Our Good Neighbors Range Resources Are At It Again

From SkyTruth alert:

Report Details

Operator	Range Resources Appalachia Llc
Violation Type	Environmental Health & Safety
Violation Date	2012-07-24
Violation Code	401CSL - Discharge of pollultional material to waters of Commonwealth.
Violation ID	644956
Permit API	081-20763
Unconventional	Y
County	Lycoming
Municipality	Lewis Twp
Inspection Type	Incident- Response to Accident or Event
Inspection Date	2012-07-24
Comments	Brine spill from the pad Violations on the 1H well Brine spill left containment, flowed off the pad, and into waters of the Commonwealth.

Violation(s)

ID: 644956 Date: 2012-07-24Type: Environmental Health & Safety

401CSL - Discharge of pollultional material to waters of Commonwealth. Brine spill left containment, flowed off the pad, and into waters of the Commonwealth.

ID: 644957 Date: 2012-07-24 00:00:00Type: Environmental Health & Safety

301CSL - Stream discharge of IW, includes drill cuttings, oil, brine and/or silt Brine spill left containment, flowed off the pad, and into waters of the Commonwealth.

ID: 644958 Date: 2012-07-24 00:00:00Type: Environmental Health & Safety

307CSL - Discharge of industrial waste to waters of Commonwealth without a permit. Brine spill left containment, flowed off the pad, and into waters of the Commonwealth.

ID: 644959 Date: 2012-07-24 00:00:00Type: Administrative

91.33A - Failure to notify DEP of pollution incident. No phone call made forthwith Brine spill left containment, flowed off the pad, and into waters of the Commonwealth.

ID: 644960 Date: 2012-07-24 00:00:00Type: Environmental Health & Safety

91.34A - Failure to take all necessary measures to prevent spill. Inadequate diking, potential pollution Brine spill left containment, flowed off the pad, and into waters of the Commonwealth.

ID: 644961 Date: 2012-07-24 00:00:00Type: Environmental Health & Safety

78.54 - Failure to properly control or dispose of industrial or residual waste to prevent pollution of the waters of the Commonwealth. Brine spill left containment, flowed off the pad, and into waters of the Commonwealth.

ID: 644962 Date: 2012-07-24 00:00:00Type: Administrative

78.56(1) - Pit and tanks not constructed with sufficient capacity to contain pollutional substances. Brine spill left containment, flowed off the pad, and into waters of the Commonwealth.

ID: 644963 Date: 2012-07-24 00:00:00Type: Environmental Health & Safety

SWMA301 - Failure to properly store, transport, process or dispose of a residual waste. Brine spill left containment, flowed off the pad, and into waters of the Commonwealth.

Enforcement Action(s)

ID	Code
286426	NOV - Notice of Violation

Making a Difference

When I began to see the negative side effects of natural gas exploration was having on the small town of DISH, TX, and began to speak out, many told me not to bother.  They asserted that this industry was much too powerful for one man to make a difference.  As far as a local official speaking out against the industry in Texas, I was pretty much on my own.  However, I never let this fact detour me from speaking my mind and doing what I felt to be right.

I had always felt that for the most part, the people I dealt with in the industry were not always the brightest bulb on the tree, and they seemed to be using a play book that was 20 years old.  However, this antiquated strategy is still effective with a large portion of our apathetic society; just didn't work well with me.  I had often looked at them as the schoolyard bully, and if you are getting picked on every day anyway, you might as take a swing, what is the worst that could happen?  The worst was already happening. 

In many aspects those critics were right, and taking on such a powerful industry certainly has had  it's challenges.  There were many meetings where I walked away licking my wounds, and even periodically wondering myself why I should bother trying to make a difference.  However, I did not give up, and even began to see some small victories.  It took a while, but I did in fact, get the attention of this powerful industry, and put some holes in the armor.

When this began, one thing that I was not able to achieve, was to gain the respect and attention of other elected officials.  However, after we started to get some attention on what was going on in DISH, those higher elected officials were seeking me out.  After the town performed a comprehensive air study in 2009, our little community was known nationwide.  Although, this was certainly not something I did on my own, I believe that this did change some of the Texas regulations regarding air emissions, and the way the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality responded to complaints in the Barnett Shale.  I had a lot of help with this from some very talented people within the Earthworks Oil and Gas Accountability Project, and we did make a difference.  Perhaps, we did make a difference.

