Endangered Critters Beware: Pipeline X-ing
The oil and gas industry has already written itself loopholes into the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act and many other laws. Now they’re gunning for the Endangered Species Act. The beleaguered officials at FWS just might cave into industry’s latest demand — unless they hear from you. |
And if polluting our air and water weren’t enough, now the oil and gas industry looks willing to run right over any animals that get in the way of their latest pipeline expansion plans.
NiSource, a big gas pipeline company, is pressuring the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) to issue a permit that would allow NiSource to hurt and kill endangered species anywhere along a mile-wide, 15,000-mile-long pipeline corridor. And to top it off, NiSource wants the permit to last for fifty years!
We’ve seen a lot of oil and gas industry over-reaching in recent years. But the scope of this latest demand is, quite simply, shocking.
This nearly 10-million acre swath of land, covering 14 states from Louisiana to New York, is home to the Eastern bog turtle, the Louisiana black bear, and the Virginia flying squirrel and over 70 other threatened and endangered species.
The oil and gas industry has already written itself loopholes into the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Air Act and many other laws. Now they’re gunning for the Endangered Species Act. The beleaguered officials at FWS just might cave into industry’s latest demand — unless they hear from you.
FWS is giving members of the public until December 13 to weigh in with their concerns. Tell the Fish & Wildlife Service that NiSource’s request is too big and puts too many endangered animals at risk for too many years to be approved.
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Earthjustice is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth, and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment.
Hydraulic fracturing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hydraulic fracturing is the propagation of fractures in a rock layer caused by the presence of a pressurized fluid. Hydraulic fractures may form naturally, as in the case of veins or dikes, or may be man-made in order to release petroleum, natural gas, coal seam gas, or other substances for extraction, where the technique is often called fracking[a] or hydrofracing. This type of fracturing, known colloquially as a frack job (or frac job), is done from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations. The energy from the injection of a highly-pressurized fluid, such as water, creates new channels in the rock which can increase the extraction rates and ultimate recovery of fossil fuels. The fracture width is typically maintained after the injection by introducing a proppant into the injected fluid. Proppant is a material, such as grains of sand, ceramic, or other particulates, that prevent the fractures from closing when the injection is stopped.
The practice of hydraulic fracturing has come under scrutiny internationally due to concerns about the environment, health and safety, and has been suspended or banned in some countries.
Why Ban Fracking? | Food & Water Watch
Fracking poses a great threat to our drinking water.
How is our drinking water at risk?
The process of fracking means injecting millions of gallons of water, chemicals and sand into shale rock formations at high pressures to break open the rock and release the gas. There are numerous cases of water contamination near fracking sites. Fracking also produces a toxic wastewater that cannot be treated by standard treatment plants. It is especially dangerous because drillers are rushing to use the technique in new areas of the country without fully evaluating the effects on human health and the environment, and without adequate government oversight.
Just what IS fracking?
You may be confused because of a disinformation campaign. Read about the facts and fiction of fracking.
Confused About Fracking? The American Enterprise Institute’s Disinformation Campaign may be the Cause. | Food & Water Watch: High-volume hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is making it possible to extract natural gas from rock formations deep underground. Many sing its praises. Many do not. Then there are those that just try to confuse policymakers and the general public alike by spewing false information. With so many contradictory reports out there on natural gas, it’s sometimes nearly impossible to tell fact from fiction.
Dangers Posed by Fracking
• Fracking chemicals are toxic and can contaminate water from spills or accidents.
• Fracking produces hazardous wastewater, which can contain radioactive substances as well as toxic chemicals, making disposal difficult and dangerous.
• Fracking requires millions of gallons of water, which can deplete local water supplies.
• Fracking can cause natural gas to migrate into drinking water sources, which can cause houses and wells to explode.
• There have been more than 1,000 documented cases of water contamination near drilling sites around the country.
Learn More: Why Ban Fracking? | Food & Water Watch
Fracking - Google News Search
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