DENR report says fracking in NC could be done safely, as long as it's done safely.

Comments

[Steve Harrison]

I poked at the report a little bit.

The ill-advised use of the word "safely" aside, there are a lot of good recommendations on regulations and needed further studying contained within. I wish I was confident the entire report would come into play, but I'm not.

[polifrog]

You guys need to be thanking Perdue for absorbing the brunt of the damage caused by the politically necessary back down from the anti-fracking issue as she leaves office.

She has made it less damaging politically for other Democrats currently running to do the same.

She is taking one for her party.

[Account Deleted]

I personally chose to focus on the part of the report that stipulates "as long as the right protections are in place." That's the wise policy aspect of this that was missing in Pennsylvania.

And as many have said, there is no rush for an open season to drill here. So in that regard, DENR's report makes sense. The question becomes will their expert perspective be heeded or not?

[Don Moore]

Who wants to say they are going into this without any concern for safety. For the benefit of the nay-sayers, add the appropriate supervision and safety reporting that can be verified by outside parties (and not oil company lackies like in the Gulf Coast).

[Account Deleted]

Hence the problem Brother Moore. The Bush administration exempted fracking from certain federal legislation, the current state legislature is hell bent on dismantling DENR while asking them to take on oversight of this complicated process and I believe we have a bill pending in the legislature that would make it illegal for state regulations to exceed federal regulations.

Thus we revert back to the question of proper oversight and finding the political will to require it before the process is allowed. And we haven't yet discussed safeguarding the interests of property owners who may unknowingly sign away mineral rights, that is if their deed does not already include mineral rights given away by previous owners of the property.

It's very complicated and important and much deeper than "drill baby drill."

[Steve Harrison]

It's not pending anymore, Jeff. SB-781 was Vetoed by the Governor and then overridden, becoming SL 2011-398.

[Billy Jones]

I've come to the sad conclusion that humanity will only stop causing pain and suffering when there is no more humanity. I don't like it but frack away!

[Fred Gregory]

Required reading for Ed, Jeff and Billy

The Truth About Fracking 3/12/12

"Given all that, the data are on the side of fracking. But the political momentum is on the other side. It remains likely that the EPA will take its heavy hand to the industry, a development for which the enviro-Left, led by Occupy Wall Street, is positively howling, which is frustrating for environmentalists such as John Hanger. “If there’s no fracking, the unavoidable consequence would be a sharp increase in oil and coal consumption. Even if environmental and public-health issues were your only concerns — leave aside national security and the economic impacts — that fact alone should give you some pause.”

"But don’t bother with evidence: The opposition to fracking isn’t at its heart environmental or economic or scientific. It’s ideological, and that ideology is nihilism...."

[Billy Jones]

Whatever...

[Ed Cone]

And here I thought I was concerned about sloppy drillers polluting our water and inadequate regulations giving free rein to out-of-state quick-buck artists who would rip off my neighbors.

How ironic to discover that I'm actually just a nihilist. Thanks for the compelling argument, Fred.

[Roch Smith, Jr.]

From Fred's article: "And then you hit that shale with a high-pressure blast of water and sand."

But it's not just water and sand, is it Fred? So when your author advises, "Don't bother with evidence," I have to say I believe him.

[polifrog]

Beaufort Observer:

...A reliable source within the Governor's office tells us that the Governor was told by DENR sometime ago that the report was accumulating substantial scientific data that would lead to a conclusion that fracking not only can be done safely but that it holds significant economic potential for the state. Knowing that Perdue's position had been the opposite we are told DENR gave her advance notice and in effect sought clearance to release the report which would have been contrary to her position. We are told that the evidence is so overwhelming that if Perdue stuck to her position that the report would be a major contradiction of her position. So they had two choices: Either DENR could try to kill the report, somehow; or Perdue could change her position.

[...]

Moreover, another source tells us that the first source was probably correct but that another factor came into play. It is believed that the Obama Administration is on the verge of announcing a reversal of their position on natural gas exploration, not only from fracking but also in offshore drilling. "The DOE (Department of Energy) has already sent the message that if gasoline prices continue to climb that they will change their position on fracking."

But we could continue to study the issue while others go without work.

[Fred Gregory]

I've been fracking for Guinness and hit pay dirt.

Promise I will recycle the empties.. Billy.

[Billy Jones]

Fred "I've been fracking for Guinness and hit pay dirt."

Where's mine?

[Billy Jones]

""The DOE (Department of Energy) has already sent the message that if gasoline prices continue to climb that they will change their position on fracking."

Interesting quote considering that while gasoline prices are rising, the biggest gas drillers like Chesapeake are currently cutting production to push up the price of natural gas. Piedmont Gas just lowered their rates.

And seriously, Frog, while converting older cars to propane and natural gas was relatively easy and inexpensive, the cost to convert a modern automobile to run natural gas almost equals the cost of the car itself and not something many folks can do.

[polifrog]

Yeah, EPA regulations don't always work. Our automobiles are no longer as flexible in that regard as they once were. Regulations have that effect.

[Billy Jones]

Polifrog wrote, "Yeah, EPA regulations don't always work. Our automobiles are no longer as flexible in that regard as they once were. Regulations have that effect."

So why would the DOE change their position on fracking if we can't burn natural gas in our cars? The only reason I can see is that the DOE wants a faster conversion to electric cars.

[polifrog]

I don't understand the focus on retrofitting anything.

Are you aware that new automobiles can be built? There is no need to retrofit?

But more importantly, are you aware that natural gas can be used immediately in many ways unrelated to automobiles?

All the "drilling" solutions are long term and in the case of NG increasing our reliance on NG decreases our dependency on other fuels, oil included.

That is a good.

As to why the DOE does what it does, it does what is best for its bureaucracy.

And that is bad.

[Billy Jones]

Poli, My fault, I was confused. I thought fracking was only used for natural gas but I did a search and discovered it is also used in drilling for oil. That voids my entire thought process. My bad.

[Fred Gregory]

API: EPA Rules May Reduce Fracking By 52%