SO...NOW I HAVE NO MORALS?!

As I sat this morning...barely awake and sleepy eyed, I inhale my second mug of coffee.  WKYC news (channel 3 in my area) is on...not really listening at this point, then I see the headline on the screen.....MONEY OR MORALS?  This news segment was about the Utica shale drilling in Ohio and the decision that landowners face regarding to lease or not lease.  They interviewed a gentleman who owned 10 acres and has yet decided to lease or not, due to the possible environmental concerns.  It was your typical news segment on the pros and cons for a landowner, but what REALLY ticked me off was that headline! My family calls me a tree hugger...I feed every stray animal that wanders into my woods, I help the injured, I do nature photography, I donate to charities when I can.  I've paid for food for strangers and I've taken the chance to intervene on certain outright immoral situations when I saw them unfold...BUT, since I HAVE leased with an oil/gas company...I have no morals?!  Of course it couldn't possibly be that I have done enormous amounts of research on the pros/cons of this type of drilling, spent quite a bit of time sorting this all out in my mind and have made an informed decision?!  I have great hope and faith in the overall safety of this type of drilling.  Nothing like adding 'fuel' to the fire!  I'm done venting.

Views: 7214

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kim D on December 29, 2011 at 4:32am

The only info Rex would release over the phone to my husband is that we are 100% mineral right owners...now, I'll feel better when I see it in writing.  We are expecting a letter from them within 2 weeks.  Additionally, a trip to the County Courthouse is also within the works.

Permalink Reply by brian kulp on December 29, 2011 at 10:13am

weel it was a good xmas congrates nice to here everthing is working out

Permalink Reply by Kim D on December 30, 2011 at 3:56am

Well, still lost in limbo...this will take some time.

Permalink Reply by SJL on December 27, 2011 at 8:53pm

Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but it might help.  http://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov/

Permalink Reply by Kim D on December 28, 2011 at 4:34am

Hey Sandra...I believe this will help quite a bit...thanks!

Permalink Reply by BuckinghamGasMan on December 21, 2011 at 2:42pm

I understand completely. I have been called greedy for leasing my land by people who want no drilling to occur so that they can visit on weekends and enjoy the pristine view. My definition of greedy is people who want others to pay taxes and maintain land for THEIR benefit and then won't allow those who pay the taxes to use their land as they see fit.

Permalink Reply by brian kulp on December 21, 2011 at 5:06pm

we think alike brother

brian

Permalink Reply by Kim D on December 28, 2011 at 4:49am

Buckingham GasMan...I totally understand what you're saying.  Fracking is definitely a controversial topic in some circles.   I'm sure most of us landowners gave due thought as to our decision, and the pros outweigh the cons.  Time will tell.

Permalink Reply by time will tell on December 29, 2011 at 10:30am

Landowners need to focus on the flow back from frac jobs , this poses in my opinion the biggest problem . Disposal is the key !

Permalink Reply by Jim Litwinowicz on December 29, 2011 at 12:39pm

IMO the biggest concern is not flowback as that is pretty carefully managed and is regulated by the states. I think the biggest concern is the well casing.  It is casing failures that have caused the most problems with water well contamination. And I do not know how well that is monitored by the regulators. Do they have observers on site during the casing/cementing of wells?  How well is the process documented by the operators? 

Permalink Reply by Jack Straw on December 29, 2011 at 1:42pm

If I were annointed King of the Marcellus, one of my first Royal Edicts would be:

All Operators run a Cement Bond Log everytime casing is cemented.

One copy is maintained in the Operators files, accompanied by a letter certifying that the cement bond has no problems. A copy of this letter is sent to me, the King.

One copy is sent to an outside Log Analyst who sends me a letter certifying a good cement bond (this Log Analyst would need to be on my approved contractor list).

One copy is sent to my Chamberlain, for my records.

 

JS

Permalink Reply by David Mohn on December 28, 2011 at 3:15pm

WOW, I can so relate to this also.  I have rec'd letters saying how can I lease out my beautiful property to have some gas company ruin it?    Those people don't help me bale hay in the summer.  They don't even help me patch up my old equipment that I use to keep my farm looking beautiful!    Now they want to condem me for leasing and purchasing new equipment to help keep my farm looking beautiful. 

My opinion is that if you want to put fracking to a vote, let each landowner have 1 vote for every acre they own!   You don't own land, you don't get a vote.   You own .5 acres, you get a half a vote.  Why should large landowners suffer because people are jealious of you and can't share in the profits.  They shouldn't be allowed to determine who and when we sell our mineral rights.  I have been very vocal on my stance for fracking.  Some of my neighbors stopped talking to me but I feel I have just as much right to voice my opinions as they do.   When we stand up for fracking, we are call greedy landowners.  I have always been polite towards others and felt they also had the right to say what they want.  But when someone that lives in an apartment has the right to tell me what I can and can not do with my land, I have a problem with that. 

RSS

advertisements