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Morgantown's Horizontal Fracking Ban
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 24 Jun '11

24 Jun '11

http://www.scribd.com/doc/58653036/Morgantowns-horizontal-fracking-ban Today, the attempt to get a temporary restraining order against the ban failed miserably on the part of the plaintiffs! -Jonathan

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Re: [EC] [wvec-board] Gas drilling hazardous waste landfill in Preston County?
by DSGJr＠aol.com 24 Jun '11

24 Jun '11

Actually, I have heard rumors that the other landfills in the area that DEP has authorized to receive this waste are none to happy about this new proposed landfill -- They don't want the competition! Like everything else in this world, it's all about the money. Don Garvin In a message dated 6/24/2011 12:15:35 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, clrank2(a)gmail.com writes: Yes, Frank. This has been and is a hot button issue for Friends of Cheat, the PA-WV watershed COMPACT, Upper Mon River Assoc. and all the Dunkard Creek, Sierra and other folks in northern WV where the bulk of the horizontal marcellus drilling is happening -- especially the two in Morgantown near the water intake... and the two in the Dunkard Creek watershed.... Chesapeake and others have already reduced or eliminated entirely the drilling pits and have been catching the drilling muds, etc in open truck beds (don't know the official terminology for them) and taking them to other already existing landfills ----- ... Dan may be aware of the attitudes of these landfill operators, but with the growing amount of waste generated by the drilling in these northern WV Counties i'm sure they can see their projected capacity quickly being stressed or stretched to the limits and welcome this new project to relieve pressure on their limits. .... Needless to say others in the communities are none too happy... Cindy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On Fri, Jun 24, 2011 at 12:36 PM, Frank Young <_fyoung(a)mountain.net_ (mailto:fyoung@mountain.net) > wrote: This would seem to indicate public acknowledgement of serious waste disposal issues related to the by-products of shale gas drilling. ----- Original Message ----- From: _Rick Buckley_ (mailto:r_w_buckley1@yahoo.com) To: _Frank Young_ (mailto:fyoung@mountain.net) ; _Gordon Jones_ (mailto:gordonjoneswin@gmail.com) ; _gary singleton_ (mailto:gary-singleton@hotmail.com) ; _John Gorrell_ (mailto:john.gorrell@mail.wvu.edu) ; _Mike Reese_ (mailto:mgreese77@gmail.com) Cc: _Rick Buckley_ (mailto:r_w_buckley1@yahoo.com) Sent: Friday, June 24, 2011 11:30 AM Subject: Landfill in Preston County I guess this issue did not go away. This is what I had mentioned last evening regarding creating a landfill in Preston County related to Marcellus drilling. (see attached) __._,_.___ _Reply to sender_ (mailto:clrank2@gmail.com?subject=Re:%20[wvec-board]%20Gas%20drilling%20hazardous%20waste%20landfill%20in%20Preston%20County?) | _Reply to group_ (mailto:wvec-board@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re:%20[wvec-board]%20Gas%20drilling%20hazardous%20waste%20landfill%20in%20Preston%20County?) | _Reply via web post_ (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxZ2xwaW1zBF9TAzk3… MgRtc2dJZAMyMjA2BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3JwbHkEc3RpbWUDMTMwODkzNTczMw--?act=reply&m essageNum=2206) | _Start a New Topic_ (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmYnUzdTY3BF9TAzk3… SWQDMTcwNTM2NTM5MgRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNudHBjBHN0aW1lAzEzMDg5MzU3MzM-) _Messages in this topic_ (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/message/2205;_ylc=X3oDMTM1Z2hkdW1m… cwNTM2NTM5MgRtc2dJZAMyMjA2BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3Z0cGMEc3RpbWUDMTMwODkzNTczMwR0cG NJZAMyMjA1) (2) Recent Activity: _Visit Your Group_ (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board;_ylc=X3oDMTJmYmEwNG9pBF9TAzk3MzU5N… nRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzEzMDg5MzU3MzM-) (http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJlb2xmZ242BF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzIxN… Mw--) Switch to: _Text-Only_ (mailto:wvec-board-traditional@yahoogroups.com?subject=Change Delivery Format: Traditional) , _Daily Digest_ (mailto:wvec-board-digest@yahoogroups.com?subject=Email Delivery: Digest) • _Unsubscribe_ (mailto:wvec-board-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe) • _Terms of Use_ (http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/) . __,_._,___

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Gas drilling hazardous waste landfill in Preston County?
by Frank Young 24 Jun '11

24 Jun '11

This would seem to indicate public acknowledgement of serious waste disposal issues related to the by-products of shale gas drilling. ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Buckley To: Frank Young ; Gordon Jones ; gary singleton ; John Gorrell ; Mike Reese Cc: Rick Buckley Sent: Friday, June 24, 2011 11:30 AM Subject: Landfill in Preston County I guess this issue did not go away. This is what I had mentioned last evening regarding creating a landfill in Preston County related to Marcellus drilling. (see attached)

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from ScienceDaily: Large numbers of birth defects seen near mountaintop mining operations
by Paul Wilson 24 Jun '11

24 Jun '11

Large numbers of birth defects seen near mountaintop mining operations<http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/%7E3…> Posted: 23 Jun 2011 06:00 AM PDT Birth defects are significantly more common in areas of mountaintop coal mining and are on the rise as the practice becomes more common, according to a new study. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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Re: [EC] Press on coal ash picket
by James Kotcon 24 Jun '11

24 Jun '11

Press from yesterday's protest. First, the Charleston Daily Mail had a story announcing the protest: http://dailymail.com/News/statenews/201106230478 I was told WV Public Radio also announced the protest, but I can't find a link. Television: http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=102028 http://www.wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=101883 (Charleston-Huntington) http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=101883&catid=3&printvi… (Wheeling) News articles: Vicki Smith's AP story http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WV_COAL_ASH_PROTEST_WVOL-?SITE=AP&SE… It got picked up by numerous papers http://washingtonexaminer.com/news/2011/06/wva-sierra-club-fights-mckinleys… http://www.weirtondailytimes.com/page/content.detail/id/140629/W-Va--Sierra… http://timeswv.com/westvirginia/x2099992739/Activists-fight-McKinley-s-coal… (Fairmont) (Capito's District) http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201106230481 (I think the Charleston Gazette got it, but their web page does not load today.) http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/563669/W-Va--Sierra-Club… (Martinsburg, WV) The Morgantown paper requires a paid subscription, but here is their story: DOMINION POST page 4A Friday 24 June 2011: http://ee.dominionpost.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=RFBvc3QvMjAxMS8wNi8yNCNBcj… Area Sierra Club protests McKinley’s coal ash bill BY DAVID BEARD The Dominion Post One day after a House subcommittee OK’d Rep. David McKinley’s coal ash regulation bill, the Sierra Club West Virginia Chapter picketed his Morgantown office and handed over a letter asking him to withdraw the bill. Club members contend coal ash is toxic and needs Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversight. The Republican’s bill, HR 1391, comes in response to an EPA proposal to reclassify coal ash - a byproduct of coal combustion used in such things as cement and drywall, and on surface mines to mitigate acid drainage - as a hazardous waste. It reinforces states’ powers to enforce their own standards, which may exceed EPA standards. According to the bill memo, the EPA proposes two alternate rules. One would make coal ash a hazardous waste under subtitle C of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (called RCRA), calling for protective measures including landfill liners, groundwater monitoring and fugitive dust controls. The second proposal would keep it nonhazardous under RCRA subtitle D, but calls for the same protective measures. The EPA said neither rule would revise most aspects of “beneficial reuse” in cement, bricks, drywall and such. HR 1391 would preclude the EPA from regulating coal ash in any way under subtitle C. West Virginia Reps. Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, and Nick Rahall, a Democrat, are among the cosponsors. The House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy approved the bill in a voice vote Wednesday. Club members picketed alongside Beechurst Avenue on Thursday morning, bearing such signs as “Coal Ash + Our Water = Toxic Brew.” Then they headed inside the Seneca Center and downstairs to McKinley’s office to present a packet of papers and speak briefly with McKinley’s field representative, Pam Krushansky. In a letter to McKinley, Sierra Club Energy Committee Chairman James Kotcon says, “In essence, your bill blocks EPA from doing its job. ... Dozens of coal ash dumps around the nation are polluting air and water with hazardous materials such as arsenic, cadmium, selenium, mercury and lead.” The Morgantown Energy Associates power plant near the Seneca Center produces coal ash used on area surface mines. After the meeting, members said there are safer alternatives - such as limestone - for treating mine drainage. The letter also notes that West Virginia’s 1st Congressional District has a “high concentration of coal ash disposal facilities,” including the Albright landfill in Preston County. The Sierra Club, the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and West Virginia Rivers Coalition are suing Mon Power, and its parent company FirstEnergy, over the Albright coal ash landfill for allegedly discharging excessive levels of arsenic into Daugherty Run and the Cheat River. Bill proponents contend coal ash doesn’t meet EPA toxicity standards, while opponents contend EPA has updated its science. Proponents also say the proposed EPA rules could kill hundreds of thousands of jobs and raise utility rates by as much as 25 percent. Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus said state agencies, including the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, support the bill and say they can regulate this without federal control. McKinley sent this statement to The Dominion Post in response to the protest: “I appreciate the citizens who came to my office today to voice their opinion. While we do disagree on the issue of coal ash, I am glad they are engaging in the debate. “My legislation ... actually strengthens state regulatory authority over these materials. The legislation would prevent the Obama administration’s attempt to reclassify these materials as a hazardous waste - a designation previous administrations have deemed inappropriate. “Even this week during an Energy and Commerce subcommittee, both Democrats and Republicans voted to classify coal ash as a nonhazardous material because the science proves it is nonhazardous. “In addition, the economic consequences of a hazardous designation are disastrous; one study found it would cost America more than 300,000 jobs in the next 20 years across a variety of industries. Public health is just as important as jobs, and they are not mutually exclusive in this case. By passing this bill, we will strengthen environmental protections and protect hundreds of thousands of jobs.” The bill’s next step is consideration by the full Energy & Commerce Committee. No date has been set yet, according to House sources. Let me know if you find anything else? Jim Kotcon >>> Jeff Stant <jstant(a)environmentalintegrity.org> 6/23/2011 6:08 PM >>> I heard from Sam that you had twelve people there and generated some press. Do you have any links to it? GREAT JOB!!! I'd like to keep this thing going and growing. But that's fantastic that you did it! Please post any press to Sierra's CCW listserve. Thanks Jeff Jeff Stant Director, Coal Combustion Waste Initiative Environmental Integrity Project 5819 Lowell Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46219 Phone: 317-359-1306 Mobile: 317-331-3607 Email: Jstant(a)environmentalintegrity.org

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Fw: DAILY UPDATE 22 June 2011. News of interest to Mon river watershed denizens.
by James Kotcon 22 Jun '11

