From 1/16: Fracking Chemicals In North Carolina Will Remain Secret, Industry-Funded Commission Rules

[WillyT]

Fracking Chemicals In North Carolina Will Remain Secret, Industry-Funded Commission Rules
By Emily Atkin - ThinkProgress
January 16, 2014 at 11:39 am

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On Tuesday, the 15-member state Mining and Energy Commission voted unanimously to pass a rule that would let fracking companies keep secret the makeup of the chemical mixture they pump underground to aid shale gas drilling. From the North Carolina News Observer:

The public safety standard will help the energy companies protect their secret sauce used in natural gas drilling, but critics said it would also keep residents in the dark about potent chemicals used near local farms and waterways. The rule passed unanimously after nearly three hours of intense debate Tuesday, and it follows more than a year of deliberations that had the commissioners tied up in knots. Commissioners sought to appease frightened residents, the energy industry and lawmakers eager to promote drilling for economic development.

Though the rule passed Tuesday is only a recommendation to the state legislature, which will reportedly have the final gavel over fracking disclosure standards in the future, it effectively protects energy exploration companies from disclosing their chemical concoctions until then, according to the News Observer.

It might seem strange that after 3 hours of what the News Observer called “intense debate” over the rule, it would pass without a single no vote. But taking a closer look at the committee’s leadership suggests why it was unanimous...

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And This...

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Chemical disclosure, the NRDC argues, is crucial in case any subsequent groundwater contamination from fracking occurs. First responders need the information to respond to accidents and emergencies, doctors need the information in case anyone is exposed to the chemicals, and scientists need the information in order to better understand of the cumulative environmental and health effects of fracking.

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More: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/01/16/3169151/north-carolina-fracking-chemicals/

[WillyT]

1. Kick !!!

[wildbilln864]

2. k & r! n/t

[marions ghost]

3. Duke University is switching to fracking gas

... coming from PA. (NC doesnt have that much). Shame on you, Duke.

Yeah the small amount of shale gas is located in NC in the drought-prone, water fragile central part of the state.

Clean water is not a priority among the PTB in NC.

[frwrfpos]

4. Capitalist parasites must continue to profit even if it means killing people and buying politicians

This country is turning more and more into a third world hellhole.