Controversy Rages Over 'Acid Fracking' in Florida

Common Dreams | Jul 3, 2014 | Deirdre Fulton

The 'Hands Across the Sand' rally took
place in Naples, Florida, in May.
(photo: flickr / cc / Astronomy Gal)

Concerned citizens face off against oil company and state Department of Environmental Protection. 

An 'acid fracking' operation near the Everglades in south Florida has generated a court battle, protests, and outrage among the public and elected officials alike, with community members and county commissioners accusing state regulators of not doing enough to protect public health and the environment.

The process of acid fracking, according to Clean Water Action, "involves injecting high volumes of hydrochloric or hydrofluoric acids to corrode the geology and bring oil or gas to the surface. Like [hydraulic] fracking, it is a heavily industrialized process, using high volumes of water and chemicals."

Rather than fracturing rock, acid fracking actually dissolves limestone, dolomite, and calcite, according to Rigzone, a trade publication for the oil and gas industry. Also known as 'acidizing' or 'acid stimulation,' limited study of the procedure leaves the level and nature of the risks unknown.

In Florida, the Texas-based Dan A. Hughes oil company engaged in acid fracking without permission—the first time the process had been used in the state—and continued to do so even after the state issued a cease and desist order to allow time to test groundwater for possible contamination.

Following legal wrangling between Collier County commissioners and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the state began testing groundwater near the Hughes site last week.

On Wednesday, FDEP secretary Herschel T. Vinyard Jr. announced in a statement: “Today’s results further confirm that contamination in the area is highly unlikely."

Residents and environmental activists are not reassured.

"Since the six monitoring wells only went down thirteen feet, the testing would only have been adequate to establish that no significant surface spillage had occurred at the well site," the group Preserve Our Paradise said on its website. "However we cannot even reach this conclusion because nearly six months have passed since the fracking operation took place."

In addition, PoP points out that the FDEP didn't test for all the chemicals that may have been present as part of the extraction process. "Put on your waders, the B.S. is now waist deep," declared a post on the PoP Facebook page. 

Hurricane Arthur bears down on N. Carolina - Update 4 (07/03/14, 20:00 UTC)

Force Thirteen - Tropical Cyclone Videos and Updates | Jul 3, 2014

Brazil: Videos Reveal Bridge Collapse at World Cup Host City

RT | Jul 3, 2014

An overpass collapsed Thursday in a Brazilian World Cup host city, killing at least two people and trapping a commuter bus, two construction trucks and one car, authorities said.


[Editor's note: Video below shows actual event.]


Read more: http://on.rt.com/kabegn

GMO Labeling Bill Moves Forward in Oregon

A sign at a 2013 rally in Connecticut.
(photo: cc / flickr / CT Senate Democrats)

Common Dreams | Jul 2, 2014 | Deirdre Fulton

Supporters collected double the number of signatures necessary; voters will have their say in November. 

Voters in Oregon want to know what's in their food and in November they will be given the chance to have their voices heard.

Food safety advocates on Wednesday submitted over 150,000 signatures, nearly twice the amount required, in support of Ballot Initiative #44, which would require food manufacturers to label foods sold in Oregon that are produced with genetic modified organisms, or GMOs.

Earlier this year, voters in two Oregon counties approved ballot measures to prohibit the cultivation of GMO crops within county borders. In addition, Oregon governor John Kitzhaber signed a bill last year banning GMO canola in the Willamette Valley until 2019.

Should Ballot Initiative #44 pass, Oregon would join three other states (Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont) that have passed GMO labeling measures. As of June 10, 2014, there were 30 pieces of GMO food labeling legislation on the table in 16 states.

The campaign is expected to be a costly one. Last year, food labeling opponents contributed $22 million to help defeat a similar ballot initiative in Washington.

"We don't have any illusions that we're not going to be vastly outspent. We will be," Oregon GMO Right to Know campaign spokesman Sandeep Kaushik told The Oregonian. "We're confident given the strong positive reaction we've had during our signature gathering phase that we can be successful."

Attorney General Rejects GMA’s Attempt to Throw out GMO Labeling Laws

© Natural Society

Natural Society | Jun 30, 2014 | Christina Sarich

The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has tried to undo the latest legally voted GMO labeling laws, but Thurston County Superior Court Judge Christine Schaller has ruled that the states’ case against the (GMA) will move forward, rejecting the GMA’s motion to dismiss the case completely based on constitutional grounds.