22 Jun '11

News from Morgantown. Pay particular attention to what Governor Tomblin and Randy Huffman are saying. The pressure on the Governor must continue. JBK >>> "Donald C. Strimbeck" <dcsoinks(a)comcast.net> 6/22/2011 4:47 AM >>> DOMINION POST headline Wednesday 22 June 2011: Council OKs ban Gas company plans to sue city The Dominion Post The Morgantown City Council voted 6-1 to pass the Marcellus shale drilling ban in the city and within a 1-mile radius beyond the city’s boundaries. Dozens of people showed up to both support and speak against the drilling ban. The meeting began at 7:30 p.m., and people were still commenting after 11 p.m. Enrout Properties LLC, which owns the surface and mineral rights to the gas pad at the Morgantown Industrial Park, is already planning a lawsuit. The company hired Jackson Kelly to represent them in a lawsuit against the city. Work began last month, and $7 million has been invested in the well site so far. Drilling supporters rally at Courthouse http://ee.dominionpost.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=RFBvc3QvMjAxMS8wNi8yMiNBcj… Energy independence touted as benefit BY ALEX LANG The Dominion Post To show their support for the gas drilling industry and its employees, about 100 people gathered on Courthouse Square on Tuesday. “Economic growth through energy independence” and “Local energy=local jobs” were two of the signs on display in the crowd. “We’re responsible, we do things right,” Independent Oil and Gas Association of West Virginia President Michael McCown told the crowd. “Our industry is responsible for 35,000 jobs.” That number represents both the direct and indirect jobs tied to the drilling industry. He also said the workers are going to fight for their jobs and their honor. McCown was one of four speakers at a rally at the courthouse. Those involved in the gas drilling industry, most notably Marcellus shale, attended the rally before heading to the Morgantown City Council meeting. The council voted to ban Marcellus shale drilling in the city and within a 1-mile radius of city limits. One of those employees in attendance was Zach Toothman. He recently graduated from WVU with a degree in petroleum engineering. He said he is a field engineer for Chesapeake Energy and spends most of his time around Marcellus shale drilling. He said he was happy the rally was organized. “We need to do more like this,” Toothman said. Delegate Doug Skaff, DKanawha, told those at the rally that students like Toothman will have a chance to stay in West Virginia and raise a family thanks to the drilling industry. He said the state is at a crossroads and production of natural gas can be a game-changer for the state. The drilling industry must work with the various government environmental protection agencies, Skaff said. He added “we’re not going to this half-heartedly.” Chesapeake Energy Vice President of Corporate Development and State Government Regulations Scott Rotruck said safety is the number one priority. Not only in terms of worker safety, but environmental safety as well. “That is extremely important to us,” Rotruck said. Matt Sutton, who helped organize the rally, said it wasn’t in reaction to the several recent Marcellus shale protests. He added it was an idea that was talked about in the past. “They want to get out and show support for workers in the area,” Sutton said. MORGANTOWN COUNCIL City Marcellus drilling ban officially in place Byrer only one on council to vote no BY TRACY EDDY The Dominion Post Marcellus shale drilling is illegal in Morgantown and areas within a mile of the city limits. During its Tuesday meeting, Morgantown City Council voted, 6-1, to approve a law to ban horizontal drilling and fracturing — or fracking — in Morgantown and up to one mile beyond its borders. Mayor Bill Byrne and council members Ron Bane, John Gaddis, Jenny Selin, Marti Shamberger and Don Spencer voted for the law. Councilman Charlie Byrer voted against it. The vote didn’t take place until after midnight. Council spent nearly the first three hours of the meeting taking public comment on the issue and the smoking ban law. Spencer questioned the length of the public hearing at about 10:30 p.m. City Council has an 11 p.m. curfew when making decisions. Council unanimously voted to suspend the rules and work past curfew. Byrer said he voted against the ban because he supports the negotiations between the Morgantown Utility Board (MUB) and Northeast Natural Energy — the company drilling at the Morgantown Industrial Park. The drilling company agreed to implement extra safeguards at MUB’s request. He said it’s up to the governor to call a special session so the state legislature can address Marcellus shale drilling and permitting regulations. Council members also approved minor amendments to the ordinance. Byrer was the lone vote against them. The law now includes a definition of horizontal drilling and the phrase “horizontal drilling with fracturing” instead of “horizontal drilling and/or fracturing.” Council chambers overflowed with people and a crowd gathered in the lobby of City Hall to watch the meeting on TV. Several residents voiced their concerns for Morgantown’s water, air and general quality of life. Wetzel County residents also attended the meeting to talk about their experience with Marcellus shale drilling. Industry representatives spoke about how the industry could do its work responsibly. Mike John, president of Northeast Natural Energy, said the company wouldn’t be drilling at the industrial park if it didn’t think it could do it safely. He also cited the company’s agreement with MUB and said about $7 million was invested in the two wells, so far. “We believe it is impossible for an incident to occur that would impact Morgantown’s drinking water,” he said. Mike McCown, president of the Independent Oil and Gas Association of West Virginia, read City Council a letter from acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, in which the governor requested Morgantown keep its authority within its city limits. Tomblin’s letter said the Marcellus wells at the Morgantown Industrial Park would be good for the city’s economy. “It sends a negative signal to a business to change the rules after permitting has already been completed,” McCown read. Larry Schwab, Collins Ferry Road, said the state and federal government don’t have regulations in place to protect residents. “We are looking to you, our elected officials, to protect us.” May seek injunction to stop the law from taking effect BY DAVID BEARD The Dominion Post The wheels are already in motion to sue Morgantown over its horizontal gas drilling and fracking ban, a Jackson Kelly attorney said Tuesday. Al Sebok said Enrout Properties LLC, which owns the surface and mineral rights to the Morgantown Industrial Park Marcellus gas pad, has retained him to represent Enrout in litigation against the city. Sebok was one of the scheduled speakers at Jackson Kelly’s seminar, “Marcellus Shale in WV: Emerging Issues,” held at the Waterfront Place Hotel. Morgantown based its ban on state code 8-12-19, which allows cities to extend their jurisdiction one mile beyond their boundaries when required to reasonably exercise their powers and authority. Sebok listed several reasons why the city may be wrong. One, 8-12-19 was written in 1969. When the Legislature updated the zoning law in 2004, it didn’t include the same extraterritorial provision; while Morgantown is changing its business and taxation code, the ban is really more of a zoning issue. Two, code 8-12-2, regarding home rule powers, forbids city laws that conflict with the state constitution or other general law. The ban does conflict. Three, cities have the power to legislate against public nuisances, but the law clearly defines public nuisance, and the city can’t “arbitrarily and capriciously” declare a legally permitted activity a public nuisance. Sebok said Northeast Natural Energy, the natural gas firm at the site, worked closely with the Morgantown Utility Board, a city agency, even before the permit was approved, and agreed to extra provisions — containment, berms, casings and testing — after the permit was issued. “This is what I view as a win-win situation for everyone. This is how the permitting [process] should work,” he said. He called the city’s action a regulatory taking of property without just compensation. He later told The Dominion Post that he didn’t know how soon Enrout would file suit — they’re evaluating options — but it likely will be quickly. He also said the company may seek an injunction or restraining order to suspend the ordinance until litigation is completed. Northeast President Michael John said that litigation is under consideration, and the company has been working with attorneys to map out strategies. Bottom line, though, he said: “I do not want to sue the city of Morgantown.” Northeast is in the business of drilling, not taking cities to court, he said. Morgantown City Manager Terrence Moore said the city has anticipated legal action and is acting with due diligence to prepare for and support City Council’s action, and will respond accordingly. He believes state code supports the city’s position. Rob Alsop, chief of staff for acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, also spoke at the Jackson Kelly seminar. He equated the city’s ban to what the Environmental Protection Agency did to Arch Coal’s Spruce Mine in Logan County: Retroactively revoked a water permit, effectively halting $250 million worth of planned operations. Alsop referred to Northeast’s $7 million-plus investment at the Morgantown site. “Now, after the fact, there’s the potential they could be told to stop.” That could have a chilling impact on business across the state, he said, when Tomblin wants to promote the industry and its ancillary businesses. “Marcellus shale is a great development for West Virginia,” Alsop said. “We are doing all we can to make it a phenomenal development for West Virginia.” Tomblin appointed a Marcellus and Manufacturing Task Force to explore the promise of ethane, a natural gas by-product that could spur all sorts of plasticsrelated manufacturing to replace the lost chemical industry in the Kanawha Valley and the lost steel works in the Northern Panhandle. “We want this type of investment here,” he said. DEP: 1,600 Marcellus permits issued; 400 in works BY DAVID BEARD The Dominion Post Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Randy Huffman told a Morgantown audience Tuesday that the DEP is on pace to permit 400 more Marcellus wells this year; it needs more inspectors; and it needs the Legislature to take some action. Huffman was one of the featured speakers at Jackson Kelly’s seminar, “Marcellus Shale in WV: Emerging Issues,” held at the Waterfront Place Hotel. He said that in some ways, he is pleased Marcellus legislation failed last session. The DEP submitted a bill, SB 204, which the House ignored, and the Senate rewrote, scrapped and replaced with a different House bill. The only thing that survived was the bill number, Huffman said. “We bit off more than we could chew.” It was too much work for a part-time citizen legislature, and it’s better nothing passed than something deeply flawed and subject to many challenges, he said. The DEP expects to have a seat at the table for the Legislature’s Marcellus select committee drafting a new compromise bill, and its contribution will be different this time, based on new things it has learned — such as the aggregate effects on air quality and public notice provisions. While some have publicly said it’s already too late to keep the industry from running roughshod over the state, Huffman is more optimistic. “I strongly believe we are way in front of the Marcellus play from a regulatory standpoint. I’m really confident a lot of things are going to happen in the coming months.” Huffman said the DEP has issued 1,602 Marcellus permits, with 942 of those already completed. The remaining 660 have either not been drilled, are in process, or awaiting fracking to begin. The agency expects to approve another 400 permits this year, he said. It’s permitting at a greater capacity than the industry can drill. That’s understandable, he said, because gas fir ms have to take steps to secure and retain their leases. The expected legislation needs to have one thing: Money for inspectors, Huffman said. The DEP doesn’t have the power to raise fees without legislative action. Huffman did say, though, that without legislation, the DEP is doing what it can to adapt its growing knowledge of the state’s needs. Permit applications are different now from a year ago, and may be different again in two months. Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s Chief of Staff Rob Alsop also spoke at the seminar, and told The Dominion Post that if the select committee could have something ready as early as August, Tomblin would be willing to consider putting it on the call with redistricting. THE STATE JOURNAL: Morgantown City Council Bans Horizontal Drilling with Hydraulic Fracturing Posted Wednesday, June 22, 2011 ; 12:59 AM President of company now developing two wells asked what the city is prepared to compensate him for his $7 million investment. By Pam Kasey Morgantown City Council voted 6-1 on June 21 to pass an ordinance prohibiting horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing within a mile outside city limits. It’s been an issue of hot discussion in Morgantown since early May, when the city’s residents learned after the fact that Northeast Natural Energy of Charleston had been permitted to drill two Marcellus Shale natural gas wells just upriver from the area’s drinking water intake on the Monongahela River. Residents expressed concerns about the possibility of an drilling or hydraulic fracturing accident that would contaminate drinking water, as well as air quality and other concerns, and they expressed frustration that there is no public notification and comment process for gas wells. NNE’s well pad is located outside but within a mile outside city limits; the Morgantown council is following Wellsburg’s lead in relying on a provision of state code that allows cities to extend their authority for up to a mile beyond their boundaries when needed to carry out city functions. Tuesday's second reading of the ordinance drew comments from dozens both for and against the ban. Mike McCown, president of the Independent Oil and Gas Association, read a letter from acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin urging the city to keep its ban within city limits. The industry won't take kindly to a ban, McCown said. “If a city says there shouldn’t be drilling and doesn’t support the industry, it’s going t be hard for industry members to support that city, to do commerce in that city,” he said. “That’s a decision the city’s going to have to take seriously, in my opinion.” Several who addressed council had traveled from adjacent Wetzel County, where Chesapeake Energy has a high concentration of Marcellus gas production activity. “Coming with this Marcellus development you’re going to have tons of air pollution, water pollution — I’ve submitted copies of accidents, road issues, water contaminations,” said Wetzel County resident Ed Wade. “In our area we’ve found crime rates have gone up, drug usage has gone up,” Wade said. “It’s going to put a strain on your volunteer fire departments, your EMS, your law enforcement. All of this is going to have to be doubled and tripled. … For the people of Morgantown and their best interest, I hope you guys make the right decision.” NNE President Mike John addressed council for the first time. John noted that his company’s wells have received permits from the state Department of Environmental Protection. He added that his company met the additional assurances of the Morgantown Utility Board, the provider of drinking water for about 90,000 in the region — assurances that he viewed as having come from the city through MUB. “Given this history, we were surprised that, despite our good faith effort to work with the city to their apparent satisfaction, we find ourselves before council tonight as you move forward to ban drilling and fracking within a mile of city limits,” John said. “While there is risk associated with any industrial process, given the safeguards that we have implemented and the nature of the site, we believe it is impossible for an incident to occur that would impact Morgantown’s drinking water in any meaningful way,” he added. He asked what the city is willing to compensate his company for the $7 million it has invested in its site based on good faith interactions with the city. Councilman Charles Byrer alone voted against the ordinance. He expressed a preference for regulation at the state level and cited concerns about the rights of mineral owners, including the city itself. “I think we’re basically going to be regretting this down the road. We have opportunity here. We’re sitting on a treasure,” he said. “And I think we’re on a slippery slope from a legal perspective.” Council takes this action, concluded Mayor William Byrne just before the vote was taken, in the absence of effective state regulation — mentioning in particular the need for public notification and comment on gas wells. “We do not do this with a lot of gusto,” Byrne said. FirstEnergy: Unconventional Gas an Additional Challenge to Coal-Fired Power Industry Posted Tuesday, June 21, 2011 ; 10:34 Updated Tuesday, June 21, 2011; 11:46 AM Power sector could represent one-third of U.S. natural gas demand by 2020. By Pam Kasey MORGANTOWN -- The boom in production of natural gas from formations like the Marcellus shale is presenting an additional challenge to an already challenged coal-fired power industry. That was one observation from Lauren Quamm, manager of market analytics for FirstEnergy Solutions, when he spoke June 21 at the “Marcellus Shale in West Virginia: Emerging Issues” seminar hosted in Morgantown by Jackson Kelly. FirstEnergy, Quamm said, operates from Illinois to Maryland and is the nation’s largest industrial utility based on customers served; FirstEnergy Solutions is the largest competitive retailer of electricity. “Natural gas is poised to become (an even more) important part of the fuel mix for generating electricity in this country,” while coal as a fuel for the generation of electricity is getting squeezed, Quamm said. That is based in part on the recent growth in supply of natural gas due to horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, Quamm said. That growth has resulted in reduced prices. Not long ago, natural gas was the most expensive generation fuel that represented a significant part of the market. But the price of gas has halved since 2008, Quamm said, from $9 per million British thermal units in 2008 to $4.50 now; with that, the price of electricity has fallen approximately by half. And because all power plants in a region earn what the most expensive plant is charging per megawatt-hour, all power plants are earning less, he said. At the same time, planned and expected environmental regulations on air emissions and other aspects of power generation will affect coal-fired plants more than others. Given that squeeze, moderate projections are that 30 to 70 megawatts or about 20 percent of coal-fired generation capacity could be shut down east of the Rocky Mountains. “The replacement power plants will largely be fired by natural gas,” he said. The combination of gas plants added to the grid and increased firing of existing plants “could be a significant source of demand for the industry,” he said. If 50 to 70 gigawatts of coal-fired generation capacity is shuttered, he said, it could mean 8 to 9 trillion cubic feet per year of power sector gas demand by 2020: roughly one-third of U.S. natural gas demand. Agencies Say They Are Now More Prepared June 22, 2011 By J.W. JOHNSON JR. With AP Dispatches - Staff Writer , The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register A year after a natural gas well burst into flames in Marshall County, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection is drafting legislation focused on well sites, water management and permit fees. In the early hours of June 7, 2010, Marshall County 911 dispatchers began receiving calls reporting a loud explosion and flames shooting 75 feet into the air on Beam's Lane outside of Moundsville. As emergency management teams from Marshall and Belmont counties arrived at the site of a natural gas well operated by AB Resources Inc., they began to assess the situation: A fire was raging and appeared to be unextinguishable, and seven workers had been seriously injured. After getting the fire under control and containing it for 12 hours until crews trained to handle well fires could arrive, emergency management officials remained at the site for nearly five days until the fire burned out. Now the DEP is paring down legislation it presented for this year's regular session, spokeswoman Kathy Cosco said. Out is language addressing such topics as forced pooling, which involves drilling in areas with multiple mineral rights owners, and the rights of surface owners, she said. The regular session bill died after substantial amendments in both chambers. Department Secretary Randy Huffman criticized lawmakers Tuesday for its fate. He told a Morgantown conference on Marcellus Shale issues that the changes disregarded provisions developed by his staff during the better part of the year. The new draft will also propose hiking permit fees above their current rate, which is usually around $600 per well, but not likely as high as the $10,000 proposed in the regular session bill, Cosco said. DEP's goal is enough funding for eight to 10 more inspectors - the department now has 17 positions - along with additional office staff, she said. Huffman said a serious fee hike would allow "more of a presence on the ground at these sites." Some companies have even offered to pay higher fees, but Huffman said he was forced to decline because his agency has no structure for accepting such sums. Huffman agreed the fee amount could prove a sticking point as a new House-Senate select committee attempts to find a compromise that can pass in special session. The industry argues that fees higher than those charged in other Marcellus states would make West Virginia less competitive. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., warned the Morgantown conference that if state legislators can't agree on Marcellus regulations, the federal government is likely to do the job for them. The federal Environmental Protection Agency is already cracking down on the coal industry and is "slathering" to get at the natural gas industry, too, Capito said. Locally, a lot has changed since the Beams Lane fire regarding the way local emergency management crews and first responders react when faced with a well explosion. They cited equal parts planning practice for the adaptations. "There was a steep learning curve when we arrived for that first fire," said Marshall County Emergency Management Director Tom Hart. "We found out that the best way to prepare for those situations and learn how to be able to respond was to actually deal with them." The fire was the first of three separate gas-related incidents in a four-month period in the county, and Hart said each incident presented a new challenge from which to learn. Hart said as a result of dealing with those incidents, local fire departments and law enforcement agencies now are more prepared and have a better idea of what to expect if a well fire is reported. He added his office has created a checklist and implemented other protocols in the emergency management comprehensive plan, which is shared not only with offices in Marshall County but around the state. The biggest change, Hart said, is that the lines of communication between county officials and gas company representatives are open, allowing for information to be shared on a more frequent basis. First responders at the Beam's Lane fire said it was unclear who was supervising the site, and county officials said they had not been informed of any drilling activity in that area or been given information as to how many employees had been working there. "Since that first incident, companies have been very forthwith in providing us with information on where their sites are and what is happening," he said, adding that information comes via weekly email updates and at monthly meetings of the Marshall County Energy Exploration Task Force, which was created last August. Hart said having frequent communication and knowing who to contact in the event of an emergency is key to allowing first responders to get to a site and on task as quickly as possible. He added many companies have also been proactive in investing in their own emergency plans and training for their workers. "They know that for public safety officials to assist them, they need to provide accurate information on their locations, and we need that information to protect the public and the people working at their sites," he said. Marshall County fire departments have also been able to upgrade their equipment and seek further training using donations from Chief Oil and Gas and Chesapeake Energy, which donated $100,000 and $221,000, respectively, following well fires on their properties. Hart said those funds were used to purchase equipment and supplies that would be used in the event of a similar incident. Hart said he has heard from representatives from counties around the state who have expressed concern over increased drilling activity in their areas. He said he will continue to share the information that Marshall County has gathered in the past year so they can be one step ahead in the event of an emergency. "I hate to say it, but I am kind of glad we dealt with it when we did and were able to become better prepared," he said.

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Fwd: WV_Crucial House Vote - Please Call Your Representatives
by James Kotcon 22 Jun '11

22 Jun '11

This is urgent. Drop what you are doing and call today. If you are not in the First District, call Capito and Rahall and ask them to call McKinley to ask him to withdraw the bill. JBK >>> Sam Flenner <samf.environmentalintegrity(a)gmail.com> 6/21/2011 8:42 PM >>> *HR 1391 – The very bad McKinley Coal Ash Bill is scheduled for a vote in the House Energy and Commerce Committee this Thursday, June 23rd. * The following House Representative from your state is on the Committee. Phone calls in opposition to HR 1391 are urgently needed to your member to ensure he opposes HR 1391. If you live in the District of the following Representative, please call him at *David McKinley 202-225-4172 * https://mckinley.house.gov//index.cfm?sectionid=58<https://mckinley.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=58>Phone calls are preferred And ask other members of your group or network to call him as well. The message is simple. --McKinley’s amended bill, HR 1391, derails the ongoing EPA coal ash rulemaking and would prevent EPA from regulating coal ash in a way that protects health and the environment. --EPA must be allowed to proceed with its coal ash rulemaking, consider the hundreds of thousands of public comments it has received, and make its decision based on the best available science. --Your representative should protect the health and environment of your community and those of other Americans who live around coal ash sites and honor the public rulemaking process. Again…Please: 1) Call your House Committee members today to ask him to oppose HR 1391; 2) Ask your members and any others in your network to call their Representatives to oppose HR 1391; 3) We lost in Subcommittee by only 1 vote – Please make the call. Thank you, Jeff Stant Director, Coal Combustion Waste Initiative Environmental Integrity Project 5819 Lowell Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46219 Phone: 317-359-1306 Mobile: 317-331-3607 Email: Jstant(a)environmentalintegrity.org -- Samuel E. Flenner III Outreach Coodinator Environmental Integrity Project www.environmentalintegrity.org samf.environmentalintegrity(a)gmail.com 317.352.2339 c-317.850.0436

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Fwd: San Antonio's Deely Coal Plant is Closing, Here is the Press Release
by Paul Wilson 21 Jun '11

21 Jun '11

maybe Rep. Mckinney should see this? fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Oliver Bernstein <oliver.bernstein(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Mon, Jun 20, 2011 at 4:28 PM Subject: Fwd: San Antonio's Deely Coal Plant is Closing, Here is the Press Release To: COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS(a)lists.sierraclub.org ---------- Forwarded message ---------- This went out to local press in SA and to national coal press. http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=209362.0 June 20, 2011 Contacts: Eva Hernandez, Sierra Club, 512-299-1550, or Ryan Rittenhouse, Public Citizen, 440-796-9695 Sierra Club and Partners Celebrate First Announced Closing of a Publicly-owned Coal Plant in Texas San Antonio's Deely Plant Expected to Close by 2018, Replaced by Clean, Solar Power San Antonio -- Monday afternoon, San Antonio Mayor Joaquin Castro announced that City Public Service’s (CPS) Deely coal-fired power plant will shut down by 2018. Additional solar power contracts for the San Antonio area will replace that dirty electricity and bring clean energy jobs to Texas. The planned retirement of the two coal boilers at Deely marks the 189th and 190th generators to begin plans for retirement in 2011. In response to today's announcement, the Sierra Club, SEED Coalition, and Public Citizen issued the following statement: The announcement today confirms the new direction taken by CPS Energy which has committed to meeting 20% of its energy needs through renewable energy by 2020, and reducing its peak demand through energy efficiency by 780 megawatts. CPS Energy recently began receiving power from a 14 MW solar plant in South San Antonio, and has signed a contract with SunEdison for an additional 30 MWs of solar power. Mary Anne Hitt, director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign stated that, "Today's announcement in Texas shows that cities around the country are taking strides to move beyond coal. Mayors and concerned citizens in many states have taken it upon themselves to prove that solar and other forms of clean energy are ready to replace dirty and dangerous sources of power to meet our energy needs." "San Antonio’s decision to phase out the Deely coal plant signals the beginning of the end of the coal-burning era and its associated air pollution and illness in Texas,” said Eva Hernandez, with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign. “We are ready for Austin to follow suit and for other municipal utilities, the electric co-ops, retail electric utilities, and indeed the State of Texas to move forward with a clean energy economy. This is how we will create more jobs while breathing cleaner air in Texas.” However, environmental groups do not support the west Texas Summit coal plant that could be part of San Antonio’s plan. “Any purchase of coal power from the Summit coal plant should be conditional upon phasing out Deely,” said Ryan Rittenhouse of Public Citizen. “Furthermore, CPS should commit to running Deely's two dirty coal boilers as little as possible leading up to the phase out.” The CPS Deely plant is the first publicly-owned coal plant slated for retirement in Texas. The Sierra Club has called for the phase-out of the Lower Colorado River Authority's Fayette coal plant, which is partially-owned by the City of Austin. The Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign has also called for the phase-out of several privately owned coal plants: TXU-Luminant’s Big Brown coal plant in Fairfield, the Martin Lake coal plant near Henderson, and the Monticello coal plant near Mount Pleasant. Several recently permitted coal plants in Texas have been prevented from starting, and three, White Stallion, Las Brisas, and Tenaska face additional obstacles. # # # -- Cheers, Sean Sarah Communications Manager (South East & North East) Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign C: 330 338-3740 P: 202 548-4589 E: Sean.Sarah(a)sierraclub.org -- Oliver Bernstein National Communications Strategist Sierra Club Phone: 512.477.2152 x102 Cell: 512.289.8618 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS list, send any message to: COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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Fwd: Tr-Ash Talk: W.V. Rep. McKinley Sells Out Constituents
by James Kotcon 21 Jun '11

