Global Frac News

Lubicon Lake Nation appeals protest-ending court injunction, Six-month court order stops protest in northern Alberta by CBC News, January 4, 2014 Members of the Lubicon First Nation protested fracking activities near Sawn and Haig Lakes in northern Alberta for about three weeks before a court-granted injunction shut them down. The Lubicon Lake Nation says it will continue to fight ...

Fracking Wells Abandoned in Boom/Bust Cycle. Who Will Pay to Cap Them? Climate Denial Crock of the Week with Peter Sinclair, January 4, 2014 Wyoming May Act to Plug Abandoned Wells as Natural Gas Boom Ends by Dan Frosch, December 24, 2013, The New York Times Hundreds of abandoned drilling wells dot eastern Wyoming like sagebrush, vestiges of ...

The Yukon Government is Fracking Yukoners Again by Don Roberts, January 3, 2014, The Whitehorse Star Click to continue reading “Fracking is not the answer” MLAs poised to start Alberta frac tour by Ainslie Cruickshank, January 3, 2014, The Whitehorse Star Yukon Select Committee Fracking Trip’s Itinerary Released (but as of January 4, still not on the Select ...

First-hand SPOG (Sundre Petroleum Operator’s Group) experience by an adversely affected Albertan, Stewart Shields, who took on Shell, the ERCB (then EUB, now AER) and SPOG’s synergized secrets on the Caroline Sour Gas Cover-Up to the Office of the Information and Privacy Officer and won by Stewart Shields, January 4, 2014 SPOG have been a successful ...

Another apologist for environmental destruction by Peter Becker, Whitehorse energy consultant, December 16, 2013, The Whitehorse Star On 11 Dec. The Whitehorse Star Star syndicated a story by Ezra Levant “Newfoundlanders aren’t getting the fracking truth!” In the story Mr. Levant, without referring to evidence, presented as fact that with the genuine purpose of critisizing gas fracking ...

Legal scholar: “inconceivable” that new Corbett legal tactic will succeed in fracking battle by Chris Potter, January 3, 2014,  on Fri, Jan 3, 2014, Pittsburgh City Paper The argument over Act 13 — the Pennsylvania fracking law so dramatically overturned by the state Supreme Court last month — is far from over. Not only did the Supreme Court send some ...

An opinion for the ages: Pa. Supreme Court strikes a blow for the environment in Act 13 ruling, This may one day be seen as the most important environmental decision ever written by an American jurist  by Bruce Ledewitz, December 26, 2013, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Last week, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held major portions of Pennsylvania’s new natural gas ...

SWN Resources plans to drill exploratory wells in N.B., Provincial government should consult First Nations people first, says former leader by CBC News, January 3, 2014 Susan Levi-Peters, former chief of Elsipogtog First Nation, says if SWN intends to move forward with drilling, she hopes the provincial government will consult with First Nations communities first. “There’s no ...

CBU president defends his approach to fracking review by Cape Breton Post, January 02, 2014 The president of Cape Breton University says an anti-fracking group’s criticism of his approach to a review of the process in Nova Scotia misunderstands the process that is underway. … Last year the province appointed David Wheeler to chair an independent ...

Has the Fracking industry lost Texa? If fracking has lost the heart of Texas, it’s lost the nation by Jennifer Krill, January 3, 2014, Earthworks So when Texans are willing to stand up in open democratic processes – first in Dallas and now in Azle, and say “no” to oil and gas development, it’s a sign that times are a ...

Pennsylvania appeals state Supreme Court ruling on fracking law by Selam Gebrekidan, editing by Andre Grenon, Jan 3, 2014, Reuters The state of Pennsylvania appealed on Thursday against a December decision from the state Supreme Court that struck down parts of an oil and gas law. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court voted 4-2 in mid-December saying key ...

Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? in The best – and worst – energy sector stories of 2013 by Jeffery Jones, December 18, 2013, The Globe and Mail Encana Corp. provided a cure to the common quarterly conference call in February by departing from the dry practice of offering bits of strategy and financial forecasts. It did ...

