May 12th, 2014
Oil and Gas Spills and BLM Ills: It’s Time for the People’s Lobby Week!
By Katherine Cirullo
On Monday, Mike Soraghan of E&E EnergyWire revealed that in 2013, the number of oil and gas related spills increased by 18 percent, despite the fact that the rate of drilling actually began to level off. In a similar vein, the Associated Press recently reported findings from the new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report: the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has failed to inspect a large number of high-risk oil and gas wells on pubic lands. Think regulations are enough to prevent fracking from affecting the environment and the health of American communities? Just in time for the People’s Lobby Week against fracking, it is imperative that you consider the facts and think again.
On one hand, data shows a major increase in oil and gas spills in the top 15 on-shore drilling states. In 2013 there were at least 7,662 spills, averaging slightly over 20 spills per day. The combined volume of spilled oil, fracking fluid, fracking wastewater and other substances surpassed 26 million gallons — that’s 26 million gallons of toxic substances more than our waterways and our communities should be forced to tolerate.
On the other hand, there is data showing grossly inadequate government oversight of oil and gas drilling. In a review of 14 states, the GAO reports findings that for wells drilled from 2009 to 2012, the BLM failed to conduct inspections on more than 2,100 of the 3,702 wells that it had specified as “high-priority” for preventing water contamination and other environmental damage. The BLM, the very agency that is supposed to preserve and protect our public lands (and act as a dependable source of federal oversight), just isn’t pulling through.
Call me captain obvious, but both of these sets of information are quite concerning. The oil and gas industry is operating at a pace that cash-strapped federal and state governments can’t keep up with. Such a substantial gap in oversight of drilling on public lands is not acceptable. Federal and Native American lands should be protected for future generations, not exploited for the oil and gas industry’s private gain.
Moreover, EnergyWire’s findings on spill rates (which accounts for spills on both public and private lands) refute claims that oil and gas companies are working to increase regulations and decrease accidents. The data plainly shows that oil and gas spills are increasing at a very unsafe rate. In Ohio, for instance, spills have doubled.
When fracking cannot be totally regulated, we all pay the price — accidents, leaks, spills, and air and water contamination affect everyone. But remember! There’s work that can be done to stop the oil and gas industry from expanding and harming the environment and American communities.
Food & Water Watch recently rolled out the People’s Platform Against Fracking, a toolkit you can use to combat the oil and gas industry by informing our lawmakers about the steps they should take to stop this destructive practice. This week (May 12-16) we’re coordinating the People’s Lobby Week, where concerned Americans like you will meet with their congressional representatives to ask them to support this platform.
Let’s protect our air, water, public lands and communities. Let’s put an end to fracking, because regulations aren’t enough.
Sign up for the People’s Lobby Week here.
On Monday, Mike Soraghan of E&E EnergyWire revealed that in 2013, the number of oil and gas related spills increased by 18 percent, despite the fact that the rate of drilling actually began to level off. In a similar vein, the Associated Press recently reported findings from the new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report: the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has failed to inspect a large number of high-risk oil and gas wells on pubic lands. Think regulations are enough to prevent fracking from affecting the environment and the health of American communities? Just in time for the People’s Lobby Week against fracking, it is imperative that you consider the facts and think again.
On one hand, data shows a major increase in oil and gas spills in the top 15 on-shore drilling states. In 2013 there were at least 7,662 spills, averaging slightly over 20 spills per day. The combined volume of spilled oil, fracking fluid, fracking wastewater and other substances surpassed 26 million gallons — that’s 26 million gallons of toxic substances more than our waterways and our communities should be forced to tolerate.
On the other hand, there is data showing grossly inadequate government oversight of oil and gas drilling. In a review of 14 states, the GAO reports findings that for wells drilled from 2009 to 2012, the BLM failed to conduct inspections on more than 2,100 of the 3,702 wells that it had specified as “high-priority” for preventing water contamination and other environmental damage. The BLM, the very agency that is supposed to preserve and protect our public lands (and act as a dependable source of federal oversight), just isn’t pulling through.
Call me captain obvious, but both of these sets of information are quite concerning. The oil and gas industry is operating at a pace that cash-strapped federal and state governments can’t keep up with. Such a substantial gap in oversight of drilling on public lands is not acceptable. Federal and Native American lands should be protected for future generations, not exploited for the oil and gas industry’s private gain.
Moreover, EnergyWire’s findings on spill rates (which accounts for spills on both public and private lands) refute claims that oil and gas companies are working to increase regulations and decrease accidents. The data plainly shows that oil and gas spills are increasing at a very unsafe rate. In Ohio, for instance, spills have doubled.
When fracking cannot be totally regulated, we all pay the price — accidents, leaks, spills, and air and water contamination affect everyone. But remember! There’s work that can be done to stop the oil and gas industry from expanding and harming the environment and American communities.
Food & Water Watch recently rolled out the People’s Platform Against Fracking, a toolkit you can use to combat the oil and gas industry by informing our lawmakers about the steps they should take to stop this destructive practice. This week (May 12-16) we’re coordinating the People’s Lobby Week, where concerned Americans like you will meet with their congressional representatives to ask them to support this platform.
Let’s protect our air, water, public lands and communities. Let’s put an end to fracking, because regulations aren’t enough.
Sign up for the People’s Lobby Week here.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment