French Lean Toward Ban of a Controversial Gas Extraction Technique

[Divernan]

Source: New York Times

PARIS — French lawmakers opened debate on Tuesday on proposals to ban a method for extracting oil and gas deposits from shale because of environmental concerns, throwing up the first serious stumbling block to firms that want to use the practice.

Looking with alarm at the experience in the United States, where shale gas is booming, even members of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s governing conservative party have come out against the practice, known as hydraulic fracturing, in which water, sand and chemicals are pumped deep underground under high pressure to free scattered pockets of oil and gas from dense rock formations.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, “is not something we want to use in France,” Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, the environment minister, said on RMC Radio.

“Shale gas is the same as any other gas,” said Ms. Kosciusko-Morizet, who in February announced a halt in all exploration, pending the results of a study. “What poses a problem is the technology used. Today there aren’t 30 technologies, there’s only one for extracting shale gas — hydraulic fracturing.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/business/energy-environment/11shale.html?_r=1&src=recg

---

Credit for the French's negative opinion of fracking is given to the award winning documentary, "Gasland" and news of the recent spill in Pennsylvania by Chesapeake Energy which polluted farmland and streams with fracking chemicals.

Fracking is going on in some 30 states in the US. Even if it is not on your land, realize that if it's on neighboring lands, or even some distance away, it forces toxic chemicals into your underlying water tables, which in turn is absorbed into the food grown or animals grazing on lands relying on such water tables. The fumes from the operation poisons the air you breathe. Is it any surprise that people who leased their mineral rights find they cannot sell their properties? Nor can their neighbors, because (a) what fool would buy land which is uninhabitable due to toxic water and air, and (2) the banks/lenders will not provide mortgages for such properties.

I thought I was conversant with the dangers of fracking, but watching Gasland shocked me at the extent of the devastation of health and environment in states where fracking has been going on for some years. The only comparable sickening experience was the day I spent touring a concentration camp in Germany. This process - fracking - destroys and devastates both human health and our environment. It literally lays waste to huge areas of our country.

Vive le France!

[Divernan]

1. Chevron Corp. buys 228,000 acres in SW. Penn. for fracking

I'm not exaggerating in stating fracking lays waste to huge areas of the US.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Chevron Corp. agreed to purchase 228,000 acres in the Marcellus Shale from Chief Oil & Gas LLC and Tug Hill, Inc., the companies said Wednesday.

The acreage is primarily located in southwestern Pennsylvania. The transaction will give San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron an additional 5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves in its Marcellus leasehold.

Concerns about the impact on the environment and public health have accompanied the influx of shale drilling in Pennsylvania. Each well requires injecting millions of gallons of chemical-laced water and sand into the well under high pressure to shatter the rock — a process called hydraulic fracturing.

Some of that water returns to the surface, in addition to the gas, as ultra-salty brine often tainted with metals like barium and strontium and trace radioactivity.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/05/chevron_corp_to_buy_228k_acres.html

[xchrom]

2. Recommend

[JJW]

3. PA destroying it's water

and doesn't even tax the gas extracted. Just down right stupid. Privatize the profit and leave an environmental disaster for tax payers to become ill and poor from.

Wake up Obama! It is long past time that you ended Cheney's act that exempts gas industry from EPA oversight and clean water laws.

[Metta]

4. Here, here. But, I'm not holding my breath.

... since Obama's been lax on so many things that are hurting us.

[Divernan]

5. Last December, Obama made natural gas drilling "lead olive branch" to Captiol Hill GOP

This country needs federal oversight/regulation of the fracking. Will we get it? Not based on this article in the New York Times from last November - that's when Obama came out in support of expanding fracking for gas, and the article also refers to Rahm's support for the natural gas industry. Let's face it - with the Citizens United decision, this industry is a huge source of campaign funding for politicians in both parties.

http://www.frackaction.com/content/obamas-enthusiasm-ga...
(Headline)
Obama's Enthusiasm for Gas Drilling Raises Eyebrows

Published date:
Thu, 11/04/2010 (All day)
Publication:
The New York Times
By:
MIKE SORAGHAN

President Obama's newfound interest in expanded natural gas drilling yesterday surprised many on all sides of the drilling debate, from environmentalists to drillers and even the coal industry.

Representatives of drilling groups said they had no idea that Obama would make natural gas his lead olive branch to the newly empowered Capitol Hill Republicans. But they were pleased that he did.

Obama's remarks seemed to refer to vast new sources of shale gas in Pennsylvania, Texas and their neighboring states. Improvements in "hydraulic fracturing" technology have allowed production from formations under those states previously thought to be too expensive to exploit (E&ENews PM, Nov. 3).

"We've got, I think, broad agreement that we've got terrific natural gas resources in this country," Obama said when he was pressed for issues on which he could compromise with Republican leaders. "Are we doing everything we can to develop those?"

[Metta]

7. Wow. Sorry to see this. Thanks for posting.

He clearly thinks he'll escape his karma. Did you read where France has banned fracking, at least for now?

[hunter]

6. They are nuclear powered. They don't need the gas.

It's that simple.

[saras]

8. No one, anywhere, *needs* the gas