Reckless pollution of our environment by Robert Griebel, Mountain View Gazette, December 31, 2013 Barry Brace’s letter of Dec. 17 “No explosions in fracturing process” would have us believe that fracturing our underground geology with chemical laced solutions is a perfectly benign and harmless procedure. I would refer him therefore, to an article recently published in the medical journal ...

Safety alert issued over dangers of fracked oil by Andrew Nikiforuk, January 6, 2014, The Tyee.ca The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued an unprecedented safety alert on the transport of hydraulically fractured oil from North Dakota’s booming Bakken oil fields that could also cool Canada’s unconventional oil rush. “Recent derailments and resulting fires indicate that ...

Families seek recourse in lawsuits for natural gas wells considered a nuisance by Dennis Sadowski, December 31, 2013, Catholic News Service When David and Linda Headley bought their 116-acre farm in rural Fayette County near the West Virginia border in 2005, they thought they were buying their dream property, a place to build a home, raise ...

Many reasons to not allow drilling in city by Al Barnhill, President, Able Administration Ltd., December 28, 2013, The Lethbridge Herald Dear Premier Redford: This letter is being written to you in support of the city council of Lethbridge. On Nov. 13, 2012, council unanimously passed a motion opposing Goldenkey’s proposed oil well drilling/fracking/flaring within this city’s ...

Detailed scoping report: Potential public health impacts of natural gas development and production in the Marcellus Shale in Western Maryland by University of Maryland, December 2013 Below is the draft detailed scoping report   for public comment.  The comment period will be open for 30 days, until January 24, 2014.  The report describes the overall scoping ...

Is there a monitor in New Brunswick? – One month later, aquifer still broken due to SWN’s seismic testing. Energy Minister blames protesters by Miles Howe, December 14, 2013, Halifax Media Coop. As of December 17th, north of Pleasant Ridge Road, near the town of Rogersville, New Brunswick, water continued to flow out of a near-surface ...

Secret Memo Casts Doubt on Feds’ Claims for Science Library Closures, Goal stated is ‘culling’ research, not preserving and sharing through digitization by Andrew Nikiforuk, December 30, 2013, TheTyee.ca A federal document marked “secret” obtained by Postmedia News indicating the closure or destruction of more than half a dozen world famous science libraries has little if anything to do with digitizing books as ...

Scientists Find 7,300-Mile Mercury Contamination ‘Bullseye’ Around Canadian Tar Sands by Emily Atkin, December 30, 2013, Think Progress Researchers find 7,300-sq-mile ring of mercury around tar sands in Canada by Peter Moskowitz, December 29, 2013, Aljazeera Bitumen in the tar sands being excavated to produce oil is the likely culprit of the mercury deposits Mercury levels rising in expanse ...

USGS study: methane common in groundwater of New York’s Southern Tier by Marie Cusick, December 17, 2013, State Impact Pennsylvania Naturally-occurring methane is common in groundwater supplies throughout south-central New York, according to a study published today by the U.S. Geological Survey. … USGS hydrologist and lead author Paul Heisig says it was important to establish ...

Exodus of top officials halted progressive sour gas regulations by Stephen Hume, December 29, 2013, Vancouver Sun In the summer of 2010, faced with increasing public concern about the proximity of natural gas wells producing “sour” hydrogen sulfide, the provincial government announced it was imposing setbacks and enhanced management zones of two kilometres around schools and ...

Hydraulic Fracking Challenged by Jan Rose, December 28, 2013, in Policy & Politics, Green Action News Jessica Ernst Appeals Court Ruling, Oil patch consultant challenges decision granting Alberta Energy Regulator immunity from damage claims by Andrew Nikiforuk, December 21, 2013, TheTyee.ca “The Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench has ruled that in this case, the energy regulator is virtually ...

Alberta gas company pleads guilty, fined after pipeline leak by The Canadian Press, December 27, 2013, Calgary Herald A Calgary-based natural gas company will pay $350,000 in fines after pleading guilty to a pipeline leak that killed hundreds of fish and damaged a creek in northern Alberta. SemCAMS ULC made the plea after 850,000 litres of ...

