Tag: fracking
May 21, 2012 at 8:57 amCategory:Uncategorized
The General Assembly returned to Raleigh last week and a controversial method of natural gas drilling – known as fracking – is already on the Republican agenda with the introduction of the Clean Energy and Economic Security Act – S820 (don’t be fooled by the title). A recent development in the gas industry may foretell the future of the most cavalier of gas companies. Read More…
May 21, 2012 at 8:08 amCategory:Uncategorized
Chris’ “Monday Numbers” column this morning recounts some of the sobering facts about fracking that make any rush to an affirmative judgment on the controversial natural gas extraction technique (recently banned in Vermont) a fool’s errand.
Meanwhile, the Greenville Daily Reflector also weighs in on the subject this morning with a similarly skeptical take:
Until North Carolina knows that for certain, however, it makes sense to allow research and determine the necessary regulations to ensure protection of drinking water near fracking sites. The General Assembly has two bills with competing approaches to this issue and backing a measure that moves hastily to allow the process would be a grave mistake.
Finally, in case you missed it over the weekend, the Asheville Citizen-Times spoke up with great coherence about the evils that the U.S. Supreme Court unleashed two-and-a-half-years ago with its decision in the Citizens United case. The CT rightfully calls on the court to fashion a do-over in a new Montana case and highlights the local ill-effects of Super PAC madness in western North Carolina.
May 16, 2012 at 1:33 pmCategory:Uncategorized
Word has it that right-wingers in the General Assembly may use the first days of the 2012 short session to push new legislation to quickly expedite the legalization of the controversial natural gas drilling technique known as fracking that is currently illegal in North Carolina. (As an aside. environmental advocates will be pushing back next Monday with a “Lobby Night” at the General Assembly).
Here are a few reasons this is clearly a bit of shameless and misguided political theater: Read More…
May 1, 2012 at 11:25 amCategory:Uncategorized
With May settling in, we take a look back at a few moments in the past month of politics and policy issues that really affected North Carolinians: From budget cuts that leave schools with fewer resources to President Obama visiting UNC, to the distracting “culture war” that the General Assembly has thrown at North Carolinians. We’ve compiled these and other moments in the brief video below:
What are some progressive policy issues you can think of from the past month relating to the state of things in North Carolina? Share with us in the comments.
Read More…
April 10, 2012 at 1:33 pmCategory:Uncategorized
Most homeowners assume they own the soil and everything else that’s under their lawn.
But that may not be the case for homeowners in subdivisions built by the giant homebuilder D.R. Horton, which lists more than two dozen neighborhoods in the Raleigh and Greensboro area on its website.
As The Independent’s Lisa Sorg reported here, homeowners in several Triangle-area D.R. Horton subdivisions are finding out from a basic search at county Register of Deeds offices that the mineral rights to the house were split off at the time of purchase from the general deed.
Owning the mineral rights is a Colorado company that’s turns out to be—surpise! — a subsidiary of the homebuilder.
The mineral rights appear to give the energy company, in some cases, the right to drill and extract gas or other substances from below a home’s surface.