21 Jun '11

Note: The markup (on McKinley's bill) was rescheduled for next Tuesday, June 21 at 4 p.m. Actions Tuesday morning? JBK >>> Jim Sconyers <jimscon(a)gmail.com> 6/17/2011 3:24 PM >>> Jim - I think we need to do something. This worthless SOB needs some consequences. What can we do? How about picketing his Morgantown office and getting media there? Or.......? ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Raviya Ismail <rismail(a)earthjustice.org> Date: Fri, Jun 17, 2011 at 9:13 AM Subject: Tr-Ash Talk: W.V. Rep. McKinley Sells Out Constituents To: COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE(a)lists.sierraclub.org Here is our latest Tr-Ash Talk blog: http://earthjustice.org/blog/2011-june/tr-ash-talk-w-v-rep-mckinley-sells-o… Emily Enderle Tr-Ash Talk: W.V. Rep. McKinley Sells Out Constituents Congressman’s district is home to largest coal ash pond Here we go again. Some of our elected leaders are once more maneuvering to block much-needed health protections against coal ash. Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) has sponsored a bill that would broadly remove federal authority for any regulation of coal ash ever. This bill, if enacted, also would conveniently protect his business interests. In April, Politico exposed Rep. McKinley’s business interest in ensuring that coal ash is not regulated. Rep McKinley owns the largest engineering firm in West Virginia and his company uses coal ash in concrete, as fill for roads and other uses. Rep. McKinley also represents a district that has the largest coal ash pond in the nation, and his bill goes against what he promised West Virginian Curt Havens, veteran and constituent. Havens was at the Energy and Commerce hearing in April, when Rep. McKinley said, about prior coal ash threats, "I want to make sure that never happens again to another family in America." (Those comments start at minute marker 2:26:26.) Again, business interests are coming before the interest of protecting public health. During the House budget negotiations February frenzy, Rep. McKinley sponsored amendment 217 that would have prohibited the EPA from using any of their funds to move forward with the health protective Subtitle C regulation. Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) introduced amendment 10, trying to achieve the same thing. It’s no surprise that both congressmen are heavily supported by the energy sector. During his 2010 campaign Rep. McKinley received $43,300 from energy companies, and $22,751 of that came from mining interests, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Rep. McKinley’s current effort to stop the regulation of this potent waste, H.R. 1391, would “amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to exempt fly ash waste, bottom ash waste, slag waste and flue gas emission control waste generated primarily from the combustion of coal or other fossil fuels from regulation as hazardous waste under such Act.” H.R. 1391 was scheduled to be marked up in the Environment and Economy subcommittee of Energy and Commerce this morning. The markup had to be rescheduled for next Tuesday, June 21 at 4 p.m. due to a drafting error. The bill, as written, couldn’t have been much worse and it’s doubtful there will be any improvements as they fix the drafting error. Rep. McKinley and the bill supporters will continue to put public health at risk. Further, they will undermine the public coal ash rulemaking currently underway that generated a record-breaking 450,000 comments. This is a tragic example of how some elected officials bow to dirty polluters rather than heeding the concerns of their constituents. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE list, send any message to: COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628

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Fw. Clarksburg (WV) Considers Selling Effluent Water for Fracking
by Frank Young 17 Jun '11

17 Jun '11

Well, if you can sell it to someone else instead of discharging it into a stream, maybe you can avoid having to meet effluent NPDES permit limits! ----- Original Message ----- From: Denise Binion To: WVEC Board Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 4:42 PM Subject: [wvec-board] Clarksburg Considers Selling Effluent Water for Fracking The City is obviously unaware of WHY the water should be put back into the West Fork River. http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=101571 __._,_.___ Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity: Visit Your Group Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest . Unsubscribe . Terms of Use. __,_._,___

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Bizarre, awesome, fascinating, and beyond belief!!!
by Jim Sconyers 16 Jun '11

16 Jun '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: david sconyers <dsconyers(a)yahoo.com> Date: Thu, Jun 16, 2011 at 11:02 AM Subject: Toward A Green Future To: DV <donnaventriss(a)yahoo.com>, Jim <jimscon(a)gmail.com>, Armygrunt69(a)aol.com, barneyusmc6669(a)hotmail.com, bromley <bromhood(a)gmail.com>, brownk(a)southflorida.edu, steve burke <oldindianrider(a)aol.com>, Brent Davis < marine6(a)roadrunner.com>, days(a)americanfast.com, jerry dejonge < dejongej(a)southflorida.edu>, dennisinor(a)aol.com, Fpwingfield(a)aol.com, FUSMCRVN(a)verizon.net, GeneMarine(a)aol.com, Frank Gill <frgill(a)sbcglobal.net>, Frank and Jody Gill <frankgill(a)comcast.net>, clay gooch < clay_gooch(a)hotmail.com>, guentherd1(a)aol.com, Mark <MSconyers(a)olc152.com>, mcleodm(a)southflorida.edu, sandy/joe molineaux <sjmolino823(a)cox.net>, richard morey <moreyr(a)southflorida.edu>, lou piantadosi <LouPiant(a)aol.com>, pwingfld(a)comcast.net, ray.morris(a)comcast.net, Jim Sconyers < jim_scon(a)yahoo.com>, sgt_major(a)earthlink.net, ToMaui21(a)comcast.net, Jan Harrod <jsharrod(a)cox.net>, Jennifer Lawton <jennifer.lawton(a)gmail.com>, Mike <msconyers(a)sbcglobal.net>, Sarah <srstolfa(a)gmail.com>, Jeff Sconyers < jeff.sconyers(a)seattlechildrens.org>, Curtis Ventriss <clventriss(a)msn.com>, RA Ventriss <rventriss(a)aol.com>, Lisa Ventriss <lisa(a)vtroundtable.org>, Beverly Ventriss <bventris(a)pacbell.net> Or maybe too much time on his hands?? You decide. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=HSKyHmjyrkA&feature=email "If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed." (Albert Einstein) "True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country" (Kurt Vonnegut) "What better way for a ruling class to claim and hold power than to pose as the defenders of the nation." (Christopher Hitchens)

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Fwd: Re: [wvec-board] Marcellus Special Session
by James Kotcon 16 Jun '11

16 Jun '11

>>> Julie Archer <julie(a)wvcag.org> 6/16/2011 10:07 AM >>> FYI... Don Strimbeck's Daily Update included this article from the Dominion Post... *Marcellus committee OK'd * /Bicameral group to study drilling rules, regulation / */BY DAVID BEARD The Dominion Post /* CHARLESTON --- Marcellus regulation took a major step forward Wednesday afternoon, and if you had sneezed, you would have missed it. In the opening moments of the Joint Committee on Government and Finance meeting --- after the gaveling and the order for a silent roll --- acting Senate President Jeff Kessler moved to authorize a select committee to study Marcellus regulation. The motion passed without fanfare or discussion, and the panel --- the two chamber leaders, and political party and major committee heads --- moved on with its regular business. It took little more than 15 seconds. The audience was still settling down and the motion was hard to hear. But that little blip opens the door to a special session to pass Marcellus regulations. Kessler, Speaker Rick Thompson and acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin met Wednesday morning and agreed to create the committee. It will consist of five members each from the House and Senate. Thompson and Kessler said they hadn't yet appointed members. But they're confident the two chambers can reach an agreement --- each had passed a bill during the regular 2011 session but couldn't reach a compromise --- and bring it to Tomblin so he can call a special session. No one knows for sure when that will be. If there's an agreement in time, Kessler speculated, perhaps August --- the time also considered for a redistricting special session. Thompson said, "I think it would be very good if we could finish it this summer." He said a special session --- without the distractions of nearly 1,900 other bills --- is the best way to take it up. The failed mega-bills, in their various incarnations, took on environmental issues, surface owner rights, inspectors, permits and fees, fracking fluid, water withdrawals and discharges, forced pooling, road maintenance and more. Since then, following the permitting of two wells in the Morgantown Industrial Park, other issues have arisen --- including well locations near water supplies and the rights of cities to ban drilling and fracking. Thompson and Kessler said the select committee --- working with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the governor's office and various stakeholders --- has no limits on its discussions. Kessler used the term "pretty broad" while Thompson chose "wide open." "It's crucial to have a regulatory framework that protects the environment," provides regulatory certainty for the business community and protects surface and mineral owner rights, he said. While Tomblin previously said the DEP is already equipped to regulate the industry by making rules, DEP Secretary Randy Huffman said the agency is not, in fact, prepared to handle it. And Kessler opposes the idea on principle. "We can't just wait on bureaucratic administrative agencies to set the policy. That has to be done by the Legislature," he said. Thompson doesn't expect major progress by the July interims --- July 11-13 --- but that the committee and other parties could coordinate and "get some movement" during the interims. Asked about the governor's goals for the committee, Tomblin spokeswoman Jacqueline Proctor said he prefers to leave it in the hands of the committee, although he's happy to work with members as they see fit. The timeline to ready a bill or bills and bring them to him for a special session call is also up to the committee, she said. She speculated unofficially that August may be a little soon to get it all together. Asked if letters and resolutions from the public and public bodies --- including Morgantown, Monongalia County and the WVU Faculty Senate --- and proposed drilling bans helped spark Wednesday's actions, Proctor said Tomblin has had the discussion on his agenda for a while. But he's paying attention to what's going on, she said. "He's keeping everything on his radar as much as possible." Julie Archer WV Citizen Action Group 1500 Dixie Street Charleston, WV 25311 (304) 346-5891 (304) 346-8981 FAX www.wvcag.org On 6/15/2011 9:55 PM, dsgjr(a)aol.com wrote: > > After lobbying hard for a special session on Marcellus regulation for > two days, and hearing only very negative replies that it wasn't going > to happen, there was a sudden turn of events on Wednesday. > Wednesday afternoon, before they left town, the Joint Committee on > Government and Finance voted to form a Select Committee to prepare for > a special session on Marcellus drilling regulation. The committee > will consist of five Senate members and five House members, who will > be appointed by the Speaker and the acting Senate President. > Julie Archer and I were attending another Interim Committee meeting > when this occurred, so we don't have any more details at this time. > I will do some nosing around on Thursday to see if I can learn more. > Don Garvin > WVEC Legislative Coordinator > >

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Google makes Business Case for Wind
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 16 Jun '11

16 Jun '11

Google makes Business Case for Wind Bill Opalka <http://www.energybiz.com/author/bill-opalka> | Jun 16, 2011 [image: Share/Save]<http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.energybiz.com%2Fart…> <http://www.energybiz.com/article/11/06/google-makes-business-case-wind?utm_…> Renewable energy developers agree: The lack of clear, long-term signals from policymakers stalls investments in the clean energy space. As the new kid on the block, and not an energy company, Google is plowing ahead. While Congress seems absent on energy policy this year – except for the predictable hearings on high gasoline prices – clean energy companies are looking for a signal that investments will pay off once various credits and subsidies expire at the end of this year and next. The message came through at a press conference at the American Wind Energy Association <http://www.awea.org/> conference in Anaheim. But along with the policy imperative, Google said there’s a business case<http://www.google.com/green/>to be made. “We believe in a clean energy future so we’re trying to do what we can to help enable that, but we also believe very strongly that all the things we are doing make good business sense,” said Rick Needham, director of green business operations and strategy at Google. The company has invested $400 million in large scale renewable energy<http://www.renewablesbiz.com/article/10/05/google-buys>projects. “Also, these investments provide strong financial returns, and are a way to diversify our cash holdings with good returns given those risks,” Needham added. [image: IBM Webcast]<http://ads.energycentral.com/a.aspx?Task=Click&ZoneID=838&CampaignID=8318&A…> <http://ads.energycentral.com/a.aspx?ZoneID=838&Task=Click&Mode=HTML&SiteID=…> And as a large energy consumer, Google has procured two 20-year long-term power purchase agreements for 250 megawatts of wind providing clean energy for its data centers. But that only goes so far, as uncertain policy and recent history illustrate. Ned Hall, AES executive vice president and AES Wind Generation<http://www.aes.com/aes/index?page=wind>president, said: “We have a lot of examples in our industry as to what hasn’t worked out well for us. In the late 90s we built 35,0000 megawatts of natural gas generation in our rush to excitement to what was viewed as a disruptive technology. That drove natural gas prices to $13. And that ended badly for a lot of businesses.” The current mania over shale gas and the lack of a commitment to clean energy affects markets now. Hall is the incoming chairman of AWEA, so he’s clearly in the space for the long haul, too. But he’s seen this movie before, too. “The disruptive nature of shale gas has changed the map again and there’s a rush back to gas. If we’re always chasing what we view as the current least-cost opportunity, we won’t get the diversity that I think we would benefit from,” Hall said. He spoke approvingly of the market signals for renewables outside of the U.S.: “AES does business in 28 countries. Most of our time and effort on wind development is focused outside the U.S. because we don’t see what exists today as a motivator to come and put in the time and effort.” Does Google want to lead by example? “We would welcome and encourage other companies that may not be investing or offtaking (procuring) to do something that makes business sense for them to drive the industry forward,” Needham said. The uncertain regulatory environment is taking its toll. But some of that pain is being eased by the likes of Google and AES. Bill Opalka is editor of RenewablesBiz Daily -- William V. DePaulo, Esq. 179 Summers Street, Suite 232 Charleston, WV 25301-2163 Tel 304-342-5588 Fax 304-342-5505 william.depaulo(a)gmail.com www.passeggiata.com

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Fwd: DEP Public Notice - 2012 Proposed Air Rules Hearing Set
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 14 Jun '11

14 Jun '11

At the Skyview meeting in Morgantown, Bill Hughs of WCAG said that attempts to have air emissions from aggregated sources from drilling sites properly monitored under WVDEP's rules have repeatedly failed. In fact, their lawyers blocked any such requests. WVDEP's rules need to be changed. An opportunity to request changes is coming up as shown below. -Jonathan -------- Original Message -------- Subject: DEP Public Notice - 2012 Proposed Air Rules AvailaHearing Set Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:49:39 -0400 From: <dep.online(a)wv.gov> To: <freesource(a)cheat.org> The following was sent to you because you are a Member of the DEP Public Notice mailing list. =========================================================== Monday, June 13, 2011 @ 4:49 PM =========================================================== 2012 Proposed Air Rules Hearing Set and Rules Available on DEP Website for Review The West Virginia Division of Air Quality has scheduled a public hearing on July 11, 2011 for its 2012 proposed legislative rules, which will take place at the Division of Environmental Protection’s Charleston headquarters, 601 57th Street S.E., Charleston, WV 25304. Oral and written comments will be limited to the proposed revisions and will be made a part of the rulemaking record. Copies of the rules are available from the Secretary of State’s office or from the DEP at http://www.dep.wv.gov/pio/Pages/Rules.aspx. You may also obtain hard copies of the information by calling the phone number listed below. Written comments may be submitted to the Public Information Office at the above address. Comments may also be e-mailed to dep.comments(a)wv.gov. The hearing dates, locations and comment deadlines are as follows: Division of Air Quality 45CSR8 – Ambient Air Quality Standards 45CSR14 – Permits for Construction and Major Modification of Major Stationary Sources of Air Pollution for the Prevention of Significant Deterioration 45CSR16 – Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources 45CSR18 - Control of Air Pollution from Combustion of Solid Waste 45CSR19 – Permits for Construction and Major Modification of Major Stationary Sources of Air Pollution Which Cause or Contribute to Nonattainment 45CSR25 – Control of Air Pollution from Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities 45CSR30 – Requirements for Operating Permits 45CSR34 – Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants 45CSR35 – Requirements for Determining Conformity of General Federal Actions to Applicable Air Quality Implementation Plans (General Conformity) 45CSR42 – Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Program The public hearing for all air quality rules will take place beginning at 6 p.m. on July 11, 2011 in the Dolly Sods Conference Room. The comment period will begin on June 10, 2011 and end at the conclusion of the public hearing on July 11, 2011. Upon authorization and promulgation of revisions to 45CSR8, 45CSR14, 45CSR19 and 45CSR35, the DAQ will submit the rules to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as revisions to the State Implementation Plan pursuant to the federal Clean Air Act. Upon authorization and promulgation of revisions to 45CSR18, the DAQ will submit the final rule to the U.S. EPA for approval as a part of West Virginia’s Section 111(d)/129 Plan and program delegation of the federal New Source Performance Standards. Rules 45CSR16, 45CSR25 and 45CSR34 will be submitted to EPA to fulfill other federal obligations under the Clean Air Act, including delegations, plans and program approvals. Upon authorization and promulgation of 45CSR30, the rule will be submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a revision to the State’s Operating Permit Program under Title V of the federal Clean Air Act. Rule 45CSR42 is proposed to be repealed. For more information on any of the DAQ rules call 304-926-0475. =========================================================== To view past notices of open public comment periods or to unsubscribe from this Mailing List, login at: http://apps.dep.wv.gov//MLists2/