“Today’s ruling is an important step in our work to hold the Grocery Manufacturers Association accountable for the largest campaign finance concealment case in Washington history,” Ferguson said. “We intend to send a strong message to all: If you want to engage in political campaigns in Washington, you have to play by the rules.”

Ferguson was responsible for filing a lawsuit against the GMA last year. The state alleged that the GMA broke campaign finance laws when it collected approximately $10.6 million from its members and placed those funds in a ‘Defense of Brand’ account, and then used them to oppose Initiative 522, which would have forced mandatory GMO labeling. The account was funded without ever disclosing the true source of contributions made to it.

Following this suit filed by the state, the GMA attempted to cover its immoral (and illegal) tracks by filing a counter lawsuit, stating that the state had unconstitutionally enforced campaign finance laws. The GMA requested that the judge dismiss the case against them, trying to skirt campaign contribution laws and public transparency. The illegal contributions definitely helped to defeat the 522 Initiative.

Despite this attempt to continue control over the public food supply, the case will continue based on its inherent merits. Schaller ruled that the state’s campaign laws require the formation of a political committee, and disclosures were constitutionally applied. The judge did rule, however, that Washington’s laws, which required the GMA to secure $10 donations from 10 different registered voters as part of its political committee formation requirements, was unconstitutional.

The state will be reviewing the ruling to determine the next steps. Hopefully as the trial proceeds, the 300 food and beverage manufacturer’s who illegally contributed to the GMA’s slush fund will learn their lesson. These companies include Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Frito Lay, General Mills, and more.

Pamela Bailey, the president and CEO of the GMA, wants consumers to trust the biggest chemical sales companies in the world to ‘label GMOs at will, on their own terms’. I think the world knows better than to trust companies who illegally fund an anti-GMO labeling campaign when the measure comes up for a democratic vote.

Fracking industry fumes as researchers reveal high levels of leaking methane

Reuters / Lucy Nicholson

RT | Jul 1, 2014

The latest drilling techniques for obtaining gas, which drill horizontally as opposed to the more traditional vertical drilling, shows a higher rate of leaking methane, according to a study that could spell problems for fracking across the nation.

After poring over data from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection involving more than 41,000 wells, it was determined that more than 6 percent of the active gas wells drilled in the Marcellus region of Pennsylvania “show compromised cement and/or casing integrity,” according to an academic paper published on Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A team of four scientists – working without federal funding – conducted analysis on more than 75,000 state inspections of gas wells performed in Pennsylvania since 2000.

The results suggest that hazardous leaks of methane could pose potential obstacles for drilling across the nation, said study lead author Cornell University engineering professor Anthony Ingraffea, who leads an environmental activist group that helped subsidize the study.

The leak rate of methane was found in nearly 10 percent of horizontally drilled wells for before and after 2009 in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, where fracking is a serious business.

"Something is coming out of it that shouldn't, in a place that it shouldn't," said Anthony Ingraffea, Cornell professor of civil and environmental engineering who led the research team, as quoted by AP.

Reuters / Shannon Stapleton

The researchers admitted they are not sure exactly where the leaking methane goes — into the water or the air, but neither alternative is a positive prospect in light of a number of incidences thought to involve the escaping gas.

“These results, particularly in light of numerous contamination complaints and explosions nationally in areas with high concentrations of unconventional oil and gas development and the increased awareness of the role of methane in ... climate change, should be cause for concern,” said the researchers in the paper.

The researchers did not specify the size of the leaks, saying only that the metal pipes used to extract the natural gas were suffering "casing and cement impairment."

“In a typical well, hundreds of bags of cement are mixed and injected,” said Ingraffea. “If the water-to-cement mixture ratio isn’t right, you have problems. With too much water, the cement shrinks. With too little water, the mixture dries too fast.”

The research was roundly and predictably condemned by fracking proponents, who are determined to tap into trapped natural gas in fields across Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York, where legislation was just passed giving towns the right to ban fracking.

Marcellus Shale Coalition spokesman Travis Windle complained the paper reflects Ingraffea's "clear pattern of playing fast and loose with the facts."

Chris Tucker, spokesman for Energy In Depth, said what the researchers may have confused leaks with pressure buildup in the pipes.

"The trick these researchers are pulling here is conflating pressure with leakage, trying to convince folks that the mere existence of the former is evidence of the latter," Tucker told AP in an email.