Many people call me wanting to know what action to take when the drill rig shows up in the back yard.  Many look at this industry as Goliath and they are simply afraid to engage with this giant.  However, it is imperative that you not be intimidated by this industry, and protect your rights.  This is America, and we the people are still in charge, we just need to take the keys back.  In other parts of the country, there is intimidation tactics that are used, and I assure you that just like the schoolyard bully, they will run to mama when you stand up to them. 

Sure, they will try to assassinate your character, and tangle you up in any legal battle they can manage to get you involved in, but is that really the worse thing that could happen?  I woke up several nights to my children having massive nosebleeds, I assure you there is much worse than a threatening letter or some industry paid liar calling you names on a website.

Just the fact that they would take the time to attack us in this manner means that we are being effective.  I have never said anything that was untrue, and I typically carry around a library of studies to prove this point.  Although, they certainly like to put their own spin on things, they are ones who are disingenuous with their rhetoric.      

One thing that I have learned through this process, is that you can make a difference.  We already know what will happen if we do nothing, so it is time for everyone to get involved and make a difference.  It is time to stand up to the bully.  If you remember the story of David and Goliath, you must remember who won that battle.  So stand firm on your beliefs and ideas, and never be afraid to make a difference.  You too can make a difference, and together we will better this situation, and rest assured you are not alone.

Frackers Fund University Research That Proves Their Case - Bloomberg

Frackers Fund University Research That Proves Their Case - Bloomberg

About those breast cancer rates in Texas and the AP article

About those breast cancer rates in Texas and the AP article

Stop the Frack Attack » Blog Post from Calvin Tillman, former mayor of Dish, Texas

Stop the Frack Attack » Blog Post from Calvin Tillman, former mayor of Dish, Texas

Property Rights vs. Keystone XL to Dominate Texas Hearing

MEDIA ADVISORY CONTACT: Janise Cookston, 512.663.8401 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            512.663.8401      end_of_the_skype_highlighting, janise@wetexans.com

Property Rights vs. Keystone XL to Dominate Texas Hearing

Landowners and advocates call on House committee to hear from public, not just lobbyists

WHAT:                 House Land & Resource Management committee hearing

                                Press conference on private property and eminent domain issues during Texas legislative hearing

WHEN:                 Hearing – Monday, July 23^rd at 10:00AM                               Press Conference – following hearing (~2:30pm)

WHERE:               Texas Capitol in Austin                   Hearing – E2.012              Press Conference – TBA

WHY:                    Landowners and prominent private property advocates taking officials to task for allowing private                                           pipelines to illegally use eminent domain to acquire easements

Private property advocates and landowners will host a press conference outside a Texas House of Representative committee hearing on Monday, July 23^rd. The groups have spent months drawing attention to a 2011 Texas Supreme Court case that revealed pipeline companies in the state had been illegally claiming eminent domain authority to take property from landowners.

“Once again Texas politicians are talking tough on eminent domain, but at today’s hearing there will be invited testimony only,” says Terri Hall, director of Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom. “There are landowners all over this state who’ve had their property rights stolen, and it’s time for Texas officials to hear from them and take action.”

The hearing and press conference are expected to touch on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline which could begin construction in Texas next month. Landowners along the pipeline’s route, most notably Julia Trigg Crawford of Lamar County, are challenging the pipeline’s right to use eminent domain. Property activists throughout the state have cried foul on the pipeline which would bring tar sands from Canada to gulf coast refineries.

The coalition boasts a diverse group of advocates and the press conferences will feature private property owners from various parts of the state who’ve had property condemned or been bullied into negotiated settlements. In addition, a number of noted Texas advocates will speak:

·         Calvin Tillman, former mayor of DISH, TX

·         Debra Medina, director of We Texans and  former Republican candidate for governor

·         Linda Curtis, director of Independent Texans

·         Terri Hall, director of Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom

The coalition points to more than 80 cases in Texas where TransCanada, a foreign pipeline company building Keystone XL, condemned private property belonging to Texans. The group also points out that the company misled landowners, telling them the pipeline had all necessary permits and repeatedly telling individual landowners that they were the last holdouts, making the pipeline seem inevitable and securing more favorable terms for the company.

