Sunday, June 1, 2014

DEP-Regulating the Natural Gas Industry in Pennsylvania - Not Protecting the Environment

DEP-Regulating the Natural Gas Industry in Pennsylvania - Not Protecting the Environment  

First, watch this ridiculous and misleading video propaganda,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27xMOiwvrLk
Published on May 7, 2014
by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA/DEP) 
"DEP staff share their personal experiences conducting the important work of DEP's Oil and Gas Program across Pennsylvania."

Then read my comments I emailed directly to:
Scott Perry, <scperry@pa.gov>
Chris Abruzzo, <cabruzzo@pa.gov>
Dan Spadoni, <dspadoni@pa.gov>
Patrick Henderson, <phenderson@pa.gov>
Arthur Weiland, <weilandart@gmail.com>
and of course, the Governor of Pennzoil, Tom Corbett, <Governor@pa.gov>

I encourage those who read this and share my concerns and criticisms also email these individuals and tell them what you think of them, which is why I posted their email addresses.

Regulating the Natural Gas Industry in Pennsylvania - Seriously?

Regardless of what this agencies name implies, the job of the DEP is to issues permits that allow activity to be conducted that is detrimental to the environment, the ecological integrity, and ultimately public health and safety.

What the DEP "regulates" is the rate of damage done to the environment, not the amount of damage.
The egregious half-truths and misinformation in this video is over-the-top.

Here's an example of their half-truths:
"We're never going to take that casing out of there. That casing will always be there"

FACT:
What was not mentioned was that the integrity of that casing will be compromised over time. 7% of well casings fail immediately - only 50% of the "squeeze jobs" that industry uses to attempt to repair that casing are successful - eventually all well casings will fail. The only issue is 'when'.
 
Misinformation:
"We want people to know that the DEP has 'world-class' regulations in place."
Apparently, every state that allows O&G extraction has those same specious 'world-class regulations'.... or at least makes that same arbitrary claim, and has the same complaints, contamination issues, reported illnesses, and ecological devastation that we're seeing in the shale fields of Pennsylvania.
 
FACT:
The DEP has made it their policy to "partner with the O&G industry". It doesn't take much to realize that it is never in the best interest of one partner to regulate the other. On the contrary, it is in the best interest of any partnership to watch each others back, and in this case, run regulatory interference.

Many of the DEP's revised regulations are practically carbon copies of the regulations that have been established in other states that have been written, conceived, and suggested by industry lobbyists. [The "fox guarding the hen house" syndrome on steroids.]

It is interesting, and quite telling, albeit no surprising, that the 'comments and ratings' on this YouTube PR video have been "disabled". Fortunately, we can still access the video, copy the link, and expose it for misleading piece of propaganda it is on blogs, social media, email blasts, op-ed pieces, and in newsletters.

We will also publish this link right along side the 161 "documented cases of contamination" that the DEP was forced to reveal under the RTK law, the list of violations the industry has racked-up in the last six years, and the scandalously low "fines" that the DEP has imposed on the O&G operators.

Sunday Times review of DEP drilling records reveals water damage, murky testing methods

By laura Legere (Staff Writer) Published: May 19, 2013

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/sunday-times-review-of-dep-drilling-records-reveals-water-damage-murky-testing-methods-1.1491547

Then, there's also that ever spinning "revolving door" between the O&G industry and the DEP regulators. After all, who better to know how to skirt the rules and regulations then the "regulators" themselves? 

What really puzzles me is... How do these bastards sleep at night? Aren't they even concerned about how this is going to affect their children and grandchildren?

I guess it takes a special breed of self-serving political reptiles to be that cold-blooded.

So.... stay tuned. Instant Karma's gonna get them and bite them right in the g-ass. 

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