Erie Rising Holds Fractivist Rally - Guest Speakers: Angela Monti-Fox, Sierra Club, Clean Water action etc...

Erie Rising Holds Anti-fracking Rally


Please share this far and wide and please be sure to join us to fight for our community of Erie and beyond.

We have an excellent speaker line up, music and activities planned for the kids. The rally at the Community Center park will be followed by a march to the Canyon Creek Well Site for a peaceful hand holding to show our solidarity in this fight. We hope that you can join us this coming Saturday, June 2nd to make the voice of the people louder than the voice of the industry.

Please email contact@erierising.com or call (720)839-9079 with any questions.

................................................

If you are a 'FRACTIVIST' you will attend this event.

Erie mothers, children descend on Encana headquarters with anti-fracking petition

Group also heads to Gov. Hickenlooper's office at State Capitol to ask for governor's support

By John Aguilar, Camera Staff Writer

Posted:   05/22/2012 12:54:39 PM MDT

Updated:   05/22/2012 01:16:33 PM MDT

DENVER -- A small group of mothers and children from Erie marched into the building that houses Encana Corp.'s Denver headquarters this morning to present a petition signed by 21,000 people demanding that the energy giant forgo a planned natural gas drilling site near elementary schools and an adjoining neighborhood. 

The intention of the group, known as Erie Rising, was to ask Encana USA President Jeff Wojahn face-to-face to abandon plans to extract gas at the Canyon Creek well site near Red Hawk Elementary and Erie Elementary schools. 

But the group of 10 was told by Encana spokeswoman Wendy Wiedenbeck that Wojahn was out of town. She said she would hand off the thick stack of signatures to the president when he returned. 

Erie Rising then ventured over to the State Capitol to present a copy of the petition to Gov. John Hickenlooper but were told by an aide that he was not in either. 

Preparation for drilling at the site, just north of Erie Parkway and west of County Line Road, is expected to begin later this week and drilling itself should begin sometime after June 4. 

Jen Palazzolo, an Erie resident and one of the group's leaders, said despite the lack of any high-level encounters in Denver this morning, the fight to derail drilling at the Canyon Creek site is far from over. 

"We're not defeated yet -- even if they begin operations," she said outside the governor's office. "We're going to continue to ask them to abandon this site right up until they put the drill in the ground. It's a completely inappropriate industrial activity in a residential area." 

Continue reading...

STOP FRACKING IN ERIE, CO - Dear Governor Hickenlooper

WATER DEFENSE

Across the country hydraulic fracturing has endangered the health of countless children.  Air emissions related to fracking can lead to asthma, diabetes, cognitive deficits, premature birth and more.  A study done by the Colorado School of Public Health found that residents living within a half mile of a fracking operation were more likely to develop cancer.  We, the undersigned, stand with the mothers of Erie Colorado in demanding that you immediately block all drilling operations at the Canyon Creek well pad near local elementary schools.

Click here to read Mark Ruffalo's op-ed in the Denver Post about Encana's reckless disregard for the health and safety of children in Erie. Click here to learn more about Erie Rising, the grassroots group the mothers of Erie formed to protect communities from the effects of natural gas drilling.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE

Fracking Damage Cases and Industry Secrecy

EARTHJUSTICE

“Fracking" is when oil and gas companies blast millions of gallons of water treated with chemicals into the ground to force oil and gas from hard-to-reach places deep inside the earth. Along with a fracking-fueled gas rush have come troubling reports of poisoned drinking water, polluted air, mysterious animal deaths, and sick families.

But the oil and gas industry’s pattern of secrecy makes it difficult for researchers to study health and environmental impacts. One way that the gas industry keeps its secrets is by requiring people who settle damage lawsuits to sign non-disclosure agreements. These agreements have proven to be the norm, as this chart demonstrates.

 Show All (27) 

  Arkansas (3) 

  Colorado (4) 

  Louisiana (2) 

  New York (2) 

  Pennsylania (6) 

  Texas (8) 

  West Virginia (2) 

STATE

CASE NAME / STATUS

PLAINTIFF

CLAIM

INFORMATION NOT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE

AR

Tucker v. Southwestern Energy Co.
No. 11-0044
E.D. Ark. filed 5/17/2011
Active

Class action on behalf of residents living close to gas operations controlled by the defendant.

