Tag: fracking

Conservative Republican legislator/geologist explains a huge problem with fracking

March 5, 2013 at 10:13 amCategory:Uncategorized

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Picture of Richard Glyndon CatlinReporter John Murawski has a fascinating story in the morning’s edition of Raleigh’s News & Observer in which he explains one of the enormous and unsolved problems with fracking: What to do with the waste.

According to the story, the current plan for the would-be frackers in North Carolina is to truck all of the millions upon millions of gallons of toxic chemicals that would be produced via fracking in the Piedmont down east to be injected underground.

But a conservative Republican lawmaker from that area who also happens to be a hydrogeologist is quoted in the story as saying this is a terrible idea. Read More…

Article shines light on state’s strange, Tea Partying Mining Commissioner

February 21, 2013 at 7:10 amCategory:Uncategorized

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In case you missed it, Indy Week’s Billy Ball has a fascinating and disturbing story about the Chairman of North Carolina’s Mining and Energy Commission, Lee County Commissioner Jim Womack.

According to Ball’s story, in addition to his two public roles, Womack is also a fire-breathing, Tea Partying blogger at a website known as ”Lee County’s Top Political Blog,” which the article describes as:

“an on-again, off-again haven for like-minded right-wingers to publish manifestos on local, state and national politics. Multiple authors, writing mostly anonymously as Founding Fathers, fire off diatribes that savage their political enemies.”

Ball reports that one author (who many believe to be Womack), writes posts under a number of pseudonyms — including “James Madison.” Here is an excerpt from one such post from September of 2011:

“Did you hear? Our benevolent imperial imam Barack Hussein Obama is coming to North Carolina. Hey Governess Perdue, what are you going to be doing Wednesday? Hanging out with your buddy Barack? That should provide a real lift to your re-election campaign! I’ll bet Pat McCrory is just green with envy.” Read More…

Conservatives announce new sea-level rise response

November 28, 2012 at 4:43 pmCategory:Uncategorized

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RALEIGH – Bowing to new and overwhelming evidence from the scientific community and the powerful impacts of recent catastrophic weather events, North Carolina conservative political leaders announced today that they are willing to accept the reality of sea-level rise, while at the same time proposing a plan to deal with it.

“It does appear  that some coastal tidal patterns have started to shift slightly,” said State Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger. “And regardless of whether this is the result of direct intervention by the Almighty or, as I believe, over-regulation of offshore drilling which has prevented ocean floors from subsiding to their appropriate levels, it does appear it’s time to act.”

Berger went on to say that he and colleague House Speaker Thom Tillis will introduce legislation during the 2013 session of the General Assembly to be entitled the “Personal Water-Level Mitigation Choice and Responsibility Act.” Under the multi-faceted proposal, individual taxpayers would, among other things, be able to establish tax-free savings accounts in which they would be able to shelter income for future use in dealing with coastal storms and rising seas. Read More…

McCrory’s Energy “To Do” List – for the People or Big Business?

November 9, 2012 at 2:24 pmCategory:Uncategorized

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Governor-elect Pat McCrory will make significant decisions on energy issues, especially in year one of his term. These choices will shape our energy future and have a direct impact on North Carolinians and our environment. But given McCrory’s 29 years at Duke Energy, will he show predilection for the energy industry or will he ensure full deliberation and consider what’s good for all of us? Read More…

A big fracking conflict

August 6, 2012 at 8:21 amCategory:Uncategorized

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The Fayetteville Observer got it right over the weekend with this editorial:

“After all the ethical disasters the General Assembly has seen in the past few years, House Speaker Thom Tillis should have the definition of conflict on the tip of his tongue.

He doesn’t. In fact, he may be clueless.

How else could he have named Sanford businessman Ray Covington to the new Energy and Mining Commission? That’s the body that will come up with guidelines and safety regulations for natural-gas extraction in North Carolina by the hydraulic-fracturing method – fracking….”

Read the entire editorial by clicking here.