Reuters / Lucy Nicholson

Other scientists, however, were of the opinion that the findings of the study deserve careful consideration

"It clearly indicates that there is a problem with the production" of the fracking techniques, warned Ira Leifer, University of California Santa Barbara engineering professor, who did not participate in the study, AP reported.

Colorado halts fracking wastewater injections after earthquake hits state

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania environmental officials said their data indicates that methane leaks peaked in 2010 and are on the decrease again, reflecting their campaign to enhance cementing practices.
House votes to expedite US natural gas exports

Other contributors to the paper, ‘Assessment and Risk Analysis of Casing and Cement Impairment in Oil and Gas Wells in Pennsylvania, 2000-2012’, were Martin Wells, Cornell professor of statistical sciences; Renee Santoro of Physicians, Scientists and Engineers for Healthy Energy, Ithaca, New York; and Seth Shonkoff, University of California, Berkeley.

Court Rules that New York Towns Can Ban Fracking

© Global Research

Global Research | Jun 30, 2014

In a precedent-setting case decided today by the New York Court of Appeals, local communities have triumphed over the fracking industry. The court ruled that the towns of Dryden and Middlefield can use local zoning laws to ban heavy industry, including oil and gas production within municipal borders.

“Today the Court stood with the people of Dryden and the people of New York to protect their right to self determination. It is clear that people, not corporations, have the right to decide how their community develops,” said Dryden Deputy Supervisor Jason Leifer.

“This would not have been possible without the hard work of many of my friends and neighbors and our lawyers Deborah Goldberg of Earthjustice and Mahlon Perkins. Today’s ruling shows all of America that a committed group of citizens and public officials can stand together against fearful odds and successfully defend their homes, their way of life and the environment against those who would harm them all in the name of profit.”

Image: Helen Slottje and Deborah Goldberg stand on the steps of the Court of
Appeals in Albany on June 3 shortly before oral arguments.
Photo credit: Earthjustice

“This decision by the Court of Appeals has settled the matter once and for all across New York State and has sent a firm message to the oil and gas industry,” said Earthjustice Managing Attorney Deborah Goldberg.

“For too long the oil and gas industry has intimidated and abused people, expecting to get away with it. That behavior is finally coming back to haunt them, as communities across the country stand up and say ‘no more.’ Earthjustice is proud to have stood with, and fought on behalf of, one such community.”

Image: Deborah Goldberg argues before the Court of Appeals on June 3.
Photo credit: Earthjustice

Many other cities and towns in New York have been waiting for today’s decision to establish bans or moratoriums of their own. The victory also gives legal authority to the more than 170 New York municipalities that have passed measures against fracking in their communities. Today’s decision will also serve as inspiration for a growing number of localities in Colorado, Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania and California that are hoping to stop the controversial drilling practice.

“Town by town, New Yorkers have taken a stand against fracking. Today’s victory confirms that each of these towns is on firm legal ground,” said Helen Slottje, an Ithaca-based attorney whose legal research inspired New York’s local fracking ban groundswell and who was honored with the 2014 Goldman Environmental Prize.

“The oil and gas industry tried to take away a fundamental right that pre-dates even the Declaration of Independence: the right of municipalities to regulate local land use. But they failed. The anti-fracking measures passed by Dryden, Middlefield and dozens of other New York municipalities are fully enforceable.”

Image: Residents of Dryden smile, with Helen Slottje and Earthjustice’s
Deborah Goldberg and Kathleen Sutcliffe, after the high court argument in Albany.
Photo credit: Earthjustice

In response to the court’s 5-2 decision, John Armstrong of Frack Action and New Yorkers Against Fracking said,

”We applaud the court for once again affirming the right of New Yorkers to ban fracking and its toxic effects from their communities. As Chief Judge Lippman said, you don’t bulldoze over the voice of the people. But water and air contamination don’t stop at local boundaries, and Governor Cuomo must ban fracking statewide to protect our health and homes from the arrogant and inherently harmful fracking industry.”

The case in Dryden has attracted nation wide attention and taken on special significance. More than 20,000 people from across the country and globe sent messages to the town board, expressing support for the town through the course of its nearly three-year legal battle. An Earthjustice video depicting the town’s fight has garnered more than 80,000 views.



