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Halliburton Loophole
November 2, 2009
Among the many dubious provisions in the 2005 energy bill was one dubbed the Halliburton loophole, which was inserted at the behest of — you guessed it — then-Vice President Dick Cheney, a former chief executive of Halliburton.

It stripped the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to regulate a drilling process called hydraulic fracturing. Invented by Halliburton in the 1940s, it involves injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals, some of them toxic, into underground rock formations to blast them open and release natural gas.

Hydraulic fracturing has been implicated in a growing number of water pollution cases across the country. It has become especially controversial in New York, where regulators are eager to clear the way for drilling in the New York City watershed, potentially imperiling the city’s water supply. Thankfully, the main company involved has now decided not to go ahead.

The safety of the nation’s water supply should not have to rely on luck or the public relations talents of the oil and gas industry. Thanks in part to two New Yorkers — Representative Maurice Hinchey and Senator Charles Schumer — Congress last week approved a bill that asks the E.P.A. to conduct a new study on the risks of hydraulic fracturing. An agency study in 2004 whitewashed the industry and was dismissed by experts as superficial and politically motivated. This time Congress is demanding “a transparent, peer-reviewed process.”

An even more important bill is waiting in the wings. Cumbersomely named the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, it would close the loophole and restore the E.P.A.’s rightful authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing. It would also require the oil and gas industry to disclose the chemicals they use.

The industry argues that the chemicals are proprietary secrets and that disclosing them would hurt their competitiveness. It also argues that the process is basically safe and that regulating it would deter domestic production. But if hydraulic fracturing is as safe as the industry says it is, why should it fear regulation?

GasLand screenings
Friday, August 27th
Pittsburg, PA
Venue: Frick Park
Address: Beechwood Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Directions
Rain: In the event of rain, this event will be held on Saturday, August 28th

7:00 PM: Doors Open
7:30 PM: Live Music
8:15 PM: Film Begins
9:30 PM: Q&A with Director Josh Fox and Local Activists

This show is FREE. More information here


Friday, September 3rd
Philadelphia, PA
Venue: At the Piazza at Schmidt's
Address: North Second Street and Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Directions
Rain: This event will be held rain or shine.

7:00 PM: Doors Open
7:30 PM: Live Music
8:15 PM: Film Begins
10:00 PM: Q&A with Director Josh Fox and Local Activists
10:30 PM: After Party

This show is FREE. More information here

Sunday, September 5th
Callicoon, NY
Venue: Delaware Youth Center
Address: 8 Creamery Road, Callicoon, NY 12723
Directions
Rain: This event will be held rain or shine.

6:00 PM: Performances and speeches by local artists and activists
7:30 PM: Live Music
8:15 PM: Film Begins
10:00 PM: Q&A with Director Josh Fox and Local Activists

This show is FREE. More information here

Tuesday, September 7th (tentative)
Harrisburg, PA
Venue: TBA
Rain: In the event of rain, this event will be held on Wednesday, September 8th

6:30 PM: Doors Open
7:00 PM: Live Music
7:45 PM: Film Begins
9:30 PM: Q&A with Director Josh Fox and Local Activists

Thursday, September 9th
Syracuse, NY
Venue: The amphitheater at Thornden Park
Address: Syracuse, New York 13210
Directions: The park is adjoined by Ostrom Avenue, Madison Street, and South Beech Street. The amphitheater is in the center of the park, to the east of the tennis courts.
Rain: In the event of rain, this event will be held on Friday, September 10th

6:30 PM: Doors Open
7:00 PM: Live Music
7:30 PM: Film Begins
9:30 PM: Q&A with Director Josh Fox and Local Activists

This show is FREE. More information here

Saturday, September 11th
New York, NY
Venue: On the pier along the East River at Solar One
Address: 2420 FDR Drive, Service Road East at 23rd Street and the East River
Directions: R/6 to 23rd St., walk all the way east.
Rain: In the event of rain, this event will be held on Sunday, September 12th

6:00 PM: Doors Open
6:30 PM: Live Music
7:30 PM: Film Begins
9:30 PM: Q&A with Director Josh Fox and Local Activists
10:00 PM: After Party

This show is $10. More information here

Michigan Fracking puts state at risk for another disaster
EXCERPT:
In May, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment officials -- in what was considered routine -- auctioned off 120,000 acres of state land for deep shale fracking. DNRE proposes to auction another 500,000 acres in October.

The state leased the lands with no evaluation of the risks involved with fracking. There were few advance public notices, and the department did not conduct studies. In effect, the state turned over our land and water to the oil and gas industry for fracking before it fully understood the massive amounts of water required or the potential for harm.

This blunder has been compounded by the hyper-intense leasing activity that is going on for private land. Oil and gas companies, speculators and others already have leased more than 300,000 acres. The concern for land and water, and the impacts to landowners, businesses and citizens, have been largely ignored because of the smell of money.