State Rep. Deb Gardner, D-Longmont, testifies at a Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission hearing in Denver on Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. The hearing on a proposed rule that would require oil and gas companies to publicly disclose most of the chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing drew an overflow crowd. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
The COGCC performed before a packed house Monday (12/5) in a public hearing on a proposed new rule requiring disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing by energy companies. In what has been called the “trade secret loophole, the COGCC will continue to allow companies to conceal certain chemicals or mixtures if they claim trade secret protections.
Hearing on Colorado fracking disclosure rules draws crowd
This article is the most in-depth and stars our friend Dave Devanney of Battlement Mesa. Good job, Dave – and thank you.
And Dave Broken Record Neslin is still saying “the state has no verified example of hydraulic fracturing contaminating groundwater”. Well that’s odd. The EPA does: EPA Finds Compound Used in Fracking in Wyoming Aquifer
Oil industry and environmentalists spar over fracking fluid disclosure rules
Again and again the industry takes this all or nothing approach. There is no halfway. Even if there were no trade secrets loophole in the regulation, the industry would take it anyway. They regulate themselves, inspect themselves and test themselves. They lie, cheat and steal. Don’t think for one minute they will ever fully disclose what they’re poisoning us with.
*** UPDATE ***
“The game is not over when you take action on this proposal,” Neslin told commissioners.
That’s what I call a double entendre.
December 6, 2011 at 4:26 pm
A person needs to go to only one COGCC meeting to see that A. it exists entirely for the benefit of the energy industry; B. it doesn’t really want to hear comments from the public; C. it manipulates its rules to capriciously decide who does and who doesn’t have the ‘standing’ to speak before such an august body; and D. it takes its job so seriously that members feel free to nap and chat at will through presentations.
If the COGCC really cared about getting comments on fracking from the public, meetings would be scheduled all over the state. They are not particularly accessible and that works to the advantage of the energy industry.
December 6, 2011 at 4:43 pm
Oh, excellent observations. So very true. Thank you!