Regulatory Agency Capture in Action, EPA to Fracking Victims: Drop Dead by Lisa Barr, May 11, 2012, Counter Punch
Both Sautners had many reasons to cuss that day, including: The condescending demeanor and words of the EPA and PA officials (watch the ENTIRE video); Statements that officials would not drink the Sautners’ (newly deemed) ‘safe’ water because they may have done something to their own water (Watch Trish Taylor in the video at 25:26); Claims the Sautners have a history of ‘bacteria’ problems with their well (not true, and even if it were true–many people in the Marcellus region opt out of treating ‘iron bacteria’ choliform colonies with yearly chlorine ‘shock’ treatments or year-round ultra-violet lights; The PA ‘Sort of a Toxicologist’ claims (twice 30:36 and 30:47) that Craig had somehow fixed a door so that the industry-captured-regulators could not leave the Sautner’s house (as if anyone would such duplicitous guests to STAY?); Claims that Methane in their home well is not a health hazard (though it ‘may’ be a fire hazard). … But, the Sautners are fine, for now. You wonder how they bear up under all this pressure. All this bullshit. The township of Dimock refused to sign a ‘mutual aid’ agreement to let the City of Binghamton bring them clean water. Just to be mean. (I have that on videotape as well.) There is a court case ongoing regarding the removal of a state-ordered water supply to their home. … This is what I call a fracked society. No one seems to know how to behave. Least of all the EPA. They are still refusing to give the Sautners what they requested after hearing all the double-speak about ‘new protocols’ for lab testing, ya dada ya dada: the original sample results before the ‘detect’ levels were raised. Simple data.