Southwestern Energy contaminated a private water well with fracking fluid (including alpha methylstyrene), and caused soil and air pollution as well.

Protective order governing discovery materials entered December 16, 2011, Doc. # 79.

AR

Ginardi v. Frontier Gas Services, LLC
No. 11-0420
E.D. Ark. filed 5/17/2011
Active

Class-action on behalf of plaintiffs who reside close to a natural gas compressor or transmission stations in the state of Arkansas.

Residents living close to natural gas compressor stations are exposed to harmful levels of methane, hydrogen sulfide, and other emissions.

Protective order governing confidentiality of discovery materials entered November 9, 2011, Doc. # 79.

AR

Berry v. Southwestern Energy Company
No. 11-0045
E.D. Ark. filed 5/17/2011
Active

Class action on behalf of plaintiffs who reside within 3 miles of natural gas wells in the state of Arkansas.

In 2011, Southwestern Energy caused methane to migrating to the named plaintiffs' drinking water well in Quitman, Arkansas.

No protective order entered.

CO

Case name and number unknown
Settlement in 2006[1]

Laura Amos

Chemicals used in fracking contaminated plaintiff's drinking water and caused her to develop a rare form of cancer.

According to newspaper accounts, the plaintiff's lawyer obtained documents proving that chemicals present in drinking water were used in the defendant's fracking fluids. Confidential settlement, which, according to press accounts, contained a nondisclosure agreement.

CO

Case name and number unknown
Settlement

Aimee Ellsworth

Methane contamination of private water well caused by drilling.

According to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and press reports, the parties reached an out-of-court, confidential settlement.[2]

CO

Strudley v. Antero Resources Corp.
No. 11-2218
Denver Co. Dist. Ct. filed 3/23/2011
Unknown

William and Beth Strudley, and their two children, William and Charles

Drilling and operation of three gas wells near the family's property caused groundwater contamination and air pollution.

Unknown.[*]

CO

Evenson v. Antero Resources Corp.
No. 11-5118
Denver Co. Dist. Ct. filed 7/20/2011
Unknown

Families in Garfield County

The defendant gas companyexposed the families to hazardous gases, chemicals, and toxic waste.

Unknown.[*]

Continue to more results...







....

Farm Owner Scatters Wife's Ashes to Protect Land From Natural Gas Fracking

Sierra Club Compass

This week, Aaron Mair represented the Sierra Club in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania where a local farmer, Dr. Stephen Cleghorn, held a special event to remember his late wife and deposit her ashes in defiance and opposition to the natural gas industry.

A Member of the Sierra Club Board of Directors, Aaron Mair is a twenty-six-year veteran urban environmental activist, regional and national Environmental Justice organizer and strategist from the State of New York, and Former Atlantic Chapter Chair of 41,000-member New York State Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter.

The Sierra Club stands with Dr. Cleghorn in opposition to the dangerous natural gas drilling known as "fracking," which is known to contaminate drinking water, pollute the air, and cause earthquakes.

The above photo: Dr. J. Stephen Cleghorn (left), owner of Paradise Gardens & Farm, greets Aaron Mair, a national board member of the Sierra Club, during an event Thursday at the farm. (Photo by Tom Chapin/The Punxsutawney Spirit)

German Government to Oppose Fracking

Spiegel.de
Nein Danke

Berlin is opposed to plans to use the controversial fracking process to extract natural gas in Germany, SPIEGEL has learned. Government ministers are "very skeptical" about the technology, which environmentalists claim can pollute groundwater.

Activists from the Attac group in Lower Saxony offer lurid cocktails to highlight the potential environmental risks of the fracking process.

Germany has put the brakes on plans to use hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, to extract natural gas in places where it is difficult to access, such as shale or coal beds.

Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen and Economy Minister Philipp Rösler have agreed to oppose the controversial process for the time being, SPIEGEL has learned.