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Robert Bryce: America Needs the Shale Revolution - The Wall Street Journal.
by William DePaulo 13 Jun '11

13 Jun '11

I thought you would be interested in the following story on WSJ.com. Robert Bryce: America Needs the Shale Revolution http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304432304576369140191493636.h… The Wall Street Journal Mobile Reader for iPhoneTM delivers the latest global news, financial events, market insights and information to keep you ahead of the curve. Get the information you depend on plus entertainment, culture, and sports coverage when, where, and how you want it from the most credible source for news and information. Click below to download the WSJ Mobile Reader for free from the iTunes App Store. http://www.wsj.com/iphoneinstall William V DePaulo, Esq 179 Summers Street #232 Charleston WV 25301-2163 Tel 304-342-5588 Fax 304-342-5505 william.depaulo(a)gmail.com www.passeggiata.com

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AEP plant closings.
by James Kotcon 13 Jun '11

13 Jun '11

I expect such statements from the likes of Manchin and McKinley, but here is the quote that troubles me. "Kessler said he would like to see the EPA guidelines changed so that plants like Kammer would be able to remain viable producers of electricity, adding he will work to make that change happen." JBK Both Anger And Optimism Voiced On Fate of Plant June 10, 2011 By J.W. JOHNSON JR. Staff Writer , The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register Congressman David McKinley said Thursday that the more than 240 West Virginia workers affected by the closure of five American Electric Power plants deserve an explanation, not from AEP, but from the federal Environmental Protection Agency and, ideally, the president. "President (Barack) Obama and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson should come to West Virginia and see first-hand the faces of the folks that no longer have jobs because of their extreme regulatory policies," he said. McKinley, R-W.Va., is one of many local and state representatives who voiced anger at Thursday's announcement that AEP's Kammer Plant could be closed by 2014 as a result of proposed EPA regulations. Representatives from AEP said the plant would close under the company's new compliance plan, which was introduced Thursday. The plan would close five plants in West Virginia and one in Ohio in an effort to become compliant with the proposed regulations. The move would affect 60 employees at the Kammer Plant and 242 statewide. McKinley said that decision is the best example of why unemployment numbers are so high across the country, and he hoped Obama would accept his invitation. "Just this week the president said he is concerned that we are not producing jobs as quickly as he would like it to happen," McKinley said. "The men and women who lost their jobs at American Energy Power know exactly why we continue to hemorrhage jobs, and that is an ideologically driven agenda that is out of touch with working men and women and businesses large and small." Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said he would make himself available to the AEP employees affected by the closures and that proposed EPA regulations are an example of government run amok. "It's decisions like the one made by AEP that demonstrate the urgent need to rein in government agencies like the EPA, preventing them from overstepping their bounds and imposing regulations that not only cost us good American jobs, but hurt our economy," he said. "Onerous regulations issued by the EPA are the reason that 242 West Virginians will lose their jobs, and that's simply wrong." Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., echoed Manchin's statement, adding that in this instance, the EPA did not properly analyze the situation to understand the loss of jobs and increase in cost to consumers. "This is a perfect example of the EPA implementing rules and regulations without considering the devastating impact they may have on local economies and jobs," she said, adding she will be drafting a letter to Jackson to see documentation that economic impact was taken into account when creating the new regulations. Representatives from Marshall County said they were notified of the planned closure Thursday morning by AEP representatives, though many of them chose to remain optimistic about the news. Delegate Mike Ferro said the news was "devastating," especially after recent talk of bringing an ethane cracking plant to the county had officials expecting an economic boost. "Now all of sudden you kind of get kicked a bit," he said, adding he hoped those involved would have "a change of heart." State Sen. Jeff Kessler said although AEP has said a number of the 60 employees would be reaching retirement age in the coming years and that the company would attempt to find new positions for the remaining employees, he is not interested in job creation by attrition. "I am more concerned about long-term growth and maintaining a vibrant work force in Marshall County," he said. "We have to see if we can pick up the slack." Kessler said he would like to see the EPA guidelines changed so that plants like Kammer would be able to remain viable producers of electricity, adding he will work to make that change happen. County Commissioner Jason "Jake" Padlow said he was glad AEP gave employees such advance notice - nearly three years - and that he hoped that was enough time for the county to show that it deserves to keep the plant. "Hopefully with what is going on in Marshall County with the increase in business and industry, we can convince them to change their plans," he said.

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email changing
by Jim Sconyers 13 Jun '11

13 Jun '11

I am slowly switching over to gmail from Yahoo. I intend to use gmail only starting July 1, 2011. Please change my email address to jimscon(a)gmail.com Thanks Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last.

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NYTimes.com: Prices Fall for Some Gas-Rich Shale Land
by william.depaulo＠gmail.com 12 Jun '11

12 Jun '11

This page was sent to you by: william.depaulo(a)gmail.com. BUSINESS DAY | June 10, 2011 Reuters Breakingviews: Prices Fall for Some Gas-Rich Shale Land By CHRISTOPHER SWANN and REYNOLDS HOLDING The Marcellus shale has offered some of the hottest wildcat real estate in recent years, but if Exxon Mobil's recent $1.7 billion acquisition is any indication, the days of eye-watering prices are over. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/business/10views.html?emc=eta1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS E-MAIL This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service. For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help(a)nytimes.com. NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 Copyright 2011 The New York Times Company

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Re: [EC] [WVHCBOARD] The cost of wind and solar energy
by Frank Young 10 Jun '11

10 Jun '11

Two excerpts from the article: "The math is simple: to have 8,500 megawatts of solar capacity, California would need at least 23 projects the size of Ivanpah, covering about 129 square miles, an area more than five times as large as Manhattan." "The Roscoe wind farm in Texas, which has a capacity of 781.5 megawatts, covers about 154 square miles. Again, the math is straightforward: to have 8,500 megawatts of wind generation capacity, California would likely need to set aside an area equivalent to more than 70 Manhattans. Apart from the impact on the environment itself, few if any people could live on the land because of the noise (and the infrasound, which is inaudible to most humans but potentially harmful) produced by the turbines." (emphasis added- F.Y.) ----------------------------------------- Frank's commentary- If we are going to mathematically render uninhabitable all lands on which "inaudible" but harmful effects emanate from power generating facilities, we would include all areas downwind of coal fired generating facilities that generate particulate matter- because such particulates are demonstrably responsible for thousands of premature human deaths. See the related map and narrative data here: http://www.catf.us/coal/problems/power_plants/existing/ "In 2000 and again in 2004, Abt Associates issued a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force quantifying the deaths and other health affects attributable to the fine particle pollution from power plants. In this newly updated study, CATF examines the progress towards cleaning up one of the nation's leading sources of pollution. The report finds that over 13,000 deaths each year are attributable to fine particle pollution from U.S. power plants." "Simple" and "straightforward" math- indeed! Frank ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hugh Rogers" <hugh.rogers(a)gmail.com> To: "WVHCBOARD" <WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2011 9:00 AM Subject: [WVHCBOARD] The cost of wind and solar energy Robert Bryce ("Power Hungry" author) is back w/ some figures on "energy sprawl." Once again, he's good at debunking the notion that wind and solar are "free"--but five words from the end of the piece he gets to his pet alternatives, natural gas and nuclear power. Op-Ed Contributor The Gas Is Greener: The Cost of Renewable Energy Sources By ROBERT BRYCE Published: June 7, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/opinion/08bryce.html IN April, Gov. Jerry Brown made headlines by signing into law an ambitious mandate that requires California to obtain one-third of its electricity from renewable energy sources like sunlight and wind by 2020. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia now have renewable electricity mandates. President Obama and several members of Congress have supported one at the federal level. Polls routinely show strong support among voters for renewable energy projects — as long as they don’t cost too much. But there’s the rub: while energy sources like sunlight and wind are free and naturally replenished, converting them into large quantities of electricity requires vast amounts of natural resources — most notably, land. Even a cursory look at these costs exposes the deep contradictions in the renewable energy movement. Consider California’s new mandate. The state’s peak electricity demand is about 52,000 megawatts. Meeting the one-third target will require (if you oversimplify a bit) about 17,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity. Let’s assume that California will get half of that capacity from solar and half from wind. Most of its large-scale solar electricity production will presumably come from projects like the $2 billion Ivanpah solar plant, which is now under construction in the Mojave Desert in southern California. When completed, Ivanpah, which aims to provide 370 megawatts of solar generation capacity, will cover 3,600 acres — about five and a half square miles. The math is simple: to have 8,500 megawatts of solar capacity, California would need at least 23 projects the size of Ivanpah, covering about 129 square miles, an area more than five times as large as Manhattan. While there’s plenty of land in the Mojave, projects as big as Ivanpah raise environmental concerns. In April, the federal Bureau of Land Management ordered a halt to construction on part of the facility out of concern for the desert tortoise, which is protected under the Endangered Species Act. Wind energy projects require even more land. The Roscoe wind farm in Texas, which has a capacity of 781.5 megawatts, covers about 154 square miles. Again, the math is straightforward: to have 8,500 megawatts of wind generation capacity, California would likely need to set aside an area equivalent to more than 70 Manhattans. Apart from the impact on the environment itself, few if any people could live on the land because of the noise (and the infrasound, which is inaudible to most humans but potentially harmful) produced by the turbines. Industrial solar and wind projects also require long swaths of land for power lines. Last year, despite opposition from environmental groups, San Diego Gas & Electric started construction on the 117-mile Sunrise Powerlink, which will carry electricity from solar, wind and geothermal projects located in Imperial County, Calif., to customers in and around San Diego. In January, environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit to prevent the $1.9 billion line from cutting through a nearby national forest. Not all environmentalists ignore renewable energy’s land requirements. The Nature Conservancy has coined the term “energy sprawl” to describe it. Unfortunately, energy sprawl is only one of the ways that renewable energy makes heavy demands on natural resources. Consider the massive quantities of steel required for wind projects. The production and transportation of steel are both expensive and energy-intensive, and installing a single wind turbine requires about 200 tons of it. Many turbines have capacities of 3 or 4 megawatts, so you can assume that each megawatt of wind capacity requires roughly 50 tons of steel. By contrast, a typical natural gas turbine can produce nearly 43 megawatts while weighing only 9 tons. Thus, each megawatt of capacity requires less than a quarter of a ton of steel. Obviously these are ballpark figures, but however you crunch the numbers, the takeaway is the same: the amount of steel needed to generate a given amount of electricity from a wind turbine is greater by several orders of magnitude. Such profligate use of resources is the antithesis of the environmental ideal. Nearly four decades ago, the economist E. F. Schumacher distilled the essence of environmental protection down to three words: “Small is beautiful.” In the rush to do something — anything — to deal with the intractable problem of greenhouse gas emissions, environmental groups and policy makers have determined that renewable energy is the answer. But in doing so they’ve tossed Schumacher’s dictum into the ditch. All energy and power systems exact a toll. If we are to take Schumacher’s phrase to heart while also reducing the rate of growth of greenhouse gas emissions, we must exploit the low-carbon energy sources — natural gas and, yes, nuclear — that have smaller footprints. Robert Bryce, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, is the author, most recently, of “Power Hungry: The Myths of ‘Green’ Energy and the Real Fuels of the Future.” ------------------------------------ Working since 1967 for the conservation and wise management of West Virginia's natural resourcesYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: WVHCBOARD-digest(a)yahoogroups.com WVHCBOARD-fullfeatured(a)yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: WVHCBOARD-unsubscribe(a)yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

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Fw: Re: renewable energy output
by Jim Sconyers 09 Jun '11

09 Jun '11

Sweet news! Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Jane W. <japlapoo(a)NETZERO.NET> To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Sent: Thu, June 9, 2011 5:37:40 PM Subject: Fw: Re: renewable energy output Just passing along... ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- From: Buffalo Bruce <buffalobruce1(a)GMAIL.COM> To: NE-FORUM(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Subject: Re: renewable energy output Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2011 11:39:42 -0700 For those of you who may not have heard yet, Renewable Energy production now exceeds that of Nuclear Power in the U.S. U.S. Renewable Energy Now 11.6% of Domestic Energy Production, Exceeding Nuclear Power: U.S. Energy Information Administration, May 26, 2011 http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/index.cfm In its latest "Monthly Energy Review," the EIA reports that for the first two months of 2011, renewable energy sources (i.e., biomass/biofuels, geothermal, solar, water, wind) accounted for 11.6% of domestic energy production - compared to 10.7% for the same period in 2010. Moreover, the combined energy output from all renewable energy sources exceeded that of nuclear power. The latter actually declined by 0.2% from 2010. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the NE-FORUM list, send any message to: NE-FORUM-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp

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Fwd: WV-SORO Action Alert: Energy Panel Needs to Hear from You
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 09 Jun '11

09 Jun '11

-------- Original Message -------- Subject: WV-SORO Action Alert: Energy Panel Needs to Hear from You Date: Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:05:27 -0400 From: Julie Archer <julie(a)wvsoro.org> Organization: WV-SORO To: undisclosed-recipients:; /An action alert from our friends at the Oil and Gas Accountability Project <http://www.earthworksaction.org/oil_and_gas.cfm>: / *U.S. Department of Energy to hear from citizens of the Marcellus Shale ~ Share your knowledge and tell your story! * *Monday, June 13, 2011 7:00pm -- 9:00 pm (sign up to speak begins at 6:30 pm) Washington Jefferson College 60 South Lincoln Street, Washington PA* In May, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced the establishment of the Energy Advisory Board Natural Gas Subcommittee on Fracking Issues to make recommendations on improving the "safety and environmental performance" of hydraulic fracturing in shale formations. It's very positive that this critical issue is being investigated at the federal level. But many organizations and citizens loudly voiced concern that many of the Subcommittee's members are closely tied to the oil and gas industry, that no one directly impacted by shale gas development was included, and that meetings were only being held in Washington, DC, far from the areas already damaged by drilling. Thanks to this outcry, the Subcommittee just announced it will hold a meeting in Washington, PA, next week. / _Members need to hear from people whose water, property, and health have been impacted by gas drilling, and they need to be told why current industry practices and regulations are not nearly enough to protect our communities._/ */This meeting is open to the public but space is limited and comments will be limited to two minutes. Those wishing to speak should arrive early to sign up. /* *If you can't make it there in person or have more information to share, you can submit a written statement and other documentation to:* Renee Stone U.S. Department of Energy 1000 Independence Avenue, SW Washington D.C. 20585 or by email to: shalegas(a)hq.doe.gov. *For more information see:* /New York Times/ article: Energy Dept. Panel to Revise Standards for Gas Extraction, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/07/science/earth/07frack.html?_r=2&hpw Natural Gas Subcommittee on Fracking Issues website: www.shalegas.energy.gov OGAP Press release on the make-up of the Subcommittee: http://earthworksaction.org/PR_DOE-fracking-panel.cfm -- Julie Archer WV Surface Owners' Rights Organization 1500 Dixie Street Charleston, WV 25311 (304) 346-5891 (304) 346-8981 FAX www.wvsoro.org

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Fwd: "Stop the Fracking in Morgantown Industrial Park" sent you a message on Facebook...
by James Kotcon 09 Jun '11

09 Jun '11

Check out the attached to see a summary of what is happening in Morgantown. JBK

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Fw: EPA Webinar June 15 - Guidance Development on Permitting the Use of Diesel Fuels in Hydraulic Fracturing
by Jim Sconyers 07 Jun '11

07 Jun '11

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: "fracturing_hydraulic(a)epamail.epa.gov" <fracturing_hydraulic(a)epamail.epa.gov> Sent: Mon, June 6, 2011 3:08:17 PM Subject: EPA Webinar June 15 - Guidance Development on Permitting the Use of Diesel Fuels in Hydraulic Fracturing You are receiving this information because you opted to be informed of activities related to hydraulic fracturing when registering for hearings on EPA's draft study plan in summer and fall 2010. EPA is hosting a public informational webinar on June 15, 2011, from 2:00 - 5:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time, to discuss and to solicit input on a guidance the Agency is developing to assist the Underground Injection Control Program in issuing permits for the use of diesel fuels in oil and gas hydraulic fracturing. The webinar is open to the public, and all interested stakeholders are invited to attend. Stakeholders interested in attending the webinar are invited to pre-register at this website, https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/854776506, at least three (3) days in advance. Pre-registering for the meeting will allow EPA to improve meeting planning. The webinar will begin with a presentation by the EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water on the Underground Injection Control program and possible approaches the Agency may recommend in a guidance for permitting the use of diesel fuels in hydraulic fracturing activities related to oil and natural gas extraction. EPA will answer questions and take comments submitted by webinar attendees for the remainder of the webinar. Persons who are successfully registered for the webinar via the website, https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/854776506, may (1) submit questions and comments to EPA during the online registration process and during the webinar, or (2) submit written comments to hydraulic.fracturing(a)epa.gov by June 29, 2011. Due to time limits, EPA may not be able to answer every question submitted during the registration process and during the webinar. Persons wishing to contribute written comments to EPA regarding the development of permitting guidance for oil and gas hydraulic fracturing activities using diesel fuels may also send written comments to hydraulic.fracturing(a)epa.gov with the words "Diesel Fuels Guidance Comments" in the subject line by June 29, 2011. EPA will not provide individual responses to written comments received by email. For more information and registration link, please see http://www.epa.gov/hydraulicfracturing. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Please respond to hydraulic.fracturing(a)epa.gov. For more information on the EPA activities related to hydraulic fracturing, please see http://epa.gov/hydraulicfracturing. To report non-emergency suspicious activity related to oil and gas activity, please call the EPA Eyes on Drilling toll-free tipline at 1-877-919-4EPA or send email to eyesondrilling(a)epa.gov.

