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Permalink Reply by 29041431 on February 22, 2016 at 5:43am

THIS IS FORCED POOLING!!! This certainly introduces a new wrinkle to how the gas companies plan to pass Forced Pooling this year. This new Forced Pooling bill was filed this past Saturday morning (February 20, 2016) in the House Energy Committee in the current session of the West Virginia Legislative Session. Sponsored by Energy Committee Chairman  Woody Ireland, R-Ritchie, this bill was initially introduced as an unnumbered bill and later assigned a number a HB4639 along with its companion bill, SB 646. These are the latest attempts by the gas industry to pass Forced Pooling on the mineral owners of West Virginia. As stated above, this bill allows a simple majority (51.1%) of the owners to lease the entire tract, thus forcing all remaining owners in as long as they keep an account of revenue and costs from the lease and provide that to the other owners. That means you have to collect from the other mineral owners? Good luck with that. The gas company is off the hook! The unleased co-tenets that are forced in cannot sue the company, and it is up to them to get the majority to pay them their share minus deductions. This bill could force you to lease your minerals with no prohibition of deductions, no depth or target formation limitations, no surface protection, no negotiation on price, no recourse against the driller, etc.  

This bill is moving fast and is scheduled for a first reading today, Monday, February 22, 2016, with no other committee hearings required! I join Jackie in urging you to call your representatives and fight the passage of this Forced Pooling bill. 

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Permalink Reply by Tim on February 22, 2016 at 5:46am

Jackie,

Do you have list of State Reps names, contact numbers, emails, so the various constituencies can contact their Reps, and ask them how they are going to vote on this bill?

Also, do you have a form email you can post that citizens can copy and paste into their emails, add their Rep and their name, and then email off?

Those two steps could help individuals out there who want to contact their Rep, a much easier way to accomplish that goal.

 

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Permalink Reply by 29041431 on February 22, 2016 at 6:09am

For starters, here is a list of the sponsors of HB4639. The telephone numbers are for their Capitol offices.

1. WOODY IRELAND – R – RITCHIE – (304) 340-3195

          woody.ireland@wvhouse.gov

2. TOM FAST – R – FAYETTE - (304) 340-3170

          tom.fast@wvhouse.gov

3. BILL ANDERSON – R – WOOD -(304) 340-3168

          bill.anderson@wvhouse.gov

4. MARK ZATEZALO – R – HANCOCK - (304) 340-3120

          mark.zatezalo.wvhouse.gov

5. RANDY SMITH – R –PRESTON - (304) 340-3396

          randy.smith@wvhouse.gov

6. SCOTT CADLE – R – MASON - (304) 340-3118

          scott.cadle@wvhouse.gov

7. JOHN MCCLUSKEY – R – KANAWHA - (304) 340-3183

          johnmccluskey@wvhouse.gov

For a complete list of House Members, go to:  http://www.legis.state.wv.us/House/roster.cfm 

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Permalink Reply by Jackie on February 22, 2016 at 8:12am

Legislative Update! 

 

House Bill 4639 was referred to the Judiciary Committee today.  It originally was headed to the House for a full vote on Wednesday. This DOES NOT mean it is dead, we still need to keep the pressure up.  Especially on the members of the Judiciary committee which are listed below. 

 