Sources in the German government said that the ministers were "very skeptical" about fracking, which injects chemicals as well as sand and water into the ground to release natural gas. "There are many open questions which we will first have to carefully examine," Rösler told close associates.

With their stance, the two ministers are opposing plans by energy companies to use the fracking process to tap into deposits of natural gas in shale, especially in northern and eastern Germany. In order to access the gas, the shale needs to be fractured using a mixture of hot water, sand and chemical additives, some of which are poisonous. Environmental groups reject the use of the technology, saying that the chemicals used can contaminate drinking water.

Continue reading...

Family Plans To Appeal Drilling Lawsuit Dismissal

Source: denver.cbslocal.com

May 11, 2012

DENVER (AP) – A Colorado family says they plan to appeal the dismissal of a lawsuit in which they alleged that oil and gas companies contaminated their drinking water and air.

A Denver District judge on Wednesday dismissed the case, saying Beth and Bill Strudley failed to show their family’s ailments were caused by work by Antero Resources Corp. and its subcontractors. The judge ruled that while the Strudleys had submitted supporting documents from a doctor, the doctor didn’t say that exposure to Antero’s operations specifically caused the family’s illnesses.

Continue reading...

Below is the reporter's transcript from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission's October 21, 2010 Hearing

Continue reading hearing...  LINK

This Is How You Kill An Attack Ad

Upworthy.com
Mansur Gidfar
May 3, 2012


The Brothers Koch recently launched a $6.1 million attack ad against the Obama administration which quickly received a "Pants on Fire" rating from PolitiFact. Here's how the Obama administration responded. 

We just couldn't help ourselves

We'd like to apply. Is that ok?

Job Title:	Director of the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
Class Title:	MANAGEMENT
Type of Announcement:	This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
Closing Date/Time:	Mon. 05/21/12 11:59 PM Mountain Time
Primary Physical Work Address:	Oil and Gas Conservation Commission 1120 Lincoln Street Room 801 Denver CO 80203
Salary:	$6,662.00 - $12,073.00 Monthly
Hiring Pay Rate:	Salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
FLSA Status:	Exempt; position is not eligible for overtime compensation.
Job Type:	Full Time
Who Competes:	Individuals eligible for transfer, non-disciplinary (voluntary) demotion, or reinstatement will be required to participate in the competitive assessment process in order to be considered for this vacancy.
Location:	Denver Metro, Colorado
How To Apply:	Thank you for your interest. Submit an on-line application by clicking the link below or submit a State of Colorado Application for Announced Vacancy and all supplemental questions according to the instructions provided below. Failure to submit a complete and timely application may result in the rejection of your application. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that application materials are received by the appropriate Human Resources office before the closing date and time listed above.
If not applying on-line, submit application to:	Department of Natural Resources Human Resource Office 1313 Sherman Street Room 415 Denver CO 80203 Fax: 303-866-6499
Department Contact Information:	Mary Vigil Human Resource Specialist mary.vigil@state.co.us 303-866-2667 x8646
Methods of Appointment:	Appointment to the vacancy or vacancies represented by this announcement is expected to be from the eligible list created or the transfer, non-disciplinary (voluntary) demotion or reinstatement applicants. However, there is the possibility that appointment(s), for valid, articulated business reasons may be made by transfer, reinstatement, disciplinary or non-disciplinary demotion, trial service reversion, placement due to return from military service or another method of appointment not stated.