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Marcellus Fw: Perfectly safe
by Jim Sconyers 07 Jun '11

07 Jun '11

A perfect example of what can go so wrong. Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Don Sauter <dtsauter(a)frontiernet.net> To: Susan Sauter <stsauter(a)frontiernet.net>; Sandra Fallon <sfallon3(a)comcast.net>; Rick Sanders <Ridewva(a)aol.com>; Jim Sconyers <jim_scon(a)yahoo.com> Sent: Mon, June 6, 2011 9:43:02 PM Subject: Perfectly safe http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11156/1151527-503.stm

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Fw: Maryland Moratorium
by Jim Sconyers 07 Jun '11

07 Jun '11

Awesome news. Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Don Sauter <dtsauter(a)frontiernet.net> To: Susan Sauter <stsauter(a)frontiernet.net> Cc: Jim Sconyers <jim_scon(a)yahoo.com>; Sandra Fallon <sfallon3(a)comcast.net>; John (wnpb) Nakashima <jnakashima(a)wvpubcast.org>; Nadine Grabania <greenacres(a)deepcreekcellars.com>; Kay & Bill Miller <kaybill(a)frontiernet.net>; Janine Breyel <jbreyel(a)gmail.com>; Kathy Evans <EvansKnob(a)aol.com>; larj <larj(a)frontiernet.net>; Rick Sanders <Ridewva(a)aol.com>; TV <HopZo(a)verizon.net> Sent: Mon, June 6, 2011 9:39:49 PM Subject: Maryland Moratorium Today the Governor of Maryland signed an executive order placing a moratorium on all Marcellus Shale drilling. It is very strict and requires (among other things) the industry to establish a plan of how they will pay for any damage created by the process. Hopefully the papers will have the full story tomorrow. Maryland's governor only has one first name. Don

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Permit Party June 21 - learning opportunity.
by James Kotcon 07 Jun '11

07 Jun '11

Many facilities need various environmental permits to operate, and these almost always must go through a "public comment" process. But how do you develop useful comments that will actually improve environmental protection? Join us as we review the Coresco fly ash permit and develop comments for the WV Chapter of Sierra Club. See the various parts of the permit, learn to decipher the jargon, identify gaps, and spot weaknesses. Good comments provide the basis for all future appeals and activity, and we need more people able to help draft these comments. You can be the critical link in the environmental protection process. (Desserts welcome). Tuesday, June 21. 6:30 PM home of Jim Kotcon & Candice Elliott 414 Tyrone Avery Road Morgantown, WV 26506 Directions: >From I-68 Exit 7, go North 1.0 mile on Rt 857. Turn Right onto Tyrone Avery Road and go 1.0 mile. Look for 4 mailboxes on the right, ours is the second from the end. Turn right up the gravel driveway and come to the second house on the right tan 2-story. Call 304-594-3322 for directions. Jim Kotcon

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NYTimes.com: U.K. Company Suspends Controversial Drilling Procedure
by william.depaulo＠gmail.com 04 Jun '11

04 Jun '11

This page was sent to you by: william.depaulo(a)gmail.com. BUSINESS DAY | June 02, 2011 U.K. Company Suspends Controversial Drilling Procedure By DAVID JOLLY Cuadrilla acted after two small earthquakes occurred near a test well in Lancashire, England, where the company was using fracking to explore for natural gas. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/02/business/global/02fracking.html?emc=eta1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS E-MAIL This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service. For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help(a)nytimes.com. NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 Copyright 2011 The New York Times Company

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Fwd: Rapid Response LTEs, RSVP for Health Effects call
by Paul Wilson 03 Jun '11

03 Jun '11

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sierra Club Activist Network <community.manager(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 11:37 AM Subject: Rapid Response LTEs, RSVP for Health Effects call To: pjgrunt(a)gmail.com Paul, you have a group bulletin from *Hydrofracking Team<http://connect.sierraclub.org/Team/Hydrofracking_Team> *. *Visit Hydrofracking Team.<http://connect.sierraclub.org/Team/Hydrofracking_Team> * Message: When news stories on fracking appear, but you can't find the right words to respond, it can help to have a template to start from. When you want to write your representative about a bill, it helps to have a template outlining some key points. The Rapid Response Project<http://connect.sierraclub.org/project/Hydrofracking_Rapid_Response>'s *collaboration space* is a place to find templates and to add your own for others to use. It also has a *blog* to post articles that need attention, forwarding, praise, or critical response. Join the Rapid Response Project<http://connect.sierraclub.org/project/Hydrofracking_Rapid_Response> to be a first responder, and help keep fracking front and center in the news, on the web, and on the desks of our representatives. Thank you! ------------------------------ *Visit Hydrofracking Team.<http://connect.sierraclub.org/Team/Hydrofracking_Team> * ------------------------------ Reply? Or other thoughts? If you have questions about the bulletin CONTENT, please visit the group's page and leave a comment<http://connect.sierraclub.org/Team/Hydrofracking_Team>, or contact the group owner. *Technical Issues?* Please reply to this message (or email community.manager(a)sierraclub.org) if you have questions or problems with the bulletin itself. If you want to stop getting email, you can either leave (unjoin) or set your email preferences<http://connect.sierraclub.org/editor/app/group/managegroupmembership.aspx?O…> . -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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nonpartisan independent research: Headwaters Economics
by Paul Wilson 03 Jun '11

03 Jun '11

This site looks like it might be of value on energy issues. check out the home page article on Fossil Fuel Extraction and Western Economies. fyi, paul http://headwaterseconomics.org/ -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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Fwd: [MVCAC] Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF)
by James Kotcon 03 Jun '11

03 Jun '11

You're gonna love this. I especially like the line that says corporations in violation of the prohibition shall not have legal status as "persons". Unfortunately, the US Constitution and the US Supreme Court still trump a City Ordinance, but it would give the lawyers something to do. See attachment. JBK >>> <Duane330(a)aol.com> 6/2/2011 11:53 PM >>> The Concerned Citizens for Safe Air and Water were formed by Kathy Cash, Sandra Fallon, Alice Meehan, Ann Payne, Catherine Tall out of concern for the Marcellus shale drilling permits at the Morgantown Industrial Park. They organized a large meeting at the Morgantown High School on Friday night, May 20th. The attendees divided up into 5 committees – one of which was the legal committee chaired by Kitty Lozier and Duane Nichols. I was unable to attend the meeting at MHS. The legal committee was interested in finding out how the cities of Pittsburgh, Buffalo and other locations had adopted their bans against shale gas extraction. They learned that the technical assistance had been provided to each of these city councils by the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund. The program director responsible for the ban ordinances was Ben Price. Price was familiar with the Wellsburg ordinance and has been working with the Pocahontas County citizens in WV as well. Kitty and Duane were able to set up a conference call with Ben Price and with the some of the rest of the committee members at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 26. The legal committee asked Jenny Selin and me to join them because of our council activity in support of the resolutions that I drafted before the previous City Council Meeting on May 17. During the first conference call Price offered to draft an ordinance and to come to Morgantown to speak in its support. The committee members on the call were pleased with his offer. Nichols offered to coordinate the arrangements. A second call was set up for May 27 at 4 p.m. in which I was unable to participate. Late Thursday afternoon I did, however, call the City Manager and asked him to place the consideration of an ordinance “protecting public health, public safety and public welfare” on the agenda for the May 31 Committee Of The Whole Meeting – even though at that time (because Chambersburg services being disabled by the violent storm earlier Thursday), we had not yet received a copy of the draft. The first draft became available for the 4 p.m. Friday call. I received my draft about 8 p.m. that evening when I returned home (May 27). On Saturday a.m. I made several calls (which were difficult to complete due to the holiday weekend), and then called Price back on Monday (May 30) noon with some recommended changes and corrections that had been suggested by different persons. I received a copy of the revised draft that would be presented at the meeting by Councilor Selin late Monday evening. All of this push was deemed necessary because of the state of the drilling plans and preparation on the drill site across the Mon river. Waiting a month until the June COW made no sense at all to anyone on the committee. I was unable to contact Mayor Byrne throughout the weekend and finally after consultations with Councilor Selin did sent out the copy of the proposed ordinance to the full Council at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning. I did not consult with the City Manager before sending out the material to the Council. But copies of the email and the ordinance were sent to Terrance Moore and Jeff Mikorski simultaneously with the 9 a.m. Council mailing. The names of the persons on the original conference call on May 26 were as follows: Kitty Lozier, League of Women Voters Jenny Selin, City Council Member Don Spencer, City Council Member and Deputy Mayor until June 30 Linda Shuster, Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition Robert Bastress, Professor, WVU College of Law Evan Hansen, Environmental Consultant, Downstream Technologies Duane Nichols, Monongahela Area Watersheds Compact Members of the legal committee of the Concerned Citizens for Safe Air and Water hosted Price and paid for his travel and lodging from Chambersburg, PA. Don Spencer, Morgantown City Council >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> THE DRAFT ORDINANCE, ATTACHED, WAS INTRODUCED TO CITY COUNCIL IN THE "COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE" THIS PAST TUESDAY. AFTER EXTENDED DISCUSSION IT WAS "FORWARDED TO RESEARCH" RATHER THAN BEING "FORWARDED TO THE AGENDA FOR THE UPCOMING COUNCIL MEETING ON JUNE 7TH. THREE OTHER RESOLUTIONS HAVING TO DO WITH THE MARCELLUS DRILLING WERE "FORWARDED TO THE AGENDA" FOR THE JUNE 7TH MEETING, ONE OF WHICH WAS A BAN ON DRILLING WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS AND EXTENDING OUT ONE MILE PATTERNED AFTER THE WELLSBURG (wv) BAN ON SUCH DRILLING. Mayor Bill Byrne says that the CELDF ordinance (attached) has a very weak legal foundation, and is no consistent with State law. Ben Price of the CELDF says that the Wellsburg ban has a weak foundation and can be easily overturned in the future. We shall see if anything gets done in future City Council meetings.

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Drilling along Dunkard Creek
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 28 May '11

28 May '11

Anyone remember the Dunkard Creek debacle? Now Northeast Natural Energy, the same inexperienced company that is now drilling 3000 feet from Morgantown's water source, is going to be drilling in that watershed, too. http://www.dailymail.com/ap/ApTopStories/201105280432 -Jonathan

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fracking for OIL
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 28 May '11

28 May '11

Shale Boom in Texas Could Increase U.S. Oil Output Michael Stravato for The New York Times By CLIFFORD KRAUSS<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/clifford_kraus…> Published: May 27, 2011 ose<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/28/business/energy-environment/28shale.html?…> CATARINA, Tex. — Until last year, the 17-mile stretch of road between this forsaken South Texas village and the county seat of Carrizo Springs Now the region is in the hottest new oil<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/energy-environment/oil-petroleu…>play in the country, with giant oil terminals and sprawling RV parks replacing fields of mesquite. More than a dozen companies plan to drill up to 3,000 wells around here in the next 12 months. The Texas field, known as the Eagle Ford, is just one of about 20 new onshore oil fields that advocates say could collectively increase the nation’s oil output by 25 percent within a decade — without the dangers of drilling in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico or the delicate coastal areas off Alaska. There is only one catch: the oil from the Eagle Ford and similar fields of tightly packed rock can be extracted only by using hydraulic fracturing, a method that uses a high-pressure mix of water, sand and hazardous chemicals to blast through the rocks to release the oil inside. The technique, also called fracking, has been widely used in the last decade to unlock vast new fields of natural gas<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/energy-environment/natural-gas/…>, but drillers only recently figured out how to release large quantities of oil, which flows less easily through rock than gas. As evidence mounts that fracking poses risks to water supplies, the federal government and regulators in various states are considering tighter regulations on it. The oil industry says any environmental concerns are far outweighed by the economic benefits of pumping previously inaccessible oil from fields that could collectively hold two or three times as much oil as Prudhoe Bay, the Alaskan field that was the last great onshore discovery. The companies estimate that the boom will create more than two million new jobs, directly or indirectly, and bring tens of billions of dollars to the states where the fields are located, which include traditional oil sites like Texas and Oklahoma, industrial stalwarts like Ohio and Michigan and even farm states like Kansas. “It’s the one thing we have seen in our adult lives that could take us away from imported oil,” said Aubrey McClendon, chief executive of Chesapeake Energy, one of the most aggressive drillers. “What if we have found three of the world’s biggest oil fields in the last three years right here in the U.S.? How transformative could that be for the U.S. economy?” The oil rush is already transforming this impoverished area of Texas near the Mexican border, doubling real estate values in the last year and filling restaurants and hotels. “That’s oil money,” said Bert Bell, a truck company manager, pointing to the new pickup truck he bought for his wife after making $525,000 leasing mineral rights around his family’s mobile home. “Oil money just makes life easier.” Based on the industry’s plans, shale and other “tight rock” fields that now produce about half a million barrels of oil a day will produce up to three million barrels daily by 2020, according to IHS CERA, an energy research firm. Oil companies are investing an estimated $25 billion this year to drill 5,000 new oil wells in tight rock fields, according to Raoul LeBlanc, a senior director at PFC Energy, a consulting firm. “This is very big and it’s coming on very fast,” said Daniel Yergin, the chairman of IHS CERA. “This is like adding another Venezuela or Kuwait by 2020, except these tight oil fields are in the United States.” In the most developed shale field, the Bakken field in North Dakota, production has leaped to 400,000 barrels a day today from a trickle four years ago. Experts say it could produce as much as a million barrels a day by the end of the decade. The Eagle Ford, where the first well was drilled only three years ago, is already producing more than 100,000 barrels a day and could reach 420,000 by 2015, almost as much as Ecuador, according to Bentek Energy, a consultancy. Multimedia Slide Show <http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/05/29/business/energy-environment/fra…> Fracking Raises Hope for an Onshore Oil Rush<http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/05/29/business/energy-environment/fra…> What makes the new fields more remarkable is that they were thought to be virtually valueless only five years ago. “Everyone said the oil molecules are too large to flow in commercial quantities through these low-quality rocks,” said Mark G. Papa, chief executive of EOG Resources. EOG began quietly buying the rights to thousands of acres in the Bakken and Eagle Ford after an EOG engineer concluded that the techniques used to extract natural gas from shale — fracking, combined with drilling horizontally through layers of rocks — could be used for oil. Chesapeake and a few other independents quickly followed. Now the biggest multinational oil companies, as well as Chinese and Norwegian firms, are investing billions of dollars in the fields. The new drilling makes economic sense as long as oil prices remain above $60 a barrel, according to oil companies. At current oil prices of about $100 a barrel, shale wells can typically turn a profit within eight months — three times faster than many traditional wells. But water remains a key issue. In addition to possible contamination of surface and underground water from fracking fluids, the sheer volume of water required poses challenges, especially in South Texas, which faces a severe drought and rapidly diminishing water levels in the local aquifer. At the rate wells are being drilled, “there’s definitely going to be a problem,” said Bay Laxson, a local water official. Dave Thompson, regional production superintendent for the oil company SM Energy said the industry knew that water issues were “an Achilles heel.” He said his company was building a system to reuse water in the field. But unlike Pennsylvania and New York, where fracking for natural gas has produced organized opposition, the oil industry has been mostly welcomed in western and southern states. Thanks to the drilling boom, the recession<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/r/recession_an…>bypassed North Dakota entirely. Here in Dimmit County, Tex., the unemployment rate has fallen in half, and sales tax receipts are up 70 percent so far this year, allowing the county to hire more police officers and buy sanitation and road repair equipment. “In my lifetime, this is the biggest thing I’ve ever seen,” said Jose Gonzalez, 78, a retired teacher and son of migrant farm workers, who leased mineral rights to Chesapeake for $27,000 and sold another plot for $100,000 to a company building an RV park for oil workers. “You can see I’m happy.”

