Venango County Tea Party Patriots

A non-partisan, non-profit, non-member, association dedicated to educating the public and promoting the principles of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government and free market economics, and all other lawful activities.

fracking

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September Meeting

What:  Monthly Meeting
Why:  Showing of Fracknation — This movie exposes the lies about fracking that threaten to shut down the natural gas expansion.  Tell your friends who may have an interest and bring them along.  There is no charge for the movie.
When:  Saturday, Sept. 28
Where:  Franklin Alliance Fellowship Hall, 1200 Otter St., Franklin at 9:00 am. 

We will have some coffee and donuts ready for you. 

 

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Pushing for Changes in EPA “Fracking” Study

The House Science Committee will mark up legislation Thursday that forces the Environmental Protection Agency to alter its ongoing study of the effects of oil-and-gas “fracking” on drinking water resources.

Chairman Lamar Smith’s (R-Texas) bill would require the major, years-long study to include “objective estimates of the probability, uncertainty and consequence of each identified impact, taking into account the risk management practices of states and industry.”

Smith, who last week accused EPA of trying to undercut gas production enabled by fracking, has expressed concern that the EPA study would describe risks without providing enough information on their context or probability.

Read more.

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Gasland vs. FrackNation

Their dueling documentaries — the sequel to Fox’s Oscar-nominated “Gasland” aired July 8 on HBO and McAleer’s “FrackNation” aired the following night on AXS — have clear aims when it comes to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the gas drilling method by which chemical-laced fluid is injected into the earth to free natural gas trapped deep underground.

Experts say the pro- and anti-drilling movements represented by the filmmakers each have some good points — even though Fox claims the process is an environmental and public health disaster while McAleer says Fox distorts facts and ignores the benefits of drilling.

Jeff Frankel, an economics professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, said, “The fracking revolution is clearly good news from the national security and economic standpoint” since it reduces imports and generates jobs and investment in America. He said the most extreme fracking critics don’t seem to understand how much the gas boom is reducing pollution by cutting the amount of coal that gets burned in power plants.

Yet the fracking critics have legitimate concerns, Frankel said.

It makes sense that they would want to be cautious about drilling in some areas such as sensitive watersheds, Frankel said. Residents should get to choose whether they want drilling locally, he said.

Read more.