The groups draw parallels between the Keystone XL pipeline and the Trans-Texas Corridor, a proposed highway that many of them were active in defeating.

Link Between Low Birth Weight and Fracking, Says New Research | New York City | United States | Epoch Times

Link Between Low Birth Weight and Fracking, Says New Research | New York City | United States | Epoch Times

Power shift: Dish promotes solar solution | Denton Local News - News for Denton, Texas - The Denton Record-Chronicle - Denton Record-Chronicle

Power shift: Dish promotes solar solution | Denton Local News - News for Denton, Texas - The Denton Record-Chronicle - Denton Record-Chronicle

Michigan Tour

Don’t Frack Michigan presents:

  Calvin Tillman,

former mayor of

Dish, Texas

Tillman fought to protect his town from the devastating health and environmental effects of fracking for natural gas extraction.  He was ultimately forced to leave his community to protect the health of his children.  Hear his story and learn what we can do to protect our water, forests, communities and property values from this destructive practice.

Harbor Springs:  Friday, August 3^rd, 7:00 pm

Harbor Springs High School Auditorium, 500 N. Spring Street

With special performances by Breath Owl Breathe and Yesway. 

Gaylord:  Saturday, August 4^th, 11:00 am

Otsego County Building Alpine Center, 800 Livingston Blvd.

Charlevoix:  Saturday, August 4^th, 5:00 pm

Charlevoix Public Library, 200 Clinton Street

Traverse City:  Sunday, August 4^th, 10:30 am

Horizon Books, 243 East Front Street. 

For more information, www.dontfrackmichigan.org

Energy In Depth Family Tree

Energy In Depth Family Tree

A daughter of Texas is standing up to a foreign corporation that has come to take her land by force.

A daughter of Texas is standing up to a foreign corporation that has come to take her land by force.

Julia Trigg Crawford manages the farm her grandfather bought in 1948 near Direct, TX south of the Red River. Last year a Canadian pipeline company called TransCanada told Julia Trigg and her family that a portion of their land would be taken by eminent domain so that the Keystone XL pipeline could be built across it.

Join us at a hearing in Austin on Monday July 23^rd and demand that Texas legislators protect private property. (For more details email contact@wetexans.com)

You have the power to stand with Julia Trigg and to tell elected officials that private foreign corporations should NOT be able to take private property from its rightful owner.

Julia Trigg will face off with TransCanada in court next month. But right now the Land & Resource Management Committee of the Texas House of Representatives is getting ready to meet and discuss what steps our legislature should take to protect landowners.

While this is a positive step, the pipeline industry will be working to convince members of the committee and other legislators they should be given broad powers to take land from private citizens.

Legislators need to hear from you – let them know that pipeline companies have been abusing eminent domain for far too long and Texans aren’t going to stand for it any longer.

Did you know that until last year pipeline companies in Texas could take private property without ANY oversight whatsoever? If a pipeline company claimed it had the right to use eminent domain there was nothing a landowner could do except wait for the land to be taken and then file a lawsuit. Very few property owners have the resources to fight a legal battle with major pipeline companies, so the pipelines almost always won out-of-court settlements that allowed them to take the land.

But in 2011 the Texas Supreme Court struck down this abusive practice in the landmark Texas Rice Land Partners v. Denbury Green Pipelines decision. The court seemed appalled that this was going on, saying “Private property cannot be imperiled with such nonchalance, via an irrefutable presumption created by checking a certain box on a one-page government form. Our Constitution demands far more.”

Join us in Austin, make your voices heard, and let’s give power back to property owners! (Again, for more details email contact@wetexans.com)

As always, thank you for your support!

Josh Fox on Richard French Live

On Monday, July 16th at 6PM the Richard French Live show on RNN TV will air the Broadcast Premiere of Josh Fox’s new mini-documentary The Sky is Pink. Following the premiere watch our revealing interview with Fox as he talks about the attacks he’s endured from the gas industry. 

I would like to ask you to please pass along this information to your friends and community along with a link to our Facebook page which contains additional news, exclusive clips and images from our special: https://www.facebook.com/RichardFrenchLive

DISCLAIMER: I did not make this video…

DISCLAIMER: I did not make this video…