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Fw: Coal ash song for WV Siera Club
by Jim Sconyers 27 May '11

27 May '11

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: tom neilson <tomneilsonmusic(a)yahoo.com> To: jim_scon(a)yahoo.com; heatherheilman(a)yahoo.com; fooce(a)hotmail.com; gwenjones23(a)yahoo.com; freesource(a)cheat.org; sallywilts(a)yahoo.com; fyoung(a)mountain.net; ginelson(a)hughes.net; bhaddaka(a)gmail.com; jkotcon(a)wvu.edu; mdavis(a)wvu.edu; paynestake(a)verizon.net; ATDK(a)aol.com; shirley.rosenbaum(a)gmail.com; mooshy17(a)yahoo.com; blittle(a)citynet.net; djsoeder(a)yahoo.com; reginahendrix999(a)gmail.com; pjgrunt(a)gmail.com; celliot2(a)comcast.net; gregg(a)wvwc.edu; bill.price(a)sierraclub.org; michael.costello(a)wvwild.org Sent: Fri, May 27, 2011 2:15:12 PM Subject: Coal ash song for WV Siera Club WV Sierra Club Friends, My Biomess song (previously sent to you) about the proposed power plant aka wood incinerator in Greenfield has been picked as a Finalist and is awaiting deliberation by Sonic Bids judges for Music of the Earth 2011 Song of the Year. Now my coal ash song about the spill in Harriman, TN is one of 5 Finalists that has been nominated for Song of the Year for Social Action by Independent Musicians Awards. This is the second year in a row that I am a Finalist with IMA. Last year’s song was about the cancers at the nuclear weapons plant in Paducah, KY. There are 2 winners. One has already been picked by IMA. The public is being asked to vote for the other. Can you please circulate among your state chapters and other contacts? It is great publicity for both the issue of MTR and for all the groups working to protect our air, water, mountains and those who live therein. Thx for taking the time to do this. If you want to hear the songs and participate in the voting, go to http://www.independentmusicawards.com/imanominee/10th/Song/Social-Action Please share with anyone who might want to hear the music or be able to use it in their work. best, Tom 413-774-2411

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Fwd: TransGas says construction starts mid-summer
by James Kotcon 26 May '11

26 May '11

" Victor ... said TransGas has received commitments for a first portion of financing through private placement -- sale to one or a few large institutional investors -- and it's enough to begin construction by mid-summer. " See full articles below. JBK THE STATE JOURNAL: TransGas Development Systems of New York broke ground May 9 on the Adams Fork facility it has been preparing to build in Mingo County since December 2008. By Pam Kasey Back in 2007 and 2008, conventional wisdom said investors needed two conditions to feel comfortable backing the conversion of coal to liquid transportation fuels in the U.S. First, a sustained high price for oil -- above, say, $50/barrel. The price was that high at the time and, after a big dip during the recession, is that high again. That dip underscores the second, more fundamental condition: Assurance that, if the price of oil drops below a threshold, there still will be a market for the more expensive coal-to-liquid, or CTL, fuels. A favorite approach to that assurance was long-term purchase commitments by the Department of Defense -- an arrangement that would both establish a large market for the nascent industry and forestall any OPEC price manipulation to nip the industry in the bud. DoD commitments have not materialized. Nor have any other large institutional purchase commitments. Nor has a single commercial-scale CTL plant. Yet, TransGas Development Systems LLC of New York, the only company still in the running among several that have proposed CTL plants in West Virginia, broke ground May 9 on the Adams Fork facility it has been preparing to build in Mingo County since December 2008. What makes TransGas think they can make a go of it? Difficult Conditions The CTL industry in the U.S. has been trying to get its start under difficult conditions, according to Julie Dawoodjee, a spokeswoman for synthetic fuels developer Rentech Inc. In 2006, Rentech proposed the first CTL project in West Virginia. Since then, it has shelved that project but has other synthetic fuels projects under way. Oil price volatility challenges both investors and potential customers, she said. "Whenever crude reaches a high, suddenly everyone's interested in alternative energy. But then it's too late -- it's a four-to-five-year plan to get a plant producing," she said. "When crude comes down, everyone forgets, and that's when you should be building." Also making developers think twice is environmental interests' track record at holding up or stopping projects that have a coal component, she said. And, yes, government support has been lacking, she added, including long-term DoD contracts. However, Dawoodjee did say DoD contracts are not the only route to viability. "It would be very helpful if the government was interested and had the ability to sign these long-term off-take agreements," she said. "But there are other customers interested in long-term purchases." TransGas' Business Model "I've always taken issue with the people that were looking to get projects financed through an off-take agreement -- by getting a long-term contract with, say, the Defense Department," said TransGas Manager Adam Victor. It's an old model, he said, typical for building a power plant: Buy, for example, natural gas under long-term contracts at a certain price, and secure long-term power purchase agreements to sell it as electricity for, maybe, twice that price. "But in coal-to-liquids, the commodity price that you pay for coal is significantly less as a percentage of the revenue that you get from gasoline than what it would be when you buy natural gas and sell it as electricity," he said. There's plenty of cushion, he seems to feel. "The break-even price of oil for this project is between $45 and $50" per barrel, he said -- half of today's price, and a price that oil has dipped below for only about a month in the past six years. "That's when you're buying coal in the ground at today's current price of about $50/ton delivered." Victor expects to sell the fuel on the spot market and do a "back-to-back hedge," he said. "It's like if you have a floating rate on your mortgage but you don't want a floating rate, you go and enter into a hedge, a long-term swap and you get a fixed rate on your mortgage," he explained. "Same concept, but with fuel." Financing Victor's confidence seems to have convinced investors, in spite of last year's bankruptcy of an energy company he developed. Although he does not give out specifics, he said TransGas has received commitments for a first portion of financing through private placement -- sale to one or a few large institutional investors -- and it's enough to begin construction by mid-summer. To simplify the financing, the state Economic Development Authority in April authorized the potential issuance of up to $3 billion in industrial revenue bonds, or IRBs. The bonds are not tax exempt and will not implicate the EDA or any state body in the event of default, according to Brian Helmick, a lawyer with Spilman, Thomas & Battle, which serves as TransGas's bond counsel to the EDA. But the bonds simplify financing in that, while no single lender or investor would put up $3 billion, Helmick said, TransGas could, say, find five banks willing to lend. "Instead of doing five loan agreements, they could do it through one IRB structure, and each bank would buy a bond that represents its portion of the debt -- that's a simpler way to put the debt together," he explained. The bonds can be issued to bondholders at different times. In the event of default, Helmick said, the bondholders are liable or, if the bonds are insured, the insurer. Typically, although details haven't been worked out, title is pledged to the bondholders, who could take the project over just as a bank forecloses when a mortgage goes into arrears. DoD, Climate Change and Deficit Congress is considering legislation now that would extended the DoD's multi-year contract authority, according to Carol Raulston, spokeswoman for the National Mining Association. However, as currently configured, the Adams Fork plant would not be able to sell to the DoD. The 2007 energy bill prevents the government from purchasing motor fuels that will contribute more to climate change than do conventional motor fuels. CTL produces more greenhouse gases than petroleum-based fuels, and this plant will not store its carbon dioxide emissions. Victor said he believes storing CO2 underground is dangerous, citing a 1987 mudslide in Cameroon that released volcanically generated CO2 that suffocated 1,700 people. If the government requires the CO2 to be stored away, he said, he would most like to send it to the Gulf of Mexico for enhanced oil recovery, to help increase oil well yields. But, he said, he will follow the law and the cost will not hurt his competitiveness because capturing the CO2 is an integral part of his process, whereas crude oil refineries will need large capital investments to make that capture. TransGas's output would represent slightly more than 2 percent of imported gasoline, according to Victor, and enough similar plants could make the country a gasoline exporter and pay down the trade deficit. "I think this is a game changer and important for people to rally around, for us to show it can be done here in West Virginia and then throughout the country," he said. Proposed W.Va. Coal-to-Liquid Plant Proceeds as Other Companies Hold Off on Similar Projects Posted Wednesday, May 25, 2011 ; 04:36 PM Updated Wednesday, May 25, 2011; 05:30 PM No commercial coal-to-liquid plants currently exist in U.S. By PAM KASEY and JIM ROSS pkasey(a)statejournal.com jross(a)statejournal.com With TransGas Development Systems LLC expecting to begin construction on its Adams Fork coal-to-liquids plant in Mingo County in a few weeks, it seems fair to ask: Why isn't anyone else doing this? For all the talk over the years of the need to develop liquid fuels from coal, and for all the statements by political leaders that coal-to-liquids is a bright opportunity for West Virginia, the idea just hasn't caught on with the people who would invest the time and money in siting, designing, building and operating such plants. Synthetic fuels developer Rentech Inc. of Los Angeles, Calif., which at one time considered a coal-to-liquids, or CTL, project in Mingo County, shelved its project for now. "It just kind of naturally evolved to the point where both parties (Rentech and the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority) felt there wasn't a project there at this time," said spokeswoman Julie Dawoodjee. "Energy is such a dynamic industry that you never know when a project can be resurrected, but that's not an active opportunity for us at this time." The company has one project under way for producing alternative liquid transportation fuels: its Gulf Coast Synthetic Energy Center at Natchez, Miss. As initially planned, that project would have used coal as its feedstock. "The difficult macro-economic and regulatory environments have made seeking financing for such a design challenging," according to the company's website. "Rentech is evaluating alternative configurations that could make the Natchez Project more feasible in the near term." Dawoodjee said the company is considering other feedstocks. "That could use coal or could use some other type of fossil feedstock including natural gas," she said. "We even sit in an area where we have the opportunity to use petcoke (a refinery byproduct) or biomass." West Virginia University chemical engineer Elliot Kennel noted the new abundance and affordability of natural gas for producing domestic liquid transportation fuels in a conversation last month with The State Journal. His laboratory developed a process for liquefying coal directly through dissolution. The process that TransGas would use is "indirect" in that it first gasifies the coal -- performing an energy-intensive industrial process to make a synthetic gas similar to natural gas -- then liquefies it. "There are going to be questions asked about why you want to gasify coal given the current low price of natural gas," Kennel said, not of TransGas specifically but of CTL in general. "Natural gas itself as a feedstock looks tough to compete against economically in North America." And, of course, the electric industry lately has turned to natural gas over coal for new plants. One example of that is in Meigs County, Ohio, where American Municipal Power planned to build a new coal-fired power plant a few miles down the Ohio River from Ravenswood, W.Va. Construction workers and others were looking forward to such a large project. As with most large-scale coal projects, though, that project was challenged by several groups on environmental and economic grounds. Eventually, AMP bought an existing gas-fired plant and abandoned its coal plans. American Electric Power had considered sites in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky for new power plants using the integrated gasification combined cycle, or IGCC, technology that converts coal to gas. But those plans have fallen by the wayside. "The proposed IGCC plant in West Virginia would have been in the rate base for Appalachian Power, which meant the plant required rate-recovery approval from both West Virginia and Virginia. West Virginia provided approval. Virginia denied it," said Pat Hemlepp, director of corporate media relations for AEP. "The proposed IGCC plant in Ohio ended up tangled in litigation. The Ohio Consumers Counsel and others challenged the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's authority to approve new generation under the current Ohio rules. The Supreme Court remanded the decision to the PUCO. It's still there... "The economic downturn has delayed the need for new generation. And the changing energy dynamics caused by the abundance of shale gas, combined with the variety of pending EPA regulations that target coal-fueled generation, has made natural gas the likely fuel of choice for new generation." It all adds up to one basic fact: Should TransGas build its facility in Mingo County, it would be unique in the United States. "There are no commercial coal-to-liquid plants in the U.S right now," Nicholas Paduano, a coal analyst with the Energy Information Administration, said in an e-mail to The State Journal when asked whether any such plants are in operation. "There is one commercial coal-to-gas plant operating in the U.S. in North Dakota. It uses North Dakota lignite coal to produce pipeline-quality synthetic gas. "There are plans right now in Illinois and Indiana to build coal-to-gas plants. The Air Force did have a coal-to-liquids project to produce fuel for aircraft, but plans for building a full-scale operation in Montana were scrapped about two years ago. West Virginia had approved a CTL project a few years ago before the recession. Consol Energy had planned to build a CTL plant in West Virginia, but that got scrapped in late 2008 after the credit crunch and drop in oil prices." Nevertheless, TransGas Manager Adam Victor is confident. "Everybody has been waiting for the government to fund these things, and I think that's been a waste of time," he said. Asked what he thinks is the reason no commercial-scale CTL plant has yet been built, he pointed to the nation's social capital over any lack of investment capital. "We have simply failed to educate people into the maths and sciences," he said. "Whether political, financial, legal -- we are not giving a rigorous enough technical education to people. We are not producing the engineers who would say, 'Of course we can do this.'"

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Fw: BACKGROUND: PEV News
by Jim Sconyers 25 May '11

25 May '11

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Edward Mainland <emainland(a)COMCAST.NET> To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Sent: Tue, May 24, 2011 2:32:42 PM Subject: BACKGROUND: PEV News http://www.environmentalleader.com/2011/05/20/fleet-briefing-ge-to-open-ve-… May 20, 2011 Fleet Briefing: GM to Open VE Plant; 60% Would Consider a PEV; New Steel Cuts Life-Cycle Emissions by 70% General Motors broke ground Tuesday for the $269.5 million addition to the facility housing its two-mode hybrid and heavy duty transmission operations. The electric motor plant near Baltimore will be the first by a major U.S. automaker dedicated to making the components for vehicle electrification, and is slated to open in 2013. The campus will be powered in part by a 1.23 megawatt rooftop solar array by Constellation Energy, expected to generate nine percent of its annual energy consumption and save approximately $330,000 during the life of the project. Constellation Energy will build, own and maintain the solar power system, and GM will purchase all of the electricity generated by the solar panels under a 20-year power purchase agreement, the company reported. The majority of consumers would consider buying a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) for their next car purchase, according to a global study, Plug-in Electric Vehicles: Changing Perceptions, Hedging Bets, from Accenture. However, consumer preferences for charging PEVs could increase the cost and complexity of managing the electricity grid and charging infrastructure, Accenture said. 60 percent of consumers would consider buying a PEV for their next car purchase. 68 percent would “probably” or “certainly” do so within the next three years. Respondents in China are by far the most enthusiastic, 96 percent of them probably or certainly considering a purchase in the next three years, according to the findings. Consumers’ preferences for charging PEVs, however, could challenge utilities and charging service providers by increasing grid congestion and peak time electricity demand. Two thirds of the survey’s 7,000 respondents are not willing to let charge-point operators limit when they can charge their PEV. A further 20 percent would only accept limits if they fell within time periods they had chosen. Additionally, 62 percent are not keen on the concept of battery swapping, where empty batteries are quickly replaced at service stations for fully charged ones, preferring to plug in their car to recharge their own battery. This could limit the opportunity for charging off peak, when battery swapping companies would most likely refuel batteries, Accenture said. Consumers would also need more supportive charging infrastructure in order to adopt fully electric PEVs. Only 29 percent of car drivers would buy fully electric PEVs. 71 percent would prefer plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs), which also run on gasoline / diesel if the battery gets low. 85 percent say fully electric PEVs have insufficient battery range to cover their daily driving needs, the study found. The successful launch of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) depends greatly on the deployment of a robust residential and commercial network of charging equipment, according to the findings of the “Pike Pulse Report: Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment” from Pike Research. This market is in its infancy with many companies selling their product for less than five years, but the competition in this sector is set to intensify. The report evaluates electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) suppliers and rates them on 12 criteria for strategy and execution, including go-to-market strategy, product portfolio, partnerships, innovation, reach, market share, pricing, and staying power. According to Pike, two EVSE vendors are early standouts: Coulomb Technologies and ECOtality. Coulomb attained the highest overall score in the Pike Pulse report due to the company’s successful technology partnerships, global sales network, and extensive product portfolio. ECOtality is assessed as second. ECOtality’s contract to provide equipment to the federally funded EV Project, which it is also managing for the U.S. Department of Energy, is driving the majority of the company’s sales, and ECOtality likewise has formed extensive partnerships and has a strong product portfolio./ span> Rounding out the top ten are Elektromotive, AeroVironment, General Electric, Siemens, Eaton, Leviton, ClipperCreek and GoSmart, the company reported. The Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), in collaboration with WorldAutoSteel, has released results of a three-year program to develop steel-intensive designs for electrified vehicles that reduce greenhouse gas emissions over their entire life cycle. The FutureSteelVehicle (FSV) program features steel body structure designs that reduce mass by more than 35 percent over a benchmark vehicle, and reduce total life cycle emissions by nearly 70 percent. This is accomplished while meeting a broad list of global crash and durability requirements, enabling 5-star safety ratings and avoiding high-cost penalties for mass reduction, according to the groups’ statement. The FSV program developed optimized advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) body structures for four proposed 2015 to 2020 model-year vehicles: battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV-20) for A-/B-Class vehicles; and plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV-40) and fuel cell (FCV) for C-/D-Class vehicles. The FSV concepts are efficient and lightweight. FSV’s BEV concept weighs 188 kg and reduces mass by more than 35 percent over a baseline internal combustion engine body structure adjusted for a battery electric powertrain and 2020 regulatory requirements. FSV’s A-/B-Class PHEV20 vehicle weighs 175 kg, and the larger C-/D-Class vehicle versions weigh 201 kg. The FSV portfolio of advanced steel and steel technologies, including more than 20 new AHSS grades of materials, are expected to be commercially available in 2015 to 2020. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

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West Virginia rated last in development of clean energy
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 23 May '11

23 May '11

CLICK<http://www.energybiz.com/article/11/05/wva-last-clean-energy-leadership?utm…> -- William V. DePaulo, Esq. 179 Summers Street, Suite 232 Charleston, WV 25301-2163 Tel 304-342-5588 Fax 304-342-5505 william.depaulo(a)gmail.com www.passeggiata.com

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Fw: Please Call Your Senators and Ask them to REFRAIN from Signing a Bad Coal Ash Letter Being Circulated
by Jim Sconyers 20 May '11

20 May '11

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Lisa N. Widawsky <lwidawsky(a)environmentalintegrity.org> To: "COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG" <COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG> Cc: grassroots <grassroots(a)environmentalintegrity.org> Sent: Fri, May 20, 2011 11:34:22 AM Subject: Please Call Your Senators and Ask them to REFRAIN from Signing a Bad Coal Ash Letter Being Circulated Coal Ash Allies – Thank you to the 102 groups that quickly signed on to our letter asking Senators to stand up for human health and the environment by STAYING OFF the anti-Subtitle C letter being circulated by Senators Conrad and Enzi (see attached). The Conrad-Enzi letter asks President Obama for weak coal ash protections, but we all know that Subtitle C is the most protective option for human health and the environment because it would require basic, common-sense protections for our communities. Now, we need you all to CALL YOUR SENATORS’ offices and say: “On behalf of our members and supporters, please ask the Senator to REFRAIN from signing the Conrad-Enzi coal ash letter asking President Obama for weak coal ash protections.” You can find your Senators’ phone numbers here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm. After you do, please reply to let me know which offices you called and how they responded. Thanks again for continuing to fight for safe communities and a healthy environment! Sincerely, Lisa Widawsky Attorney Environmental Integrity Project 1 Thomas Circle, Suite 900 Washington, DC 20005 202.263.4452 (direct) 202.296.8822 (fax) The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any use of this information other than by the intended recipient is prohibited. If you receive this message in error, please send a reply e-mail to the sender and delete the material from any and all computers. Unintended transmissions shall not constitute waiver of the attorney-client or any other privilege.