MYSTERIES OF B.C. Questions linger about Encana bombings by Sunny Dhillon, December 27, 2013, The Globe and Mail The B.C. energy project that made national news five years ago wasn’t an oil operation proposed by Enbridge or Kinder Morgan – it was natural gas sites owned by Encana Corp., six of which were targeted by bombings near ...

Home gas ranges produce toxic gases, Lawrence Berkeley Lab study says by Lisa M. Krieger, December 25, 2013, Mercury News Air pollution isn’t just an outdoor problem. Unhealthy fumes may be emitted inside your own home if you’re cooking over an unvented gas stove. Almost two-thirds of California households using ...

Families Seek Court Injunction Against Tar Sands Producer, Alberta Energy Regulator probe into Peace River emissions sparked in part by Tyee investigation by Andrew Nikiforuk, December 26, 2013, TheTyee.ca Two of five families forced from their homes by chronic air pollution from oil sands facilities in Peace River have filed a court injection to stop Baytex ...

Thank you for your courage Dr. Al Armendariz and Steve and Shyla Lipsky by TXSHARON, December 24, 2013, Bluedaze On December 7, 2010, the Frackers Receive Imminent and Substantial Endangerment Order from EPA. On December 24, 2013, the Inspector General report justified EPA in Parker County fracking intervention and vindicated Dr. Al Armendariz for issuing that order. Yee Haw! In all ...

Great Canadian Game Changers by alternativesjournal.ca, December 2013, Volume 39, Number 6 Snap: Great Canadian Game Changers Cover, Page 34 in Alternatives Journal Vol. 39, No. 6 [Refer also to: Questions linger about Encana bombings; Why is The Globe and Mail reporting on the bombings now, 4.5 years later and why leave out Encana’s sordid history? Jessica Ernst Appeals ...

It’s hypocritical to sue tobacco firms but allow drilling by Mary Seibert, December 22, 2013, Lethbridge Herald Children in the past, imprisoned in the vehicles of parents who smoked, had no choice but to inhale the toxic secondhand smoke of their either ill-informed or just plain belligerent parents. Innocent people in Lethbridge, if Goldenkey gets its OK, ...

More than 75 Alberta environmental regulators now paid by energy industry by Sheila Pratt, December 23, 2013 More than 75 environment officers who watched over oil industry activities left the provincial environment department this fall, to take higher paying jobs with the new industry-funded Alberta Energy Regulator. Another 75-plus are expected to leave in the spring. ...

2013 Look Back: EPA abandons Pavillion investigation into fracking and groundwater contamination by Benjamin Storrow, December 23, 2013, Star-Tribune Where things stand: The state has tasked the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and the Department of Environmental Quality with completing the investigation. Coming in 2014: Three reports are due out in 2014: on disposal pits, ...

Landmark Chemicals Case May Embolden EPA by Lawrence Culleen, Arnold & Porter LLP, December 19, 2013, Law360 An appeal has been requested by Elementis Chromium Inc., following a Nov. 12, 2013, opinion issued by the chief administrative law judge for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency imposing a $2.5 million penalty against the only U.S. producer of ...

‘Naturally Occurring’ Pollutants From Fracking Called ‘Serious Concern’ by Dan Heyman, December 20, 2013, Public News Service – AR Many Arkansans are concerned about the fluids natural-gas drillers pump underground for hydraulic fracturing. But researchers say naturally occurring chemicals, some radioactive, coming out of the wells may be more of an issue. Avner Vengosh, a professor ...

EU shelves plans to introduce stricter regulations on fracking for shale gas by Tom McTague, December 20, 2013, Daily Mirror The Prime Minister had written to EU president José Manuel Barroso warning him the move would hamper investment and cost jobs. And after the rethink, David Cameron said:  “I was just very worried that while we ...

BP, Chevron Accused Of Illegally Dumping Toxic Radioactive Drilling Waste Into Louisiana Water by Emily Atkin, December 20, 2013, Think Progress The Louisiana parish of Plaquemines is taking on a group of oil and gas giants including BP and Chevron for allegedly dumping toxic waste — some of it radioactive — from their drilling operations into ...

