Thomas J Shepstone's Blog – June 2013 Archive (23)

Want to Improve NY Health? Go Natural Gas Now!

If the New York State Assembly is so worried about the health of the citizens of that great state, then it ought to be looking to how it could expand the use of natural gas, instead of trying to shut down the industry.

Is the cautious approach to regulating natural gas extraction preventing a public health catastrophe?

The New State Assembly seems to think so. On Wednesday March 5th, they voted to extend a moratorium that will continue to put on hold the development of New York…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 29, 2013 at 11:52pm — No Comments

NWPOA Threatens to Sue DRBC

The Northern Wayne Property Owners Alliance has issued a letter to the Delaware River Basin Commission insisting the agency act upon the regulations it developed two years ago to regulate natural gas development in the basin and promises to litigate if there isn’t action soon.

Things are getting mighty interesting on the Delaware these days. The Northern Wayne Property Owners Alliance (NWPOA) Executive Committee has sent Executive Director Carol Collier and the Commissioners of the…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 29, 2013 at 12:51pm — No Comments

Corbett Faces DRBC and Says Get It Done!

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has issued a strong letter to his DRBC partners demanding they end the charade and finally enact those ready to go natural gas development regulations that have been languishing for two years.

Some unexpected fresh air blew into the Upper Delaware region earlier today from the Harrisburg direction. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett put pen to paper and issued a call to Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) Executive Director Carol Collier and his…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 28, 2013 at 2:41am — No Comments

Germany Not Doing So Well with Solar

Nick Grealy, our friend from the UK, talks about solar energy and Germany’s forever flaunted renewables program which requires natural gas as a complement to achieve any success whatsover.

A classic definition of insanity is repeating the same actions and expecting different outcomes. My definition of absolutely barking is repeating the same actions and getting worse outcomes.

Midsummer Day is as good as it’s going to get for solar capacity, so let’s see what light we can shed…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 26, 2013 at 11:15am — No Comments

Activists Trying Leveraging NY with SRBC Complaint



There is a move afoot by New York activists to use the SRBC as leverage to influence New York Governor Cuomo’s decision on fracking in that state. It’s the usual suspects doing the usual things, of course, but the shallowness of this efforts represents still another low in tactics.

The anti-gas crowd, desperate to avoid bringing any economic hope to upstate New York, is at it again with a hapless letter to the governor and the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 25, 2013 at 8:57am — No Comments

NWPOA Chasing Down DRBC

NWPOA is on a full-steam campaign to find out why the DRBC is refusing to do its duty and act upon already drafted regulations governing gas drilling – regulations that have sat in limbo since September, 2011.

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) has, as many readers know, simply opted to sit on already drafted regulations of natural gas drilling in the basin since September, 2011, in a stunning display of government malfeasance that throws the Constitutional rights of every…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 23, 2013 at 11:55pm — No Comments

Another EPA Embarrassment

im Willis reports on yet another EPA embarrassment; the Pavillion, Wyoming case, which quickly became a fiasco when the State of Wyoming and others pointed out the obvious errors in the Federal agency’s scientific approach, which appeared more political than scientific.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been desperate to make a connection between fracking and groundwater contamination from chemicals and thought they had a winner in Pavillion, Wyoming (seeEPA Keeps…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 23, 2013 at 1:48pm — No Comments

Top 10 Myths About Shale Gas

Nick Grealy, a friend who runs two shale gas websites in the UK, addresses some of the prevailing myths about shale gas in certain circles, dispensing each rather readily.  His European perspective will provide some valuable insights for our readers.

No Hot Air is not a site of climate change skeptics. We believe both climate change and safe shale energy are scientifically proven concepts. Unfortunately, both are also open to misinterpretation by those prone…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 23, 2013 at 12:19pm — No Comments

Fracking Opponents Financed by State Land Deals?

How do the major groups involved in fighting fracking and natural gas development in New York finance their activities? Well, they have a lot of money at the outset from the Park and Rockefeller families, but they also have special arrangements with the State of New York that allow them to do very profitable land deals.

The Open Space Institute (OSI), once run by current New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens, is a child of the Natural…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 22, 2013 at 12:43am — No Comments

Albany Fracking Rally A Bore

There was an anti-fracking rally in Albany this week, the latest in a series of nonsensical events where natural gas opponents from various states gather as "New Yorkers," sing, preaches to themselves and issue each other atta-boys and atta-girls for what is childish behavior in most eyes.

Our friends on the other side held their big rally in Albany, New York this week. We have seen them come up to Albany again and again. They come up, spread their misinformation and mistruths and…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 19, 2013 at 2:20pm — No Comments

EPA Region 2 Administrator's Husband Joins Anti-Fracking Protest

An anti-fracking rally in Albany yesterday was just more of the same as ideologues from areas without natural gas (including some from other states) tried to make some noise yet again but the real story may have been the guy in green who just happens to husband of EPA Region 2 Administrator Judith Enck.