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Fwd: Register today for the Sportsmen Marcellus Shale Summit, June 4
by Paul Wilson 20 May '11

20 May '11

Dam! I am already booked for June 4 tabling event! But this looks quite good. fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Katy Dunlap, Trout Unlimited <trout(a)tu.org> Date: Fri, May 20, 2011 at 9:02 AM Subject: Register today for the Sportsmen Marcellus Shale Summit, June 4 To: "Paul Wilson, Jr." <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> [image: Trout Unlimited] <http://www.tu.org> Saturday, June 4th, 2011 University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown Campus In the heart of the Marcellus Shale region, sportsmen and women, and conservation groups are working together to identify and propose solutions to mitigate the impacts from gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing on hunting, fishing and trapping experiences. *REGISTER TODAY.<http://www.tu.org/conservation/eastern-conservation/marcellus-shale-project…> * *Learn more about the Sportsmen Alliance for Marcellus Conservation efforts and listen to experts in the field, along with sportsmen and women with first-hand experience, discuss the following topics*: - Potential impacts of Marcellus Shale gas development on wildlife, coldwater fisheries, and habitat and forest ecosystems; - Impacts of Marcellus Shale gas development on the outdoors experience; - Lessons from oil & gas development in the West; - What you can do as an individual outdoorsmen; and - How sportsmen and women interests can be protected through policies and best management practices that protect fish, wildlife and the outdoors experience. To register and to learn more about the program, visit * www.sportsmenalliance.org. <http://www.sportsmenalliance.org>* *Brought to you by:* *The Sportsmen Alliance for Marcellus Conservation* * ------------------------------ *Over 84 cents from every dollar contributed to TU goes directly into conservation programs. You have received this message because this email address is associated with a Trout Unlimited membership record. To remove yourself from future TU National notice emails, click on the first unsubscribe link below. To stop receiving all email communications from TU National, including appeals, action alerts and the quarterly e-newsletter, click on the second link below. All other inquiries may be directed to trout(a)tu.org or 1-800-834-2419. Please note TU Member Services staff will be unable to handle inquiries for several days due to a database upgrade. Trout Unlimited 1300 N. 17th Street, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22209 © 2011 Trout Unlimited Remove yourself from this mailing<http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=enJKLQMkF5JDIYK&s=djKPK9NQJdJULcOPKtF&m=hkK…> . Remove yourself from all mailings from Trout Unlimited<http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=hqLQIZNwH8IKK8J&s=djKPK9NQJdJULcOPKtF&m=hkK…> . -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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on gas oil oil drilling: “Your authority goes as far as nobody challenges it,”
by Frank Young 19 May '11

19 May '11

BlankEven the Mayor and the Utility Board of Morgantown presumed that there is public notice of oil and gas drilling permit applications. But no; such permits are routinely issued, and without any public notice whatsoever. http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=99726 “We are very accustomed to public comment opportunities being provided and public input being solicited when water and wastewater systems are concerned,” Ball told The State Journal on May 10. “It’s a natural part of our world and it is quite surprising to us that those opportunities do not exist in the permitting of oil and gas wells.” Morgantown Mayor William Byrne said the lack of public notification put the city “behind the eight ball.” Huffman acknowledged that public notice is required for all other permits DEP issues and that it would be a good idea for oil and gas wells too, but said he doesn’t know if he has the authority. “Your authority goes as far as nobody challenges it,” he said. “But the Legislature has made a requirement that there be public notification of mining permits and water permits, but not on oil and gas permits,” he continued. “Just because I might think today that it’s the right thing to do, it’s not the public policy of the state to do that, so I think it’s better addressed by the Legislature.”

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Fw: Fwd: Here it comes! A Nonviolent Action Workshop
by Jim Sconyers 18 May '11

18 May '11

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Ann Payne <Paynestake(a)frontier.com> To: Jim Sconyers <jim_scon(a)yahoo.com> Sent: Wed, May 18, 2011 2:09:20 PM Subject: Fwd: Here it comes! A Nonviolent Action Workshop FYI - I forwarded this to my list. Begin forwarded message: > > >The stars are indeed aligned. A Nonviolent Action Workshop will be held here in >Morgantown on this coming Sunday! Must register! Please read on. > > >Ann > > > >Begin forwarded message: > >> >> >>Hi Friends and Concerned Citizens! >>A spur of the moment-planned event. Somehow the stars aligned for us to have a >>nonviolence trainer friend staying with us this weekend.. Could you please share >>this with your communities, especially those looking for responses to the Shale >>Drilling... >> >> >>Introduction to Nonviolent Action >>Sunday, May 22nd 7-9pm >>Morgantown Church of the Brethren/Mennonite Church USA >>464 Virginia Ave. >> >>This workshop will lay the foundation of nonviolence and direct action, >>including opportunities for role play and practice responding nonviolently >>in situations of civil disobedience. Bob Gross, facilitator, is a nonviolence >>educator and Executive Director of On Earth Peace. >> >>For more information contact Carrie at 304-292-0711, ceikler(a)morgantowncob.org >>Please RSVP so we can adequately prepare our facilitator >> >> >>-- >>Carrie A. Eikler >>co-pastor >>Morgantown Church of the Brethren, Mennonite Church USA >>304-292-5616 >>www.morgantowncob.org >> >>"Even when we don't desire it, God is ripening." Rainer Maria Rilke >> >> >> >>-- >>Carrie A. Eikler >>co-pastor >>Morgantown Church of the Brethren, Mennonite Church USA >>304-292-5616 >>www.morgantowncob.org >> >>"Even when we don't desire it, God is ripening." Rainer Maria Rilke >> >> >

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Fwd: a bit of news
by James Kotcon 18 May '11

18 May '11

>>> Vickie Wolfe <ibtreehugger(a)gmail.com> 5/18/2011 1:04 PM >>> In case you haven't already heard, Stephanie Timmermeyer has taken a job with Chesapeake Energy's Eastern Division, in "Regulatory Affairs." -- ```````````````````````````````````````````````````` Vickie L. Wolfe PHONE: (304) 744-8777 E-MAIL: IBTreehugger(a)gmail.com ```````````````````````````````````````````````````` "It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save our environment." -Ansel Adams

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Marcellus driller fined record $1.1M
by Frank Young 18 May '11

18 May '11

BlankOne would think that after more than 100 years, the drilling industry could get it right. Are there reasons other than carelessness on the part of drilling crews that this could happen? According to the consent agreement signed on Monday, the DEP investigated at least seven instances of methane migration that contaminated 16 residential water wells in Bradford County last year. The DEP blamed improper cement casings of Chesapeake gas wells for allowing the natural gas to seep into drinking water supplies. . http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20110517_Marcellus_driller_fined_reco…

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Rally - Morgantown Water Threat from Gas Drilling
by Jim Sconyers 16 May '11

16 May '11

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: "dfvet(a)aol.com" <dfvet(a)aol.com> To: jkotcon(a)wvu.edu; wyro(a)appalight.com; fmoose39(a)hotmail.com; karen.grubb(a)fairmontstate.edu; jim_scon(a)yahoo.com; blittle(a)citynet.net; heatherheilman(a)yahoo.com; nicolegood.wv(a)gmail.com Sent: Sun, May 15, 2011 10:08:09 AM Subject: Fwd: May 18: URGENT CALL TO ACTION!! DRINKING WATER AT RISK!! -----Original Message----- From: Kathleen Cash <cashkathy(a)gmail.com> To: Ann Payne <paynestake(a)frontier.com> Sent: Sun, May 15, 2011 9:01 am Subject: May 18: URGENT CALL TO ACTION!! DRINKING WATER AT RISK!! We’ve Heard from the Drillers, Now Let YOURVoice be Heard!! Marcellus Gas Drilling is Scheduled to Begin in Morgantown Industrial Park Upstream of Morgantown’s Drinking Water Plant Near County Schools PLEASE COMEto a Community-wide Rally to Express YOUR Concerns and Questions WHERE: Mon County Courthouse Square. High Street, Downtown Morgantown WHEN: Wednesday, May 18, 10:00 to Noon Bring Your Kids and Bring a Sign (G-rated) Please forward this announcement to your friends, family and neighbors. For your information: Morgantown Utility Board’s letters to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection stating its concerns are attached and can be downloaded from the Charleston Gazette blog: http://blogs.wvgazette.com/watchdog/2011/05/13/morgantown-utility-board-see… Organized by concerned Morgantown area citizens: Kathy Cash, Sharon Goodman, Ann Payne, Marc Glass, Catherine Tall, Sandra Fallon, Cindy O'Brien

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Rally Time - change back
by Jim Sconyers 16 May '11

16 May '11

Sorry folks - rally is still at 10:00 AM to Noon on Wednesday. Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ________________________________ From: Jim Sconyers <jim_scon(a)yahoo.com> To: ec(a)osenergy.org; Dave & Robin Barnett <atwoodwv(a)gmail.com>; Steve Benson <mrbenson(a)frontiernet.net>; David Brisell <dbrisell(a)mindspring.com>; Jeremy Cooper <jeremybcooper(a)gmail.com>; Brad Durst <bdurst(a)wvca.us>; Sam Dyke <irisatfarm(a)hotmail.com>; Sandra Fallon <sfallon3(a)comcast.net>; Lawrence Fraley <lfraley(a)citilink.net>; Becky Friend <enlowb(a)yahoo.com>; Dee Fulton <dfvet(a)aol.com>; Kathy Furbee <kf3(a)hotmail.com>; Nicole Good <nicolegood.wv(a)gmail.com>; Leejay Graffious <lejay(a)frontiernet.net>; Evan Hansen <ehansen(a)downstreamstrategies.com>; Dave Houser <houserr(a)labyrinth.net>; Gordon Keyes <gkeyes(a)hsc.wvu.edu>; Lew & Carolyn McDaniel <lewmcdan(a)hrea.coop>; Connie Miller <calm9654(a)gmail.com>; Amanda Pitzer <amanda(a)cheat.org>; Steven Runfola <stevenrunfola(a)yahoo.com>; Susan & Don Sauter <stsauter(a)frontiernet.net>; Jim Sconyers <jim_scon(a)yahoo.com>; Rob Seese <vgseese(a)gmail.com>; Rachel and Frank Stevens <fstevens4(a)aol.com>; Mary Kay Stiles <stilesm(a)frontiernet.net>; Martha Summers <msummers(a)hsc.wvu.edu>; Bill Thorne <anglerbill(a)access.mountain.net>; Martin Tingley <riverwaker(a)gmail.com>; Sarah Veselka <sarah(a)deckerscreek.org>; Charlie & Sandy Walbridge <ccwalbridge(a)cs.com>; Sally Wilts <sallywilts(a)yahoo.com>; Carolyn Wotring <itsgranny(a)gmail.com> Sent: Mon, May 16, 2011 12:14:01 PM Subject: Fw: [EC] Fwd: [FODC] Morgantown Rally Time Changed, Now from Noon to 1 PM Note time change of Wed rally. Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Jonathan Rosenbaum <freesource(a)cheat.org> To: Energy Committee <ec(a)osenergy.org>; Kitty Lozier <clozier(a)gmail.com>; Aira Loren Burkhart <airaloren(a)gmail.com>; Deb Fulton <dfvet(a)aol.com>; Cindy O'Brien <cobandyo(a)frontier.com> Sent: Mon, May 16, 2011 11:59:49 AM Subject: [EC] Fwd: [FODC] Morgantown Rally Time Changed, Now from Noon to 1 PM Is this time change correct? -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [FODC] Morgantown Rally Time Changed, Now from Noon to 1 PM Date: Mon, 16 May 2011 11:53:37 -0400 From: Sarah Veselka <sarah(a)DECKERSCREEK.ORG> Reply-To: Sarah Veselka <sarah(a)DECKERSCREEK.ORG> To: FODC-L(a)LISTSERV.WVNET.EDU Marcellus Gas Drilling is Scheduled to Begin in Morgantown Industrial Park Upstream of Morgantown’s Drinking Water Plant Near County Schools The Morgantown Utility Board has Expressed Concerns and Requested Additional Safeguards to the WVDEP PLEASE COMEto a Community-wide Rally to Express YOUR Concerns and Questions WHERE: Mon County Courthouse Square. High Street, Downtown Morgantown WHEN: Wednesday, May 18, Noon to 1 PM Bring Your Kids and Bring a Sign (G-rated) Please forward this announcement to your friends, family and neighbors. For your information: Morgantown Utility Board’s letters to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection stating its concerns can be downloaded from the Charleston Gazette blog: http://blogs.wvgazette.com/watchdog/2011/05/13/morgantown-utility-board-see… Organized by concerned Morgantown area citizens: Kathy Cash, Sharon Goodman, Marc Glass, Catherine Tall, Sandra Fallon, Cindy O'Brien

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Fw: Fwd: [FODC] Morgantown Rally Time Changed, Now from Noon to 1 PM
by Jim Sconyers 16 May '11

16 May '11

Note time change of Wed rally. Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Jonathan Rosenbaum <freesource(a)cheat.org> To: Energy Committee <ec(a)osenergy.org>; Kitty Lozier <clozier(a)gmail.com>; Aira Loren Burkhart <airaloren(a)gmail.com>; Deb Fulton <dfvet(a)aol.com>; Cindy O'Brien <cobandyo(a)frontier.com> Sent: Mon, May 16, 2011 11:59:49 AM Subject: [EC] Fwd: [FODC] Morgantown Rally Time Changed, Now from Noon to 1 PM Is this time change correct? -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [FODC] Morgantown Rally Time Changed, Now from Noon to 1 PM Date: Mon, 16 May 2011 11:53:37 -0400 From: Sarah Veselka <sarah(a)DECKERSCREEK.ORG> Reply-To: Sarah Veselka <sarah(a)DECKERSCREEK.ORG> To: FODC-L(a)LISTSERV.WVNET.EDU Marcellus Gas Drilling is Scheduled to Begin in Morgantown Industrial Park Upstream of Morgantown’s Drinking Water Plant Near County Schools The Morgantown Utility Board has Expressed Concerns and Requested Additional Safeguards to the WVDEP PLEASE COMEto a Community-wide Rally to Express YOUR Concerns and Questions WHERE: Mon County Courthouse Square. High Street, Downtown Morgantown WHEN: Wednesday, May 18, Noon to 1 PM Bring Your Kids and Bring a Sign (G-rated) Please forward this announcement to your friends, family and neighbors. For your information: Morgantown Utility Board’s letters to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection stating its concerns can be downloaded from the Charleston Gazette blog: http://blogs.wvgazette.com/watchdog/2011/05/13/morgantown-utility-board-see… Organized by concerned Morgantown area citizens: Kathy Cash, Sharon Goodman, Marc Glass, Catherine Tall, Sandra Fallon, Cindy O'Brien _______________________________________________ EC mailing list EC(a)osenergy.org http://osenergy.org/mailman/listinfo/ec

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Fwd: [FODC] Morgantown Rally Time Changed, Now from Noon to 1 PM
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 16 May '11

16 May '11

Is this time change correct? -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [FODC] Morgantown Rally Time Changed, Now from Noon to 1 PM Date: Mon, 16 May 2011 11:53:37 -0400 From: Sarah Veselka <sarah(a)DECKERSCREEK.ORG> Reply-To: Sarah Veselka <sarah(a)DECKERSCREEK.ORG> To: FODC-L(a)LISTSERV.WVNET.EDU *Marcellus Gas Drilling is Scheduled to Begin in * *Morgantown Industrial Park* *Upstream of Morgantown’s Drinking Water Plant* *Near County Schools* ** *The Morgantown Utility Board has Expressed Concerns and* *Requested Additional Safeguards to the WVDEP* *PLEASE COME*to a Community-wide Rally to Express *YOUR *Concerns and Questions *WHERE*:Mon County Courthouse Square. High Street, Downtown Morgantown *WHEN*:Wednesday, May 18, Noon to 1 PM *Bring Your Kids and Bring a Sign (G-rated)* Please forward this announcement to your friends, family and neighbors. For your information:Morgantown Utility Board’s letters to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection stating its concerns can be downloaded from the Charleston Gazette blog: /http://blogs.wvgazette.com/watchdog/2011/05/13/morgantown-utility-board-seeks-drilling-safeguards/ Organized by concerned Morgantown area citizens: Kathy Cash, Sharon Goodman, Marc Glass, Catherine Tall, Sandra Fallon, Cindy O'Brien

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Drilling this Monday - MUB's reaction
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 14 May '11

14 May '11

http://blogs.wvgazette.com/watchdog/2011/05/13/morgantown-utility-board-see… -Jonathan

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FW: [MarcellusGasInfo] Fwd: Announcement: Extractive Industry Accountability Project Conference, May 23-25, 2011
by Beth Little 13 May '11