Canadian Courts Dismiss Protection for Owners of Polluted Lands & Waters, A horrible decision against Jessica Ernst, Landowner, Rosebud, Alberta, Canada article by S. Tom Bond, Retired Chemistry Professor and Resident Farmer, November 8, 2013, posted by Duane Nicols, FrackCheck WV Alberta, Canada, is a province lying in and east of the Rocky Mountains, north of ...

EPA FRACKING STUDY – Thought you should know by Dory Hippauf, December 21, 2013, No Fracking Way Regarding the EPA hydraulic fracturing study and at the attendees list for the Dec 9, 2013 Round table meeting: … There were a total of 36 participants and 2 observers. Of that: 19 participants are from fossil fuel industry, including 2 from ...

University of Michigan researchers: Turn down the volume for health’s sake by Ann Arbor Journal, December 20, 2013 As the nation continues to focus on health care prevention through reform, one cause of serious illness and even death gets ignored — environmental noise pollution. Researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and the ...

Silence isn’t golden, says local anti-drilling group by Delon Shurtz, December 21, 2013, Lethbridge Herald Even though Lethbridge West MLA Bridget Pastoor has already voiced her opposition to oil and gas drilling in Lethbridge, a Lethbridge group isn’t convinced her heart is really in it. Trevor Page, communications director for KLEW, Kainai Lethbridge Earth Watch, says ...

The often-ignored facts about Elsipogtog, The majority of Canadians have been woefully under-informed about what is really going in Elsipogtog by Chelsea Vowel , November 14, 2013, Toronto Star The majority of Canadians have been woefully under-informed ...

“By any responsible account,” Chief Justice Castille wrote, “the exploitation of the Marcellus Shale Formation will produce a detrimental effect on the environment, on the people, their children, and the future generations, and potentially on the public purse, perhaps rivaling the environmental effects of coal extraction.” Pennsylvania Supreme Court declares portions of shale-drilling law unconstitutional by Don ...

NYC Comptroller-elect files in support of fracking bans by Scott Waldman, December 18, 2013, Capital New York New York City Comptroller-elect Scott Stringer will file an amicus brief today in an upstate court battle over a community’s right to enact a fracking ban within its borders. Stringer’s brief argues on behalf of Dryden, an upstate town ...

Cancer cases cry out for study by The Calgary Herald, December 17, 2013 It’s been a decade since Dr. John O’Connor sounded alarm bells over the elevated cancer rates at Fort Chipewyan, yet no independent study has been done to determine what may be causing them. The Alberta government’s impending release of the latest information on ...

First criminal case against a Shale firm opens by Andrew Maykuth, December 19, 2013, Inquirer WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – A former state environmental inspector indicated Wednesday that there was evidence of previous, unreported spills on a Marcellus Shale gas drilling site where he discovered toxic wastewater gushing onto the ground in 2010. Jeremy Daniel, 32, an inspector ...

Beyond fracking: University of Wyoming scientists look for ways to boost oil and gas production by Benjamin Storrow, December 18, 2013, Wyoming Star Tribune Scientists at the University of Wyoming are looking at new ways to improve oil and gas recovery even further. … Techniques like fracking and horizontal drilling usually help recover between 4 to ...

Wyo. officials say reports in investigation on contaminated water near Pavillion delayed by The Associated Press, December 18, 2013, Casper Star Tribune Residents near Pavillion will have to wait longer to find out more about what might have caused contamination in their well water. State officials told residents at a meeting Tuesday that two reports due ...

Fracking realities by Prof Andrew 
Watterson, December 19, 2013, scotsman Your illuminating report on the fracking map for Scotland (18 December) highlights a number of major issues. AMEC, the consultancy firm chosen by the UK government to assess the effects of fracking, is one that has done much work for oil companies such as BP and ...