Delegate Shott - Chair                                       john.shott@wvhouse.gov                  (304) 340-3252
Delegate Lane - Vice-Chair                              Patrick.lane@wvhouse.gov               (304) 340-3252
Delegate Manchin - Minority Chair               tmanchin@manchininjurylaw.com (304) 340-3331
Delegate Skinner - Minority Vice-Chair        Stephen.skinner@wvhouse.gov        (304) 340-3248
Delegate Azinger                                                  Mike.azinger@wvhouse.gov             (304) 340-3202
Delegate Byrd                                                      andrew.byrd@wvhouse.gov              (304) 340-3362
Delegate Deem                                                     frank.deem@wvhouse.gov                (304) 340-3137
Delegate Fast                                                        tom.fast@wvhouse.gov                     (304) 340-3170
Delegate Fleischauer                                           barbaraf@wvhouse.gov                    (304) 340-3127
Delegate Fluharty                                                shawn.fluharty@wvhouse.gov         (304) 340-3270
Delegate Folk                                                       Michael.folk@wvhouse.gov             (304) 340-3350
Delegate Foster                                                    geof.foster@wvhouse.gov                 (304) 340-3121
Delegate Hanshaw                                              roger.hanshaw@wvhouse.gov          (304) 340-3135
Delegate Ireland                                                  woody.ireland@wvhouse.gov           (304) 340-3195
Delegate Kessinger                                              kayla.kessinger@wvhouse.gov         (304) 340-3197
Delegate Marcum                                                 Justin.marcum@wvhouse.gov          (304) 340-3126
Delegate McCuskey                                            john.mccuskey@wvhouse.gov         (304) 340-3183
Delegate Moore                                                   cliff.moore@wvhouse.gov                (304) 340-3165
Delegate Overington                                           john@overington.com                       (304) 340-3148
Delegate Rowe                                                     larry.rowe@wvhouse.gov                  (304) 340-3287
Delegate Shaffer                                                  steve.shaffer@wvhouse.gov             (304) 340-3160
Delegate Sobonya                                               kelli.sobonya@wvhouse.gov            (304) 340-3175
Delegate Summers                                              amy.summers@wvhouse.gov           (304) 340-3139
Delegate Weld                                                      ryan.weld@wvhouse.gov                   (304) 340-3367
Delegate Zatezalo                                               mark.zatezalo@wvhouse.gov          (304) 340-3120

 

Please take a minute this week to contact these committee members to tell them how terrible this bill will be for surface owners and minerals owners alike! This bill is only helping the big out of state oil and gas companies!

 

Thank you,

Jacklin Romeo

NARO-Appalachia Legislative Chair

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Permalink Reply by Jackie on February 22, 2016 at 9:04am

Sample letter to Delegates that may be copied, mailed or emailed to your delegates and the delegates of the House Judiciary:

The Honorable Delegate________________:

I am writing to urge you to oppose HB4639.  This bill attempts to fool the public by changing terminology from"forced pooling" to "co-tenancy reform", creating the illusion of protecting the property owners of WV.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Once again, land and mineral owners in the Mountain State will be left out in the cold while out-of-state corporations reap massive profits.  This bill: 

• Allows 49% of leaseholders to be forced pooled with NO compensation
• Takes away ability of land & mineral owners to sue for damages
• Forces mineral owners to sue leaseholders for any payments for their minerals
• Eliminates ability to negotiate depth of drilling or target formations in leases
• Eliminates any surface protections for landowners
• Allows deductions to be taken from royalty payments

Please vote "NO" on HB 4630.

Sincerely yours,

_____________

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Permalink Reply by searcherone on February 22, 2016 at 6:50am

Link to all addresses of WV Representatives

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/House/roster.cfm

Link to all addresses of WV Senators

http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Senate1/roster.cfm

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Permalink Reply by Becky on February 22, 2016 at 9:57am

Thanks searcherone!

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Permalink Reply by JK on February 22, 2016 at 7:09am

I am calling them all!

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Permalink Reply by Jackie on February 22, 2016 at 8:13am

Thanks JK.

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Permalink Reply by Becky on February 22, 2016 at 9:56am

Ohio land/mineral owners:  We need to step up and help our neighbors in WV on this.  Someday we may need their help!  It is critical that these calls get made.  We are much stronger when we work together toward a common goal.

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Permalink Reply by Becky on February 22, 2016 at 10:56am

I've made a few calls already.  If any of you are NARO Appalachia Chapter members from out of state, be sure to let their offices know that you are with NARO Appalachia and that your chapter includes West Virginia.  It will give you greater standing to file your concern from out of state.

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Permalink Reply by 0ym9x5ag7ury2 on February 22, 2016 at 4:38pm

Make the call if you own land in WV.

It doesn't matter where you live or who you are associated with.

You pay taxes to WV and It's your future wealth you are fighting for.

Don't rely on the people of WV to carry your load. They may not have the money to afford internet and computers due to being shorted royalties like the rest of us, as well as being downsized from their jobs, plus the war on coal. 

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