13 May '11

Pretty poor notice on this. The main reason I am forwarding it is to point up how much is going on. From: marcellusgasinfo(a)googlegroups.com [mailto:marcellusgasinfo@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of J Sent: Friday, May 13, 2011 3:41 PM To: grassrootsVSgas; Shaleshock(a)yahoogroups.com; MarcellusGasInfo Subject: [MarcellusGasInfo] Fwd: Announcement: Extractive Industry Accountability Project Conference, May 23-25, 2011 And another movement networking opportunity. I can't make it there, but if anyone is able to head to DC and represent Marcellus region that'd be great! See below for info ~Julian ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <jim(a)oei-dc.org> Date: Mon, May 9, 2011 at 10:38 PM Subject: Announcement: Extractive Industry Accountability Project Conference, May 23-25, 2011 To: Press Climate Camp <press(a)climatecamp.org.uk>, Sac <sacsustainaction(a)gmail.com>, RQIC <rqic(a)ciso.qc.ca>, S Weigel <sweigel(a)sonoraninstitute.org>, Erika <erika(a)equit.org.br>, Esr <esr41(a)verizon.net>, Powder River <resources(a)powderriverbasin.org>, Nal <nalu(a)sof.org.br>, Native Movement <nativemovement(a)gmail.com>, NC Warn <ncwarn(a)ncwarn.org>, NCI <info(a)ncipl.org>, NEC <rwhkc(a)earthlink.net>, Sonoran Institute <sonoran(a)sonoraninstitute.org>, WV Rivers Coalition <wvrivers(a)wvrivers.org>, UMD <umdvolunteerhouse(a)gmail.com>, Western Colorado Congress <info(a)wccongress.org>, Pblase <pblasenheim(a)gmail.com>, Nirsnet <nirsnet(a)nirs.org>, Northern Plains <info(a)northernplains.org>, Northern Rockies Rising Tide <northernrockiesrisingtide(a)riseup.net>, Mary <Maryo(a)nirs.org>, Matt <matt(a)energyjustice.net>, MEP <info(a)mepartnership.org>, Mississippi <mississippi(a)climateaction.net>, MM <mm2222ut(a)aol.com>, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness <info(a)friends-bwca.org>, GBF <gbf(a)greatbear.org>, GCM <info(a)gcmonitor.org>, GRIP <grip(a)gilaresources.info>, Greater Yellow <gyc(a)greateryellowstone.org>, Groundwater Awareness Leauge <contact(a)g-a-l.info>, Hurricane Creek Keeper <hccreekkeeper(a)gmail.com>, Info WNC <info(a)wncpsr.org>, Jel <jelosegui(a)gmail.com>, Parras <parras.juan(a)gmail.com>, julian <Julian(a)risingtidenorthamerica.org>, Julie <julie(a)wnca.org>, Justin <justin(a)actnh.org>, JW <jwfarm(a)centurytel.net>, Kat <katuarkonada(a)gmail.com>, Lorax <lorax(a)riseup.net>, WK <wkatzfishman(a)igc.org>, Rafael <rberrocal(a)prensa.com>, Ramsey <ramsey(a)miningwatch.ca>, RANTWIN <rantwincities(a)riseup.net>, Regenwald <info(a)regenwald.org>, Resource Renew <rrenew.collective(a)riseup.net>, Rising Tide Bay Area <risingtidebayarea(a)gmail.com>, Rising Tide NA <contact(a)risingtidenorthamerica.org>, Rising Tide NT <risingtident(a)riseup.net>, Rootforce <rootforce(a)riseup.net>, Montana Environ Info <meic(a)meic.org>, Montana LR <info(a)mtlandreliance.org>, Wise <wiseamster(a)antenna.nl>, MWF <mwf(a)mtwf.org>, Sarah <sarah(a)voiceforthewild.org>, Stop Cliffside <info(a)stopcliffside.org>, WW4report <feedback(a)ww4report.com>, amy.anderson(a)oei-dc.org <mailto:amy..anderson@oei-dc.org> , jim(a)oei-dc.org, maginfo(a)blacksmithinstitute.org, Press CC <press(a)commoncause.org>, pblasenh <pblasenheim(a)riseup.net>, Save the Front <info(a)savethefront.net>, Smart <smartgrowth(a)mcn.net>, NRDC <nrdcaction(a)nrdc.org>, Loretta <Loretta(a)oglala.org>, Louisiana <louisiana(a)climateaction.net>, Lovely Goat <lovelygoatplantmedicine(a)riseup.net>, Manolan <manolan(a)uvm.edu>, Mario <mariociid@gmail..com <mailto:mariociid@gmail.com> >, "Marion Inst." <info(a)marioninstitute.org>, "Wild West Inst." <info(a)wildwestinstitute.org>, ORA <info(a)oregonrural.org>, Survival International <info.usa(a)survivalinternational.org>, Proletariat <proletariat04(a)gmail.com>, Stop Suits <stopthesuitscoalition(a)gmail.com>, Student Environmental AC <nationalcouncil(a)seac.org>, Pas <pasalavoz(a)movimientos.org>, OD <od(a)riseup.net>, Peaceful Uprising <info(a)peacefuluprising.org>, Philadelphia Rising Tide <phillyrisingtide(a)riseup.net>, Pollinators <pollinators(a)beehivecollective.org>, Powder River <info(a)powderriverbasin.org> Hemispheric Social Alliance / Rising Tide Mexico/ Natural Resources Project Management / Alliance for Responsible Trade / Our Earth Institute International Extractive Industry Accountability Conference May 23-25, 2011 George Washington University Washington, DC Our Earth Institute, along with it's partners, proudly presents the first "International Extractive Industry Accountability Conference" at the George Washington University in Washington, DC on May 23 - 25, 2011. The primary goal of this Conference will be to develop and implement an effective International Strategy to hold Extractive Industries accountable for the consequences of their actions and to force them to change. The conference will have several components. First, we will be holding Working Groups that will take steps to form a strategy to unite the anti-extraction groups in the United States, Central and South America, and Northern Europe to function as a united front. We will create an action plan that will allow our movement to have a more effective impact. Tentative topics include: . Creating a dynamic and interactive international union of anti-extraction organizations, which can share resources, speak with one voice, and effectively foster positive change. . Forcing extractive corporations to reimburse communities and people for any damage done to the environment, health and livelihoods of individuals, and to make them responsible for cleaning up and repairing any damage they have done. . Convincing investors in extractive industry companies to divest themselves of these assets if the corporations do not adopt safer and more fair extraction practices. . Persuading the U.S. and other nations to pass legislation requiring extractive companies to use "best practices" and to abide by domestic and U.N. treaties and standards, even when operating overseas. . Developing a "certification" system--similar to the Fair Trade label--to inform the public of the extent to which a company lives up to being environmentally healthy and socially fair. . Creating a strategy to protect Indigenous People's Land Rights, Livelihoods, and Health. Second, there will be a series of Workshops addressing topics such as: creating a successful anti-extraction campaign, ballot initiatives, effective activist strategies, fundraising, working with the media, lobbying and working with legislators, and effective public speaking on environmental issues. Lastly, the third day of the Conference will be devoted to actually Working on Capital Hill to lobby U.S. Senators and Representatives, and officials at the U.S. Bureau of Mines. It is our hope the Conference will be the first step in forming a dynamic and resilient international network that will make each individual anti-extraction group stronger, more effective, and better prepared to deal with this important battle that is getting more contentious each day. Please Join Us! Event Calendar Monday / May 23 Welcome Session 9:00am Working Groups 10:00am Lunch 12:30 - 1:30pm Working Groups 1:30 - 6:00pm Social Gathering 6:30pm Tuesday / May 24 Working Groups 9:00am - 12:30pm Lunch 12:30 - 1:30pm Workshops 1:30 - 5:30pm Summary Session 5:30 - 6:30pm Social Gathering 7:00pm Wednesday / May 25 Legislative and Government Office Visits * We suggest that you schedule your own appointment with your Senator, Representative or Mining Official at least 60 days in advance. If you need help with this scheduling we will be happy to assist. Please contact Abygale at Abygale.Lund(a)oei-dc.org Event Registration To Register for the Conference Registration Continues through: May 23, 2011 By Email: Send your and your organization's name, mailing address, email address, and telephone number to Abygale.Lund(a)oei-dc.org. Please submit your registration fee by clicking on the PayPal/Donate button on the Home Page of Our Earth Institute at www.oei-dc.org. You will receive an email confirmation of your registration and payment. By Regular Mail: Send your and your organization's name, mailing address, email address, telephone number, and a check or money order made out to "Our Earth Institute" to: Our Earth Institute 4410 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., #174 Washington, DC 20016 USA Registration Rates If you have special circumstance that do not allow you to pay, contact Abygale.Lund(a)oei-dc.org Individual rates: (USD) . Working Attendees: $40 . Low-income seniors/college students/partially employed: $30 . International Attendees: $10 Organization rates: Two individuals from your organization are allowed for this fee. (USD) . Organizations: $80 Workshop Proposals You must be registered for the conference to submit a workshop. Workshops are limited to 45-50 minutes. Proposals are due by: May 16, 2011. Please submit your proposals to jim(a)oei-dc.org Posters & Tabling There will be space provided for registered organizations to present a poster and to accommodate organizational outreach materials. Space is limited and the deadline for requests is May 18, 2011. There is no charge for tabling. Contact us if your want to table: jim(a)oei-dc.org <mailto:jim@oei-dc..org> Accommodations Affordable hotels and alternative housing are being arranged as we speak. Please consult future publications on the conference for this information. Sponsorships If you or your organization would like to be a sponsor of the event, please contact Jim Polk at jim(a)oei-dc.org Sponsorships include registration for up to four individuals from your organization and registration to give a workshop, as well as special recognition in the program. Venue The event will be held at the Cloyd Heck Marvin Center 800 21st Street Northwest, Washington D.C., at the George Washington University, which is three blocks east of the Foggy Bottom / GWU Metro Stop on the Orange/Blue line. Directions to The George Washington University Campus Cloyd Heck Marvin Center and University Conferences 800 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052 By Plane . If you are traveling by plane and flying directly into Ronald Reagan National Airport, you can reach the campus by taxi, which will cost approximately $15. You can also reach campus by taking the Metro Blue Line (heading in the direction of Largo Town Center). Exit at the stop marked Foggy Bottom - GWU. . If you are flying into Dulles International Airport, you can take the Washington Flyer Shuttle Bus to downtown Washington. Tickets can be purchased at the airport. You may also take a taxi directly form the airport. By Train If you are traveling by train, you will arrive at Union Station and can take a taxi for the approximate cost of $10. You can also take the Metro Red Line (heading toward Shady Grove). When you reach the Metro Center stop, transfer to the Blue Line (heading toward Franconia-Springfield) or the Orange Line (heading towards Vienna). Exit at the stop marked Foggy Bottom-GWU. By METRO/ Public Transit If you are traveling by Metro to campus, exit at the stop marked Foggy Bottom/GWU. As you exit the station, you will be at 23rd and I Streets. By Car . From North Interstate 95 south to Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) toward Silver Spring/Northern Virginia. Take exit 33, heading south on Connecticut Avenue for about 9 miles. Turn right onto Florida Avenue (just past the Washington Hilton) and turn left immediately onto 21st Street. The Marvin Center is located at 800 21st Street (between H and Eye Streets). . From Northwest Interstate 270 to Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) toward Silver Spring. Take exit 33, heading south on Connecticut Avenue for about 9 miles. Follow directions as given in From North. . From West Interstate 66 and Route 50 both connect with the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge. Cross the bridge and exit left at E Street, then again at Virginia Avenue. Bear left, following signs for 23rd Street. Turn right on 23rd 1Street and continue a few blocks to campus. Turn right on H Street. The Marvin Center is on your left between 22nd and 21st Streets. . >From South Interstate 95 to Interstate 395 Arlington Memorial Bridge exit. Cross the bridge and bear left at the Lincoln Memorial. Turn left onto 23rd Street, NW, and follow directions as given in From West. Parking The Marvin Center Garage operates from 7am - midnight Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends. Make sure you have your car out by 11:45pm. A visitor's parking garage is located between 23rd and 22nd Streets and H and Eye Streets. The visitor entrance is on Eye Street. Parking on campus is at a premium and visitors are encouraged to use public transportation when visiting the campus. The nearest METRO stop, Foggy Bottom/GWU located on the Orange/Blue lines, is a short 3-block walk from the Marvin Center. Any Questions whatsoever, call: Jim Polk 202-257-9333 or Abygale Lund 860-304-9789 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MarcellusGasInfo" group. To post to this group, send email to marcellusgasinfo(a)googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to marcellusgasinfo+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/marcellusgasinfo?hl=en This listserv is managed and owned by the Binghamton Regional Sustainabiliy Coalition (BRSC) For our email list policy, visit For BRSC email list policy, visit http://groups.google.com/group/marcellusgasinfo/files _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1375 / Virus Database: 1500/3635 - Release Date: 05/13/11

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Fw: Financial Times: France to ban fracking of fossil fuels
by Jim Sconyers 12 May '11

12 May '11

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Peter Gollon <PGollon(a)AOL.COM> To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Sent: Thu, May 12, 2011 1:14:22 PM Subject: Financial Times: France to ban fracking of fossil fuels France to ban fracking of fossil fuels By Peggy Hollinger in Paris Published: May 11 2011 22:39 | Last updated: May 11 2011 23:06 French lawmakers have voted to ban a controversial technique used to extract shale gas and oil that opponents say contaminates the environment. If the vote by the lower house of parliament passes the Senate next month, France will be the first country to ban hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. The process injects water, chemicals and sand into rock formations to break them open and extract previously unattainable fossil fuel deposits. Please respect FT.com's ts&cs and copyright policywhich allow you to: share links; copy content for personal use; & redistribute limited extracts. Email ftsales.support(a)ft.com to buy additional rights or use this link to reference the article - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/907fd72c-7c06-11e0-9b16-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1M9… The overwhelming vote by the National Assembly follows months of protest across France against a technique that environmentalists say threatens to pollute the water table. Many were outraged at the beginning of the year when it was discovered that several exploration permits had been granted without public consultation. The issue has become highly political as the government prepares for a difficult presidential campaign next year. Far from claiming victory, environmentalists and opposition Socialists accused the government of yielding to industry lobbying, because last-minute amendments to the draft law will allow scientific research to be conducted on shale gas and oil and its environmental impact, albeit under the control of state entities. The government will deliver an annual report to parliament on the conditions of this research, the first due by the end of the year. France relies on nuclear power for most of its electricity, but the Fukushima disaster has encouraged interest in other energy sources. The government has found itself caught between the possibility of exploiting new energy sources and addressing public concern over the environmental consequences. A report by the industry ministry recommended that test wells be drilled as it would be “damaging for the economy and for jobs for our country to forbid itself a deeper evaluation of this potential wealth”. Industry sources said they were relieved that the law had not revoked the permits already granted. A study published this week by scientists at Duke University in North Carolina found no sign that fracking chemicals were polluting the water supply, but there was evidence that gas was leaking from shale wells into drinking water, creating an explosion risk. A report by the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security last week found that Europe could cover its energy needs for the next 60 years if it was able to develop its unconventional gas resources. Nonetheless the French oil companies association Union Francaise des Industries Petrolieres said it “strongly regrets” the ban. Assuming the bill is not significantly changed when it is debated in the upper house next month, companies will have to deliver a report on the techniques they plan to use to explore for fossil fuels. If these techniques include hydraulic fracking, their permits will be cancelled. If they fail to report the use of the banned technology and are found to be using it, executives could face a €75,000 ($107,000) fine and prison sentences. Additional reporting by Ed Crooks in New York Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2011. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/907fd72c-7c06-11e0-9b16-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1M1… - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

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Fwd: wowza - this is interesting commentary on the power industry's PR needs
by James Kotcon 11 May '11

11 May '11

Is this for real? JBK >>> West Virginia News Service WVNS <wvnsnews(a)gmail.com> 5/10/2011 2:24 PM >>> This is brilliant. ------------------------------ *From:* send23-proxymailing(a)peabodyusa.com [mailto: send23-proxymailing(a)peabodyusa.com] *On Behalf Of *Peabody Energy *Sent:* Tuesday, May 10, 2011 7:50 AM *To:* *Subject:* Peabody Announces "Coal Cares," Nationwide Campaign to Fight Asthma Stigma *Peabody** Energy (NYSE: BTU) Announces "Coal Cares™" Initiative, New Nationwide Campaign Against Stigma of Childhood Asthma* ST. LOUIS, May 10, 2011 / PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Peabody Energy today announced the creation of an innovative new public health initiative designed to combat the stigma of asthma among American children ages 0-18. With Coal Cares™ (www.coalcares.org), Peabody will offer free, custom-branded inhaler actuators <http://coalcares.org/freeinhalers.html> to children living within 200 miles of a coal plant, along with coupons worth $10 towards the purchase of the asthma medication itself. "Too many young Americans face daily schoolyard taunting and bullying because of a condition over which they have no control," said Gregory H. Boyce, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Peabody Energy. "By re-branding the inhaler as a cool, individualized, must-have accessory, Coal Cares™ will empower children to tell bullies: ‘suck it up.’" Children can choose from a variety of youth-themed inhaler cases, from tween faves like "the Bieber" and "My Little Pony," to the "Emo" and "Diamond" inhalers for older, style-conscious youth. There’s even "My First Inhaler," for tots. Coal Cares™ launches today in commemoration of Asthma Awareness Month<http://www.epa.gov/asthma/awm/>, the Environmental Protection Agency’s effort to call attention to rising asthma rates<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/health/research/04asthma.html?_r=3>, especially among children. Coal Cares™ and its Puff-Puff™ line of inhalers is the first, and most ambitious, market-friendly public health initiative of this scope of any privately-owned American company, and testifies to the energy industry’s commitment to the well-being of all citizens, including the youngest. "Our actions are guided by a singular mission: to be a leading worldwide producer and supplier of balanced energy solutions, which power economic prosperity and well-being," said Boyce. "Coal Cares™ brings this mission to life, empowering children everywhere to take control of their destinies, beginning with their own lungs." "Coal Cares™ is emblematic of the return to self-reliance that healthy entrepreneurship demands," said James Miasmus, Vice President of Government Affairs at Peabody USA. "Costly ‘scrubbing’ technology, on the other hand, is an untested and heavy-handed intrusion into our still-vulnerable economy. At Peabody, we're thinking globally but acting locally, and locating preventive action at the point of consumption, where it belongs." "Coal Cares™ isn’t just the name of a campaign," said Kevin Briesslau, Vice President of Communications at Peabody Coal. "It’s a philosophy, a way of doing business in harmony with the community we are a part of. After all, coal is the fastest-growing fuel in the world. We're part of America’s heritage, and we’re here to stay." To learn more about Peabody's Coal Cares™ initiative, visit: www.coalcares.org. Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU) is the world's largest private-sector coal company and a global leader in clean coal solutions. With 2010 sales of 246 million tons and nearly $7 billion in revenues, Peabody fuels 10 percent of U.S. power and 2 percent of worldwide electricity. CONTACT: Vic Ganey Phone (314) 472-5539 SOURCE Peabody Energy -- West Virginia News Service (WVNS) Toll Free: 1-800-317-6705 Fax: 540-301-0801 E-mail: wvns(a)publicnewsservice.org

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