Judge hears case on Loveland fracking vote, 8th Judicial District Court Judge Daniel Kaup says he will issue a written ruling within 30 days by Jessica Maher, December 18, 2013, Reporter-Herald A vote in Loveland on a two-year fracking moratorium is now in the hands of the 8th Judicial District Court judge who heard hours of ...

Rock stars take up the battle against fracking coal seam gas by Northern Star, December 19, 2013 COAL seam gas drilling obviously doesn’t make English-born pop star Leo Sayer feel like dancing. The musician best known for 1970s and ’80s disco hits such as You Make Me Feel Like Dancing has recorded a new song, featuring ...

Bankrupt fracking company sues Cuomo Administration over delays by Karen DeWitt, December 19, 2013, North Country Public Radio A bankrupt energy company is suing the Cuomo Administration over the long delayed decision on whether to allow hydrofracking in New York. Their attorney says the action was prompted by remarks made by Governor Cuomo and his Health ...

Nothing to warn about? UK may legalize fracking under homes without prior warning by rt.com, December 19, 2013 Hydraulic fracturing may soon take place under thousands of homes across the United Kingdom without their owners’ knowledge. Based on a proposed law change the burden of notifying homeowners will be lifted from energy companies, the Guardian reports. Planning Minister Nick Boles said ...

Industry PR group Energy In Depth calls University of Missouri and USGS ‘fracking’ study ‘inflammatory’, Research cited chemicals issue by Andrew Denney, December 18, 2013, Columbia Daily Tribune An advocacy group for oil and natural gas producers is criticizing what it calls an “inflammatory” study released this week by researchers from the University of Missouri and ...

Outcome of Broomfield fracking fight waits for Colorado Supreme Court ruling by Cathy Proctor, December 18, 2013, Denver Business Journal A fight over the fate of a Broomfield ballot measure that would ban fracking in the city is on hold. Following a recount, the “yes” vote on the city measure in last month’s election was leading ...

Faced with injunction, Lubicon ponder next move by APTN National News, December 18, 2013 Lubicon Lake Nation members involved in a blockade against energy firm Penn West are still mulling what to do in response to an injunction ordering them to take down their anti-fracking camp. A Calgary judge granted Penn West Petroleum a six-month injunction ...

Nearby frack job investigated in leak at well by Dennis Webb, December 16, 2013, The Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, Colorado State oil and gas personnel are trying to determine whether hydraulic fracturing of a horizontal well outside De Beque is responsible for water and gas flowing from a non-producing vertical well a half-mile away. Todd Hartman, ...

Are pro-fracking online comments coming from paid shills? IP address search returns interesting results by David Accomazzo, December 16, 2013, Bolder Weekly Here at Boulder Weekly, we welcome robust discussion of our stories. We hope that whenever we tackle an issue in an article, those with opinions from all sides of the political spectrum can come ...

Alberta family, the Daunheimers near Didsbury, are suing Angle Energy Incorporated for $13 million for harm to health, property and water by Dan Singleton, December 17, 2013, Mountain View Gazette A Didsbury-area family is suing Angle Energy Incorporated for more than $13,000,000, according to court documents. The 11-page statement of claim filed on Dec. 6 contends that on ‘numerous ...

Fracking waste disposal on farmland questioned December 16, 2013, Radio New Zealand News The Canadian province of Alberta has contradicted the claims of the Taranaki Regional Council that it allows fracking waste to be applied to farms. In Taranaki the waste is from fracking is controversially being applied to farmland – an operation known as land-farming. ...

No hydrofracking waste on roads or in treatment plants in Onondaga County, legislators unanimously decide by Glenn Coin, December 17, 2013, Syracuse,com The salty fluids from hydrofracking will be banned from roads and treatment plants in Onondaga County starting Jan. 1. With no discussion, the county Legislature today unanimously approved a law that forbids the treatment ...

Judge Delays Lubicon Hearing For Application by PennWest To Get Blockade To Move by The Canadian Press, December 14, 2013 LITTLE BUFFALO, Alta. – A anti-fracking blockade of an energy company’s drilling site in northern Alberta will continue over the weekend after the protesters say a judge delayed hearing an application to get them to move. ...