“We did it! This victory is for everyone who loves their town and will fight to the end to protect it,” said Dryden resident Deborah Cipolla-Dennis. “I’m proud of my town and I’m proud of the people in Fort Collins, CO; Denton, TX; Santa Cruz, CA; and all the others who are standing up to the oil and gas industry.”


Source: Eco Watch

Potential Interactions: Will "Siding Spring" Comet Hit Mars?

Suspicious0bservers | Jun 30, 2014 | CHANNEL

www.Suspicious0bservers.org
www.ObservatoryProject.com
http://www.solarsystemscope.com/?c=si...

Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix and other cities headed for imminent water supply collapse; wave of drought refugees now inevitable

Natural News | Jun 29, 2014 | Mike Adams

One bizarre trait that strongly characterizes modern human civilization is a widespread inability to plan ahead. On every issue imaginable -- debt spending, fossil fuels, health care costs, resource extraction and so on -- our citizens and political leaders demonstrate near-retarded cognitive function by failing to see where their actions might lead. (And it's almost as if they're proud to be so stupid, too.)

There's no better example of this than the city of Las Vegas, Nevada -- a city of 600,000 people who almost universally depend on one lake for their water.

And that lake is running dry at an alarming rate, after which there will be no more water for Las Vegas.

The lake is called Lake Mead, created by the Hoover Dam. Back in 1936, when the Las Vegas population was very tiny by today's standards, Lake Mead took six years to fill with water. Now, with over two million people in the greater Vegas region depending on its water, Lake Mead has dropped by 50% and is receding with alarming speed.

Learn more..

All the world's oceans have plastic debris on their surface, passing into food chain

Debris collected during expedition

Activist Post | Jun 30, 2014

Researchers have demonstrated the existence of five large accumulations of plastic waste in the open ocean, which match with the five major twists of surface water circulation.

However, central surface waters of the oceans may not be the final destination of plastic debris since, as indicated by the study performed by the Malaspina Expedition, large amounts of microplastics could be passing to the marine food chain and the ocean floor. Results of the study, led by the University of Cadiz (Spain), have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Andrés Cózar, researcher from the University of Cadiz, explains: "Ocean currents carry plastic objects which split into smaller and smaller fragments due to solar radiation. Those little pieces of plastic, known as microplastics, can last hundreds of years and were detected in 88% of the ocean surface sampled during the Malaspina Expedition 2010".

According to the study authors, the results obtained by the Malaspina Expedition show that the problem of plastic waste pollution has a global character. The major residues found are polyethylene and polypropylene, polymers used in the manufacture of everyday products like bags, food and beverage containers, kitchen utensils and toys, among others.

Cózar adds: "These microplastics have an influence on the behavior and the food chain of marine organisms. On one hand, the tiny plastic fragments often accumulate contaminants that, if swallowed, can be passed to organisms during digestion; without forgetting the gastrointestinal obstructions, which are another of the most common problems with this type of waste. On the other hand, the abundance of floating plastic fragments allows many small organisms to sail on them and colonize places they could not access to previously. But probably, most of the impacts taking place due to plastic pollution in the oceans are not yet known".

CSIC researcher Carlos Duarte, coordinator of the Malaspina Expedition, states: "Our results show that the high concentration of plastic is not a unique feature of the Nort Pacific, but occurs in each of the subtropical gyres". Duarte concludes: "Only a global expedition, such as the Malaspina Expedition, could achieve these results and evaluate the overall abundance of plastic pollution. The good news is that abundance is much lower than expected, but the pending challenge is to figure out where the rest of plastics entering the ocean is". 

The Malaspina Expedition

The Malaspina Circumnavigation Expedition 2010, a project led by CSIC that includes more than 400 researchers from around the world, started in December 15th 2010 with the departure of the Hespérides oceanographic research vessel from the port of Cadiz. On board of this ship belonging to the Spanish Armada, and the Sarmiento de Gamboa ship belonging to the CSIC, researchers studied for nine months (seven aboard the Hespérides and two aboard the Sarmiento) the impact of the global change on the ocean ecosystem and explored its biodiversity.

Scientists took nearly 200,000 water, plankton, atmosphere particles and gases samples in 313 points of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans at depths of up to 6,000 meters. On board, they measured the temperature and salinity, the surface properties, the acoustics of the marine currents, the concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the ocean and in the atmosphere, and the scope of the sunlight, among other parameters.

Source:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-06/snrc-atw063014.php