injected underground to boost output. However, such wells are exempt from the parts of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Air Act that would control these substances. “Loopholes were written because of the industry’s influence in Washington,” says Amy Mall of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), who co-authored a new report on the subject. “These decisions ignored the best available science.” Well operators also are not required to file an annual toxic-release inventory, a list of chemicals emitted.
People living near wells have reported alarming health problems. Steve and Elizabeth Mobaldi, whose home was within a mile of about 20 wells in Colorado, suffered ailments ranging from painful blistering and nosebleeds to headaches and tumors. “It amazes me that the companies are allowed to not follow the same laws as other industries,” says Steve.
NRDC is calling for the government to tighten its regulation of gas drilling and for the industry to adopt pollution-reducing practices.
Is extracting domestic oil and natural gas important enough that companies should be granted exemptions from pollution laws?
There’s a poll that you’ll want to vote in:
POLL
Is extracting domestic oil and natural gas important enough that companies should be granted exemptions from pollution laws?
Pretty surreal to ask that question, imo.
The comments are bizarre.
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.
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You may check my exact numbers but it is amazing that Germany wants 30% of their electricity to be from solar by like 2010 and the French now are aiming for wind and solar to be 20% in about ten years or so. Look at our south and southwest – where do we want to be in terms of solar and wind energy?
Every major city in Europe has public test busses running on hydrogen. In Berlin there is already a hydrogen “gas station”.
Maybe, just maybe the $100 + barrel of crude will push our citizens to force politicians to represent them and not the oil companies. Now I am sure that will not include the current occupant nor his friends nor the Texas Republican Party, but just maybe the rest of the country will wake up.
Interesting side note, I heard part of a talk show interview yesterday on NPR with a guy that has written a book about happiness. Based on sociologist research the happiest people are in Denmark followed by Iceland. We are somewhere down below the top ten I believe. Goes to show you consumption will not make you happy! I guess.
In a letter to Parade, Colorado State Senator Bill Cadman (R) demanded an apology from the magazine for inaccuracies that it printed as facts. He blames the NRDC for making inflammatory and untrue statements about practices of the oil and gas industry.
After reading Parade’s original article in late December I was pretty shocked by it and rather concerned. I did more digging into the issue and came across this retort on the web. It’s worth checking out. I’m still not sure exactly what to believe. The link is:
http://www.americansforamericanenergy.net/mail/util.cfm?gpiv=1999919554.343509.27&gen=1