Satireday on Shit Happens

Frack Off!

Judge Rules In Favor Of Journalists, Unseals Fracking Court Records

Gas industry loses fight to keep fracking pollution case secret

Harrisburg, PA —

A judge ruled today in favor of journalists seeking access to information about a fracking pollution court case.

The doctors, scientists, and advocates argued in favor of greater transparency about natural gas operations and their health effects. (Chris Jordan-Bloch / Earthjustice)

Judge Debbie O’Dell-Seneca reversed an order by a Washington County court sealing the record in a case in which a Pennsylvania family sued several gas companies over property damage and health impacts related to air and water pollution from nearby natural gas operations.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Observer-Reporter had intervened in the case to unseal the records, while gas companies unsuccessfully fought to keep the records out of the public eye.

Earthjustice, the non-profit environmental law firm, submitted an amicus brief supporting the newspapers on behalf of Philadelphia Physicians for Social Responsibility, Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy, Dr. Bernard D. Goldstein, Dr. Walter Tsou, Dr. Jerome A. Paulson, Dr. William Rom, Dr. Sandra Steingraber, Dr. Simona Perry, Dr. Robert Oswald, Dr. Michelle Bamberger, Kathryn Vennie, and Earthworks. The doctors, scientists, and advocates argued in favor of greater transparency about natural gas operations and their health effects.

The following is a statement from Earthjustice attorney Matthew Gerhart:

“This case pitted the natural gas industry’s insistence on secrecy against the historic commitment of the courts to public access to judicial proceedings. The court’s ruling reaffirms the importance of public access to the courts. This is a victory for everyone who believes that we need more information about the environmental and health consequences of fracking.”

Read the ruling.

Source: Earthjustice

Frackin’ Gas

The English government has made its biggest mistake ever!

Politicians are stupid!

Gas fracking: Ministers approve shale gas extraction

The government has given the go-ahead for a firm to resume the controversial technique known as fracking to exploit gas in Lancashire.

The company, Cuadrilla, was stopped from fracking after two tremors near Blackpool.

Conditions have been imposed to minimise the risk of seismic activity.

In fracking, a mixture of water, sand and some chemicals is pumped into a well under high pressure to force the gas from the rock.

The Energy Secretary Ed Davey said shale gas was a promising new potential energy resource for the UK. It might contribute significantly to energy security and substitute for imports which are increasing as North Sea gas is decreasing.

But he warned against over-excitement: “We are still in the very early stages of shale gas exploration in the UK and it is likely to develop slowly.

“It is essential that its development should not come at the expense of local communities or the environment. Fracking must be safe and the public must be confident that it is safe.”

Read more

Opinion:

image: Decombustion

England is NOT America where you have wide open spaces.

1. The introduction of fracking will destroy the traditional quiet balmy rural English countryside.

The countryside will be scarred like this and worse.

2. The jury is still out as to whether fracking produces earthquakes. The earthquakes near Blackpool should be a warning, but once again, no one is listening.

3. Fracking IS proven to contaminate and pollute. The American experience of kitchen taps producing flammable water should be enough to stop this insidious practice, but again, nobody is listening.

I read this on another site:

“The process is safe and controlled

If all goes well,”

“If all goes well???” Well it won’t.

Fracking is hit and miss technology. Not enough is known about it, except that it is known to cause problems.

Even the  CEO of Cuadrilla Resources, the company operating near Blackpool where recent earthquakes have been attributed to their fracking operations, has admitted that “You never have control. Fractures will always go into the path of least resistance.”

Read that again, “you NEVER have control!”

The only thing that is known for a fact is that the companies get rich, and once again the people suffer!

Frackin’ Stupid!

Environment Agency head Lord Smith supports fracking expansion

Lord Smith is expected to say that the environmental risks of fracking may be overcome

The chairman of the Environment Agency, Lord Smith, has given his support to the expansion of the controversial “fracking” method of extracting natural gas from shale rock in the UK.

Energy companies say the use of fracking will lead to cheaper supplies.

Lord Smith told the BBC it could be a “useful addition” to the UK’s “energy mix” if certain requirements were met.

But critics say there are risks from the process, which has been linked to two earth tremors in Lancashire.

Source: BBC News Read more

Opinion:

I have only two questions…

1. Is this guy frackin’ stupid?
2. How much was he paid?

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