Water Buffalo Battle Comes to an End by Jon Meyer, December 16, 2013, FRANKLIN FORKS — A battle between a natural gas drilling company and homeowners over water buffalos has come to an end in Susquehanna County. WPX Energy now says two homes in Franklin Forks can keep the water tanks. They were first delivered by the ...

Gros Morne fracking proponent loses exploration licence, Company says C-NLOPB made decision without completing environmental rules for national park by CBC News, December 13, 2013 Shoal Point Energy’s bid to extend its exploration licence off the coast of Gros Morne National Park has been rejected. Shoal Point Energy, which has drawn public criticism for a fracking proposal ...

Taxpayers to pay for fracking pollution if companies go bust, Minister rejects proposal to amend regulations to make companies sign a bond to pay for potential pollution incidents by Adam Vaughan, December 11, 2013, theguardian.com Taxpayers will pay to clean up any pollution caused by fracking if the companies go bankrupt, after a proposal to make ...

Rural N.Y. Communities Use Fracking Waste to De-Ice Roads by Scott Martelle, December 9, 2013, truthdig.com What the hell are they thinking? Several rural communities and counties in New York have received permission from state regulators—despite a state fracking moratorium and a warning from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency—to spread fracking waste brine on roads as ...

Dallas hoping to ban natural gas drilling by myfoxdfw.com, December 11, 2013 While there is an oil and gas boom all around North Texas, there is not a single natural gas well in Dallas and new rules may make sure it never happens. The city council votes Wednesday on new regulations. Some members want a 1,500 ...

Company fined $30,000 for waiting 2 hours to call authorities after diesel spill by Sherri Zickefoose, December 10, 2013, Calgary Herald A Calgary property management company has been hit with a steep fine for waiting two hours before calling authorities after spilling 300 litres of diesel on top of a downtown office tower. Brookfield Properties Management ...

Department of Natural Resources to decide if Canadian company Encana can drill for oil and gas near Au Sable River Holy Waters corridor by Cole Waterman, December 11, 2013, mlive.com An emotional battle is brewing on the shores of the Au Sable River — one that pits property owners, nature lovers and environmentalists against the Michigan ...

Fracking up the cement industry by Global Cement, December 11, 2013 Water conservation is on the agenda this week with two water-related news stories from the multinational cement producers. First came a story that Lafarge Canada is preparing to run a trial using waste water from hydraulic fracking at its Brookfield cement plant in Nova Scotia. ...

North Dakota grapples with waste, Industry, regulators try to determine what to do with all the oil field dregs by Maxine Herr, December 8, 2013, Petroleum News Bakken Vol. 18, No. 49 With county officials in North Dakota reluctant to approve special waste landfills, oil companies are forced to haul waste to neighboring counties or out ...

Family of man killed in Texas oilfield truck accident wins $281 million negligence lawsuit by The Associated Press, December 8, 2013, Daily Journal CARRIZO SPRINGS, Texas — The family of a man killed by a part breaking off a truck doing Eagle Ford Shale oilfield work has won a $281 million lawsuit judgment from a South Texas ...

Source of Fox Chapel leak is old oil well, DEP says by Robert Zullo, December 9, 2013, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette A Fox Chapel family has been unable to return to their home for nearly 10 days as officials work to determine the source of  oil that seeped into their yard and flooded the area with fumes over ...

Do we, as with smoking, keep fracking until it’s proven dangerous? by Ross Dabrusin, December 10, 2013, Mountain View Gazette Or should we put a stop to fracking until independent scientific study has determined how and whether this process can be made safe?

Assurance from AGL by Wingham Chronicle, December 11, 2013 BRUCE Robertson, an analyst turned local farmer, holds grave fears for the safety of the Gloucester locals as AGL moves closer to fracking four coal seam gas wells at Waukivory near Gloucester. … Bruce has done considerable research into the project and discovered that at the same ...

Neil Young plans ‘Honor the Treaties’ benefit concerts by USATODAY, December 9, 2013 He will be joined by Diana Krall in January concerts, in Canada, raising money for the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation legal defense fund. Neil Young announced Monday that he will perform four benefit concerts in his native Canada to raise funds for a legal defense ...

