I just can’t let this go. The Sierra Club is praising Range Resources for doing something they haven’t done–full disclosure. They have NOT disclosed anything that wasn’t already readily available. They are doing a partial disclosure and they get to pick and choose which chemicals they want to disclose.
Range Resources voluntary disclosure? Not so much.
In addition, Range Resources has done great harm to people in the Marcellus shale and their operations here in Texas have been pretty shoddy too. Remember DoodyGate?
I’m lifting this from the Star-Telegram blog. Jack Smith reported it and it seems that he can’t be bothered to do any or much research with his reporting. What I’ve seen lately is a lot of parroting of industry talking points.
Range drawing Sierra Club praise
Range Resources, which recently announced plans to sell its Barnett Shale natural gas holdings, is drawing praise from the Sierra Club, an environmental organization not known for embracing producers of fossil fuels.
Bruce Nilles,the club’s deputy conservation director, gave the Fort Worth-based natural gas and oil producer a verbal pat on the back for its voluntary disclosure of chemicals used in hydrauic fracturing of wells in Pennsylvania’s huge Marcellus Shale natural gas play.
“I think what Range announced in the Marcellus is the kind of leadership we need…if Range can disclose, why can’t’ everybody else disclose?” Nilles said Thursday at the World Shale Gas Conference & Exhibition in Grapevine, which winds up today with a Barnett Shale drilling site tour hosted by Chesapeake Energy.
Nilles said gas producers would benefit if the world shifts away from more-polluting coal and oil.
Marcellus Shale drilling and “fracking” are hot topics, as evidenced by the 2,500-plus attendees at this week’s Developing Unconventional Gas East conference in Pittsburgh. Attendance far exceeds last year’s total of 1,450, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which noted that the event also has drawn hundreds of protesters concerned about environmental impacts of drilling.
–Jack Z. Smith
Hey Bruce, if you read my blog you’ll be a lot smarter and maybe not make a fool of yourself when talking about shale drilling issues. Same goes for Scott Anderson. If you guys want me to give you a tour of the Shale, just give me a holler.
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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WAJ. The Sierra Club siding with Range is like playing with the devil! The Sierra Club amazes me–that's why I let my membership expire–no help from SC and now siding with the "enemy"–give me a break. They need to remember the #1 O&G Rule–If O&G's lips are moving, they are lying!!!!
If you quit the SC over this one guy's comment, you're shooting YOURSELF in the foot. After a late start, both the Ft. Worth and Dallas chapters are working hard on responsible drilling issues and fighting new permits. Especially in Dallas in regard to XTO, SC's Peter Wilson has been an excellent and critical resource, as have other SC members like Molly Rooke and Rita Beving.
If you cut yourself off from every group that has a member or spokesperson that goes off the reservation now and then, you won't have anyone left to work with. Don't hold the locals responsible for national staff.
Signed – Not a SC member, but I do hang out with them.
Brice Niles is the same guy who planned to give a speech at a Barnett Shale Expo in FW in 2008 before FWCanDo called him and threatened to unleash utter Hell if he dared show up. He wisely backed down but just like those stupid gophers who keep popping up in that carnival game, here he is again. Hmmm. Where'd I put my bashing club?
The outflow from a frac job is a completely different chemical stew than the inflow. And it's the outflow that is so nasty. That's where we need disclosure…
Brown Bess, I agree with you completely! We need to drag the national Sierra Club along. The local clubs get it and they are all working hard with us.
Actually, Bruce did not go off the reservation. The SC position is that natural gas is an acceptable bridge fuel. BUT they can learn from their mistakes. It just takes constant pressure from people like us. Bruce needs to come to the Barnett Shale and let me take him on a tour.
Greg you are right! What comes back up is completely different from what goes down. We need full disclosure of the entire process from beginning to end.
Ok, if you love the SC, good for you; But, you are mistaken. The SC is just an org that wants to get membership at what ever expense that is needed.
I think you miss the point. If we are to win this war, we need all hands on deck. The SC has not been paying full attention but, if we can bring them along and get them to see things our way, that will be a very good thing. I think that is possible.
Sharon,
Thanks for pointing out the non-disclosure disclosure.
I sometimes attribute this sort of S.C. foolishness to functional illiteracy – possibly a willingness to believe in he tooth fairy.
Other times I realize that organizations want a to keep a seat at the table.
Me? I want the table.
Stan Scobie, Binghamton, NY
We own the table, Stan. We just need to wake up enough people to reclaim it.
I think this was a case of speaking about something you know nothing about. I wish this man would come here and let me show him around.
Also, now that the Republicans have taken over every thing, some orgs are looking for that Republican money.
Sharon,
Have you invited him? As it happens, he has never been to a frac site- but he's been up to his eyeballs in bad coal effects so I think thats where its all coming from. He seemed to think it was a good idea to visit and learn more. I think so too.
I have not invited him but maybe I should. I'll check into that.