Things going on in Washington these days are raising all sorts of questions of propriety, particularly at the EPA. FOIA requests have been routinely ignored. Lisa Jackson coordinated…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 18, 2013 at 2:33am — No Comments

Cabot Gets It Done with Service

Cabot Oil & Gas, has, in five short years, become the model of how to do business in our region, earning excellent profits for its stockholders, maintaining excellent relationships with the communities where it works and improving the lives of just about ever Susquehanna County resident. It’s no coincidence.

I went on a natural gas well tour conducted by Cabot Oil & Gas the other day with a few guests. We were fortunate a friend of mine took us in his RV. On our way down…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 16, 2013 at 12:58pm — No Comments

Willie Is Smoking Stuff Again

Jim Willis notes Willie Nelson has joined the anti-fracking brigade like the good celebrity he is. Nothing is so predictable as the political correctness of celebrities, but one has to wonder what Willie’s smoking this week as he suggests farmers would be better of without it.

We guess we’ve always known that country music superstar Willie Nelson tilts to the liberal spectrum when it comes to politics (but dang, we like his music!). One of the things Willie has done over the years, to…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 15, 2013 at 1:29pm — No Comments

NY Tired of Waiting

Bob Tiberio says New Yorkers are growing tired, very tired, of waiting on Governor Andrew Cuomo to finally act on proposed natural gas development regulations that were developed, analyzed and ready to go many months ago, as he does a “we’ll decide on science” routine that epitomizes “the lady doth protest too much” line.

I’m so tired

Tired of waiting

Tired of waiting for you

- The Kinks

Supporters of natural gas in New York are tired of waiting for Governor…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 13, 2013 at 11:47pm — No Comments

Sidney Lawsuit Over Moratorium

Delaware and Sullivan County landowner Inge Grafe-Kieklak rejoins Natural Gas Now to report on a lawsuit she and other Delaware County property owners have filed against the Town of Sidney, where the Town Board ignored state law to enact a natural gas moratorium prepared on David Slottje’s advice, without the required supermajority of members.

I did not expect to be back on this blog commenting again so soon after yesterday’s post on WJFF, but events have intervened and I have news to…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 13, 2013 at 8:57am — No Comments

Public Radio Bias

WJJF Radio Catskill, a public radio station located in Jeffersonville, New York, exhibited its heavy-handed bias when it took umbrage at even mentioning the good deeds of natural gas companies. Some attitude for a public community radio station!

Several months ago, I had a talk with the station manager of WJFF radio in Jeffersonville, New York, near where I reside. I wanted to know why there was not a more balanced approach to the gas drilling issue. It all started with a little seven…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 12, 2013 at 2:11pm — No Comments

Hey, Josh Fox, Where's Your Solar Array

Frank Chernega tells Natural Gas NOW readers Josh Fox uses Gasland Part II to push renewable energy, but fails to take advantage of his home's southern roof exposure for a solar array that would heat his water and his home, demonstrating the double-standard so typical of the natural gas opposition.

"I attended a premier showing of Gasland Part II at the West Middle School in Binghamton, New York, on June 5 to see what Josh Fox had concocted this time around. At the beginning of the…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 11, 2013 at 2:35am — No Comments

Squeaky Opposition to Fracking Is Justice Denied

Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for natural gas has most often been framed as an environmental issue, but Grace Wildermuth says people stand to lose much more than our natural resources do. Real stakeholders don’t speak of “the” environment; rather, they focus on their environment, their interests and their rights. It’s personal for them, not some abstract concept.

A quick look at some of the headlines in our local newspapers would make one think northeastern Pennsylvania is turning…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 10, 2013 at 9:58pm — No Comments

Gasland Part II Boring

Betty Sutliff, retired school teacher and landowner contrasts Gasland Part II with FrackNation, finding the former brought out the usual suspects, while the latter brought a more serious mix of individuals simply interested in the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

A journalistic duel played out on the streets of Callicoon on June 8th. Academy award nominee and HBO backed Manhattanite, Josh Fox, vs. people funded Kickstarter backed Irishman, Phelim McAleer – a regular…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 10, 2013 at 4:22am — No Comments

PennEnvironment Tries Stupid Pet(ition) Trick

Freelance journalist Josh Wengler investigates the “largest ever public outcry” against fracking in the Commonwealth and finds it looks more like a cheap stunt than anything else, with all too little credibility.

In a press release circulated by the activist group PennEnvironment recently and echoed by Food and Water Watch, a consortium of anti-fracking groups proclaimed a powerful achievement: Delivery of a petition bearing more than 100,000 signatures to the Pennsylvania legislature…

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Added by Thomas J Shepstone on June 7, 2013 at 11:45pm — No Comments

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