Brian Gable of the Globe and Mail picks his top 2013 cartoons December 5, 2013, The Globe and Mail MUST WATCH: Catastrophe Lac Mégantic by Adrien Aubert December 8, 2013 Quebec honours Lac-Mégantic first responders Firefighters, paramedics, police and Red Cross volunteers were given medals for their service December 7, 2013 Lac-Mégantic lacks control over what ships ...

Freedom of Expression Before Environmental Regulators? by Dianne Saxe & Meredith James, December 5, 2013, SLAW Canada’s Online Legal Magazine Environmental regulators and tribunals bear substantial responsibilities and make important decisions regarding development in Canada. If they won’t listen to opponents of a project, will they breach the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?  The issue has been raised before ...

FRACKDOWN in Newfoundland! THURSDAY DEC 12th 2-6 pm MAYFIELD SOCCER PITCH/THE DOME STEPHENVILLE, NL A Citizens Forum…Music…Speakers…Ecumenical – Insure our Charter of Rights & Freedoms, Support New Brunswick, Ban Fracking Canada-Wide  Journalism group backs anti-fracking protest reporter by Selena Ross, December 7, 2013, The Chronicle Herald A national journalism association has called on the RCMP to “stop harassing” a Halifax reporter. Freedom of ...

Chevron halts Romania shale work after protest by Bogdan Cristel, December 7, 2013, Reuters U.S. oil major Chevron halted exploration works for shale gas in eastern Romania for the second time in two months on Saturday after anti-fracking protesters broke through wire mesh fences around the site. Thousands of people have rallied across Romania in recent ...

LISTEN: Ian Jessop interviews Jessica Ernst December 4, 2013, CFAX 1070

Fracking at least 100 Years Old in Alberta by David Finch, December 4, 2013, Calgary Herald “Nitro shooting” enhanced production at the Dingman No. 1 Discovery Well in 1914. They called it “shooting” 100 years ago – the process of opening up the geological formations to entice the oil to flow from the ground. Today it’s ...

Chiefs of Ontario say no to fracking by Tom Sasvari with files by Michael Erskine, December 6, 2013, Manitoulin.ca The Chiefs of Ontario have made it clear they are opposed to fracking taking place anywhere in Ontario, including Manitoulin. “We are not going to allow it,” stated Patrick Madahbee, grand council chief of the Anishinabek First Nation ...

Arbitration Possible for Hydrofracking Dispute by Rose Bouboushian, December 5, 2013, Courthouse News Service Oil and gas giant Chesapeake Energy cannot yet arbitrate claims that its “ultrahazardous” hydraulic fracturing made groundwater flammable in Pennsylvania, a federal judge ruled. The dispute stems from a 2008 oil and gas lease that gave Chesapeake Appalachia five years to drill ...

Drilling grilling, Dissent was the key message heard by Goldenkey Oil Inc. by Katie May, December 6, 2013, Lethbridge Herald Dissent was the key message a Calgary-based oil company heard during a second public consultation session in Lethbridge Thursday evening. A steady stream of local residents stopped by the Lethbridge Lodge Hotel to share their opinions ...

Shah cites ‘new data’ for fracking delay by Scott Waldman and Dan Goldberg, December 3, 2013, Capital Pro ALBANY —  Though state health commissioner Nirav Shah has been traveling the country studying fracking for a year, he’s still not ready to say whether it’s safe for New Yorkers. “Hydrofracking is an evolving science and just in ...

Drilling Grilling:  We don’t want you here; a group of Hells Angels would be more welcome by Katie May, December 6, 2013, Lethbridge Herald Dissent was the key message a Calgary-based oil company heard during a second public consultation session in Lethbridge Thursday evening. A steady stream of local residents stopped by the Lethbridge Lodge Hotel to share ...

Village of Longview signs precedent setting water testing agreement with Legacy Oil & Gas Ltd. Media Release by Kathie Selbie, December 5, 2013 Residents of the Village of Longview, Alberta, located 30 minutes south of Calgary are breathing a big sigh of relief now that the municipal drinking water supply is some of the most monitored ...

