No need to adjust your dial. You have just crossed over into the sacrifice zone.
I posted last week about a retired couple who are the latest to see their American dream fall apart.
They were in the news today.
Mineral rights & wrongs: Retired couple can’t stop oil company
by Brian New / KENS 5
November 5, 2012
I believe the company that plans to drill on the Popham’s land is Pioneer. They plan to drill up to 5 wells.
Looking out from his front porch at an oil drill on his neighbor’s property, Leonard said he sees his future and it’s not what he saved for all his life.
I’ve advised the Popham’s to get baseline testing of their air water and soil. They have ponds that are stocked with fish so those will also be tested. This will cost the retired couple $1500 or more and they will have to retest their water, at least yearly, from now on. Life in the sacrifice zone gets expensive.
Pioneer should buy their land so they can move away. It would cost them less in the longrun. I think the Pophams are in this for the longrun.
BTW, It’s immoral to profit from another’s misery.
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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When we bought our “retirement ranch” in Decatur Texas we specifically asked the real estate agent about the mineral rights and she told us not to worry about it. She said “it’s not like your sitting on top of black gold like the clampetts”. That was misleading at best. Aruba came in drilled gas wells and poisoned the land forever. One old man became rich and the rest of us stood by and watched as our hopes for the future destroyed. I could not stand to watch the destruction of the land I loved so we moved back into town.
At some point there has to be a law passed requiring full disclosure when anyone is buying real estate in states where the surface rights are separted from the mineral rights.
50% of the minerals on my property were for sale but my real estate agent told me not to waste my money. That didn’t sound right to me so I had it written into the terms of my loan that I could buy the minerals later. With only 50% and a small parcel of land, I didn’t have enough leverage to stop the drilling.