4 Jewish Summer Camps Sell "Fracking Rights" that Endanger Drinking Water, Food, Health & Climate

[Divernan]

(Can the Boy Scout Camps Be Far Behind? These leases were signed in 2009 and have just gotten public notice.)

http://www.theshalomcenter.org/

By Rabbi Arthur Waskow | 7/14/2011

The Forward, the leading national Jewish weekly, has just reported that four Jewish summer camps in Pennsylvania have signed leases with gas exploration companies to allow “fracking” –- the hydro-fracturing method of pouring tons of highly chemicalized water to smash shale rocks into releasing natural gas.

The four are Starlight’s Perlman Camp, which is owned and operated by B’nai B’rith; Camps Nesher and Shoshanim, which share a property in Lakewood and are owned and operated by the New Jersey Federation of YMHA and YWHA; and Camp Morasha, an independent camp in Lakewood.

The Forward reports that “Fracking of a single well creates more than 1 million gallons of wastewater awash in pollutants, including some radioactive materials. According to a February report in The New York Times, state and federal documents show that the wastewater is sometimes hauled to sewage plants not designed to treat it and then discharged into rivers that supply drinking water.”

The Shalom Center views it as a profound violation of Jewish wisdom and values for summer camps or other Jewish institutions to sell the rights to use their land in ways that will poison God’s and humanity’s earth, air, food, and water. See below for actions you can take to halt this. Read more »

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http://forward.com/articles/139831/

Fracking Comes to Jewish Summer Camp: Concern Over the Environment Versus Financial Reward
Fracking, the controversial technique for extracting natural gas that energy companies are promoting as America’s path to energy independence, has come to the sunny, idyllic world of Jewish camping.

Four Jewish summer camps have signed leases with gas exploration companies which could allow the deep bore drilling technique — criticized by many experts as damaging to the environment — at their campgrounds by this fall.

Although the leases were signed in 2008 and 2009, an interstate regulatory body has put a hold on natural gas drilling in Wayne County, Pa., where the four camps are located. But that hold could be lifted in September.

The leases, all of which are held by the Hess Corporation, highlight tension between environmental concerns over the new drilling technique, which has drawn opposition from most Jewish environmental groups, and the significant paydays that gas companies can offer the not-for-profit camps.

Read more: http://forward.com/articles/139831/#ixzz1S7duaE8P

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Let's see if those camps are open in 3-4 years after the fracking.

[Divernan]

3. The camps may have made enough royalties to move elsewhere but not in Pennsylvania

There won't be any similar plots of land available in the heretofore beautiful Pennsylvania woods, because they will all be leased to the Frackers.

Can see a sequel: Little Fockers Go To Camp, or maybe Fockers Meet the Frackers. Dustin, Barbra, Bobby & Blythe come to visit the little Fockers on Grandparents' weekend. Dustin & Barbra go all Greenpeace on the camp administrators and the frackers, Bobby is conflicted because the Oil & Gas Company executive is a former CIA buddy, and Blythe tries to keep peace.

The Focker grandkids glow in the dark, and have hair falling out, strange rashes, and nosebleeds, and this is after only one week at camp.

[Ian David]

2. Ameranda Hess USED to be one of only two oil companies that donated Democrat.

The leases, all of which are held by the Hess Corporation, highlight tension between environmental concerns over the new drilling technique, which has drawn opposition from most Jewish environmental groups, and the significant paydays that gas companies can offer the not-for-profit camps.

But then they went and donated so much to McCain, that they had to resort to making illegal donations, because all their executives were over their legal limits.

Now, the only "Blue" oil company is Citgo.