by Randy Shannon

The Pennyslvania Commonwealth Court has ruled that gas drillers must present their appeals of Municipal regulations to the local zoning board first and not to the Court of Common Pleas.

The Commonwealth Court also specifically upheld six regulations affecting the use of land by shale gas drillers. These six regulations are:

1. identifying a zoning district in which gas production activities can be conducted;

2. establishing setback requirements in relation to public buildings, public or private streets, property lines, and properties designated as landfills or properties that contain hazardous substances;

Continue reading PA Commonwealth Court Upholds Authority of Municipal Zoning Boards to Hear Challenges to Municipal Ordinances by Gas Drillers →

H2Ohhhhh, No You Don’t!

By Jessica Lee
From the November 20, 2009 issue | Posted in Jessica Lee , Local | Email this article

WATER DEFENSE: Hundreds rally at a natural gas drilling hearing in Lower Manhattan Nov. 10. PHOTO: JAISAL NOOR

Several hundred New Yorkers attended the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC ) hearing Nov. 10 at Stuyvesant High School in Lower Manhattan to protest the state’s plan to allow natural gas drilling in the Marcellus shale geologic formation. Permits would be issued to companies using controversial hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques near drinking water sources, such as the Catskill Mountains north of the city. The DEC recently announced an extension for public comments to the draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement from Nov. 30 until Dec. 31.

On Nov. 16, the New York City Council passed a non-binding resolution (Res. 1850) requesting that state policy makers ban the drilling practice within the New York City drinking water watershed. “We can’t sell off our water supplies for some short-term financial gain,” said Councilmember James Gennaro (D-Queens). Councilmember Tony Avella (D-Queens) proposed another resolution (Res. 2191) that would call for a statewide drilling ban.

‘No oil drilling without tribes’ consent’, UN tells Peru 2 September 2009

An Indian blockade at Bagua. © David Dudenhoefer

The UN has told Peru’s government it should not allow oil and gas drilling on indigenous peoples’ land without their ‘informed consent’.

If the government agrees to the UN’s call, it would mean that no drilling could take place in rainforest inhabited by uncontacted Indians, as they are unable to give their consent. This is something that indigenous organisations, Survival and many others have long been calling for.

Continue reading Peruvian Farmers Blockade Gas Drillers – No Drilling without “Informed Consent” →

Back off, BHP

MATTHEW CAWOOD AND ALAN DICK

Simmering tensions over BHP Billiton’s controversial plans to mine coal in a huge area of prime Liverpool Plains farming country boiled over on Monday, when landholders turned up in force to blockade a mining exploration site.

They barred BHP’s access to Tim Duddy’s property, “Rossmar Park” at Caroona, where the giant mining corporation wants to undertake exploratory drilling.

Locals say they are determined to maintain the blockade on a rolling roster until BHP agrees to a special set of land-use terms drafted by the Caroona Coal Action Group (CCAG).

BHP was granted coal exploration rights in 2006 over 250 square kilometres of some of Australia’s best farming land on the northern plains, north-west of Quirindi.

The coal resource under the plains has been estimated at half a billion tonnes, with a mine life of up to 60 years.

Local farmers and residents, led by CCAG, have waged a protracted campaign to ensure that mining doesn’t damage the plain’s agricultural interests, and are demanding an independent survey of the region’s underground terrain because of fears mining will damage the region’s water resources.

Continue reading Farmers Blockade Driller Access to Prime Farmland in New South Wales to Demand Protection of Water Quality →

Shale Gas Drillers Open Political Offensive in Beaver County

by Randy Shannon

February 26, 2010

Wall Street bankers are investing big bucks in gas drillers as they spread across the state buying up mineral rights and drawing up leases to establish drilling operations. Stock prices of Atlas Energy, Range Resources, and Cabot Oil and Gas are soaring as they race to accumulate ownership of the enormous shale gas deposit in western Pennsylvania.

There are two big issues arising from the exploitation of the state’s shale gas resource. One issue is fair taxation that remunerates the people of the state for the loss of a resource that cannot be replaced. This is the gas severance tax that drillers pay to all states with substantial gas drilling. The other is protection of our water supply without which our property is worthless and our lives are at risk.

Continue reading Gas Drillers Open Political Offensive in Beaver County, Pennsylvania →

Congress to Investigate Safety of Natural Gas Drilling Practice Known as Hydraulic Fracturing

from BBC News

The Trade Unions of Greece have called a 24 hour general strike to protest the austerity measures aimed at workers. It is the second general strike in two weeks and coincides with growing anger at the EU’s response to the crisis.

The action is set to be the biggest since Greece’s socialist government introduced cuts to bring the country’s debt and deficit under control.

Greece has closed airspace to all flights, trains and ferries are standing idle, and archaeological sites have been shut.

The country currently has a spiralling public deficit of 12.7%, more than four times higher than eurozone rules allow.

Continue reading Greek Trade Unions Call 24 hr. General Strike to fight austerity measures aimed at working people →

The Democratic Party’s deceitful game