Harvard fracking study rings methane alarm bells in Australia by Peter Hennam, November 27, 2013, The Sydney Morning Herald Australia’s coal seam gas industry has rejected a peer-reviewed report that suggests greenhouse gas emissions from drilling and fracking are 50 per cent worse than thought. The Harvard University-led study found methane leaks from the US fossil ...

DEP studying oozing soil near western Pa. home that required evacuation by The Associated Press, December 2, 2013, ydr.com Pennsylvania The state Department of Environmental Protection planned to return to a home near Pittsburgh that had to be evacuated after a dark liquid oozed from the home’s front yard accompanied by a natural gas smell. Sunoco Logistics ...

Dixie family finds their tap water is flammable by Victoria Shirley, December 2, 2013, KSLA NEWS 12 A Dixie family made a startling discovery recently when they lit a flame next to the water coming out of their household faucet and it burst into flames.  They don’t live far from a natural gas drilling site, but ...

ConocoPhillips chemical data falls short by CBC News, December 2, 2013 ConocoPhillips says it has revealed every chemical it plans to pump into two ...

Lubicon First Nation files lawsuit against Calgary-based PennWest over fracking by Bob Weber, Canadian Press, December 2, 2013, Calgary Herald An Alberta First Nation that has been fighting for a reserve for decades has asked for an injunction against a Calgary energy company to stop drilling on lands the group seeks to claim. The lawsuit, filed ...

BC Regulator Sued for Water Act Violations Related to Fracking Industry by Tim McSorley, November 30, 2013, Desmogblog.ca Three environmental organizations are taking aim at what they call the “systemic” contravening of British Colombia water usage laws in favour of the province’s natural gas industry. … The lawsuit is being brought by environmental law charity Ecojustice ...

Massachusetts seeks 10-yr ban on gas fracking after series of Texas quakes by rt.com, November 30, 2013 An environmental committee at Massachusetts Statehouse has approved a bill, imposing a 10-year ban on fracking for natural gas. The move comes as a wave of earthquakes in Texas has raised new concerns over the controversial drilling technique. The ...

In contract, emails and meetings, Alberta officials ensured ‘independent’ pipeline safety review wouldn’t look at enforcement by Leslie Young, November 28, 2013, Global News The Alberta energy regulator’s review of pipeline safety, commissioned after multiple pipeline accidents in 2011 and 2012, was explicitly designed to not look at any pipeline incidents or investigations. And regulator officials ...

Federal government not ready to reduce pollution from oil companies by Mike de Souza, November 25, 2013, Calgary Herald “We want to get this right for Canada and when I’m ready to release this information that will be released publicly,” said Aglukkaq in response to questions from opposition New Democrats and Liberals at a parliamentary committee. ...

Radon — #9 In “Top 10 Toxic Ingredients Used By The Fossil Fuel Industries” Series (2nd of a 10-part series) by Don Lieber, November 29, 2013, Planetsave Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas which causes lung cancer. It is the second largest cause of lung cancer in the US after cigarette smoking. About 20,000 ...

Baytex likely headed to court over emissions by Kelly Cryderman, November 28, 2013, The Globe and Mail Farming families in northwestern Alberta say a dispute with a heavy-oil producer over emissions and odours is likely headed to court after the company refused this month to halt its operations. The case relates to broader environmental concerns that ...

Apache spills another 1.8 million litres of toxic wastewater near Zama, Third pipeline leak discovered in northern Alberta by Meagan Wohlberg, November 29, 2013, Westcoastnativenews.com Just one week after Apache Canada announced it had determined the cause of the largest pipeline spill in recent North American history, a third leak was discovered on the company’s property ...

France rejects Hess bid to explore for shale oil/gas by Reuters, November 28, 2013 France has rejected a request by U.S. firm Hess Corp. to explore for shale oil and gas near Paris, the energy minister said, despite assurances it would not use the fracking process banned by law. Hess sought to take over seven permits ...