Is the DOE working in collusion with the Natural Gas Industry (think RICO) to see that regulations on the Natural Gas industry either A) do not happen, or B) if they do happen, ARE WEAK? According to a cursory read of a DOE POLICY POSITION PAPER, one would think so. Lets look at some of their bullet points in this paper, and you the reader can judge for yourselves.
It seems to be pretty damning, seems to suggest that the DOE has decided LESS REGULATION of the Natural Gas industry is a GOOD THING...for the industry. Another damning piece of information, is the DOE's admission that more stringent regulations may not do any more good in protecting our DRINKING WATER...this is damning, as it is a TACIT admission on the part of the DOE that THEY KNOW OUR WATER WILL BE DAMAGED. So, if even more regulations, more stringent rules are not going to protect our SAFE DRINKING WATER, the only thing left is BANNING HYDRAULIC FRACTURING.Significance/Potential Impacts
More restrictive regulation of hydraulic fracturing, which may not increase the protection of underground drinking water could have a deleterious effect on the supply of natural gas in the U.S.-especially now, when the country is counting on natural gas to meets its growing energy requirements in an environmentally responsible manner.
The folowing apply:
- More stringent hydraulic fracturing regulations have increased Alabama's compliance costs. If these regulations are widely enacted, costs are expected to rise in all states.
- Industry is expected to challenge increased regulation, which will re-direct large sums of capital frm E&P budgets to legal services.
- Currently, efforts are being directed towards reaching a legislative solution.
- Delays in issuing permits, and commensurate delays in well stimulation and gas marketing, can be expected.
- Cost increases associated with added regulation will drive up the wellhead cost of gas by at least a like amount; consequently, consumers will pay more for energy.
- Even the possibility of more restrictive regulation of hydraulic fracturing demands that additional Research and Development (R&D) funding be set aside for the advancement of technologies to offset potential increases in gas extraction costs.
On the next page of this report, the DOE admits that more stringent regulations for Hydraulic Fracturing could impact the Natural Gas Supply...OK, which is more important to most Americans? Interrupting the Natural Gas Supply, or keeping our limited supplies of FRESH CLEAN WATER SAFE? Then, in the little box, they tell us that the SCNG (Strategic Center for Natural Gas) is working WITH THE INDUSTRY, and keeping an eye on the EPA, and will review ALL THEIR WORK PRODUCT...WHY? To make sure it does not IMPEDE THE INDUSTRY?
Think I am CHICKEN LITTLE...let's look at some more DOE words on Natural Gas:
Oil and natural gas are the lifeblood of our economy, accounting for more than 60 percent of the energy consumed in the United States. To meet projected demand, our Nation has a vital interest in ensuring that competitively-priced domestic natural gas and oil remain part of the U.S. energy portfolio for decades to come.
Again, the question has to be asked...at what cost do we ensure competitively priced domestic natural gas? Is it OK to make small rural communities and our lands SACRIFICE ZONES for the greater societal good?Another question...if we are not going to be forced to allow the Natural Gas industry to rape our lands, ruin our communities, if this decision has not already been made on a National Level, why is it that the Strategic Center for Natural Gas was founded in 1999 with the SOLE PURPOSE of assuring abundant, economical, domestic supply of Natural Gas? More importantly, why does the SCNG game plan CALL FOR SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRY INPUT, and ZERO INPUT FROM CITIZEN STAKEHOLDERS AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS?...our taxes providing MILLIONS if not BILLIONS of corporate welfare to the Natural Gas Industry, and with a wink and a nod letting them know they can rape our communities.
Curious...could someone from SCNG tell me from their own slide what it means when they say they ENCOUNTERED SIGNIFICANT WATER?...below was copied from the linked report above.
Gas E&P Program Highlights
• Deep Horizontal Well
− Intersected 400 open fractures at 15,000’
− Produced over 6.4 bcf in three years
− Encountered significant water
− CD available
For those that are wondering...just how much ACCESS TO NATIONAL POLICY is the DOE, the SCNG giving the industry? Well, they have a slide pointing out ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES for the Natural Gas Industry to DRIVE NATIONAL POLICY AND REGULATIONS, while affording NO OPPORTUNITY OF REAL MERIT TO BOTH CITIZENS and ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS....
Options for Industry Participation
• Advisory Committees
− Hydrates program
• Roadmapping
− Infrastructure, hydrates, and many others
• Cooperative Agreements
− Joint industry projects, individual firms, etc.
• Consortiums
− Advanced turbines, carbon products, SWC
• National laboratory partnership
− NGOTP, hydrates, ultra-clean fuels
Now, if you wonder just how much of our MONEY is supporting the Natural Gas industry, is being used to shape policy and regulation that assures CHEAP WELL HEAD COSTS of extracting Natural Gas, lets take a peak at some of the numbers FROM 2002!...it has gone up DRAMATICALLY as we provide the industry with Natural Gas WELFARE!
Within NETL, the mission of the Strategic Center for Natural Gas is to conduct comprehensive science and technology development in the areas of natural gas supply, infrastructure, and utilization, as directed by national policy. From a funding standpoint, the overall DOE natural gas budget in 2001 was $238 MM of which roughly $125 MM was managed by SCNG. Of that $125 MM, about $26 MM was used for upstream programs, $8 MM for midstream, and $90 MM downstream. About $24.3 MM was directed towards E&P and methane hydrate projects, a number that jumped to $30.5 MM in the 2002 budget signed by the President.The question becomes...What pressure is our Federal Government putting on local, state governments, and some Federal Agencies to do as little regulation of the Natural Gas industry as they can get away with, short of insurrection of the citizens who's lands and lives are being destroyed?