Print Job Information | Apply  

Department Information  Benefits  Supplemental Questions
The Colorado Department of Natural Resources was created with a mission to develop, preserve and enhance the state’s natural resources for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future citizens and visitors. The Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (OGCC) mission is to foster the responsible, balanced development, production, and utilization of the natural resources of oil and gas in the State of Colorado in a manner consistent with protection of health, safety, and welfare, including protection of the environment and wildlife resources; protect the public and private interests against waste in the production and utilization of oil and gas; safeguard, protect, and enforce the rights of owners and producers in a common source or pool of oil and gas, and plan and manage oil and gas operations in a manner that balances development with wildlife conservation in recognition of the state's obligation to protect wildlife resources and the hunting, fishing and recreation traditions they support, which are an important part of Colorado's economy and culture. If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference and build greater public confidence in good government, consider joining the dedicated people of the State of Colorado.  Our professionals strive to support state government and the citizens of Colorado.  Customer service is a key component for every position in state government as is the focus on ideas and ways to redesign the delivery of services in making state government more: Effective. Measure every aspect of government to be sure it’s doing what it’s supposed to do and to look at outcomes to judge whether our programs are successful. Efficient. Deliver services in ways that are timely and effective including identifying waste and duplication and measure for efficiency.  Elegant.  Deliver state services in a way that elevates both the state employee and the person receiving the services.  In addition to a great location, rewarding, meaningful work, we offer: Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan plus 401K and 457 plans Medical and dental health plans Paid life insurance Short- and long-term disability coverage 10 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible schedules, training opportunities and more.
Description of Job:
The Department of Natural Resources is recruiting for a dynamic leader to direct the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. This position is in the Senior Executive Service (SES), which is a performance-based pay plan reserved for senior-level management positions responsible for relatively large or important segments of a principal department. Employees in SES agree to and sign a contract which expires and is re-negotiated annually. Specific duties include, but are not limited to: Plan, organize, direct and manage the operation of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to ensure the most efficient, effective and customer focused delivery of products and services. Interpret and implement statutes, policies and directives issued by the Colorado Legislature, Governor and Department of Natural Resources Executive Director. Enforce the rules and regulations adopted by the commission. Oversee the activities of the OGCC through subordinate managers, for Engineering, Environmental, Finance, Hearings, and Information Technology. Devise long and short-term plans to ensure fulfillment of the OGCC's mission. Advise commissioners on programmatic policies which guide the agency.
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions and Conditions of Employment:
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in petroleum engineering, geological engineering; hydrology; natural resource policy, planning, law or conservation; natural resources management; reclamation; soil science; agronomy; public administration; or a closely related field; AND Six (6) years of progressively responsible professional experience in petroleum engineering, geological engineering, natural resources law, regulatory compliance, environment protection or the reclamation of disturbed lands.  The experience must have included the following: Two (2) years managing a large multiple level organization through subordinate level staff; and Two (2) years of professional public or business administration which included establishing organization structure, developing strategic work plans, budget development and control, setting goals and objective to achieve program results and fostering a team environment. Substitutions: Experience that provided the same kind, amount and level of knowledge acquired in the required education may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the bachelor’s degree.  A master’s or doctorate degree from an accredited college or university in petroleum engineering, geological engineering; hydrology; natural resource policy, planning, law or conservation; natural resources management; reclamation; soil science; agronomy; public administration; or a closely related field; may be substituted for the bachelor’s degree and two years of general experience. There is no substitution for the required two (2) years experience managing a large multiple level organization or the two (2) years of required experience of professional public or business administration.  Necessary Special Requirements:  Former employees of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources must have concluded employment in good standing to be eligible for rehire.  Conditions of Employment: Must possess and maintain a valid Colorado Driver’s License with the ability to independently travel. Must be willing to travel with some overnight travel for several days at a time often on relatively short notice. A pre-employment criminal background check will be conducted as part of the selection process. Felony convictions or conviction of crimes of moral turpitude or convictions of misdemeanors related to job duties may disqualify you from being considered for this position. Should your background check reveal any charges or convictions, it is your responsibility to provide the Department of Natural Resources Office of Human Resources with an official disposition of any charges. Must be willing to be on-call in the event of the activation of the Continuity of Operation Plan (COOP) and be required to report to work immediately at the regular or alternate location. During this time, travel restrictions may be in place. Required Competencies: Progressively responsible professional experience in petroleum engineering; geological engineering; natural resources law; natural resource policy or regulatory compliance.  Proven experience in budget, financial and contract management. Proven experience managing a staff with diverse professional experience and qualifications. Proven experience in policy analysis, development and implementation. Excellent interpersonal, communication and public speaking skills. Ability to problem solve and execute decisions. Excellent leadership, supervisory and team building skills. Ability to work in a complex political environment. Excellent negotiation and consensus building skills.
Supplemental Information:
Please submit an on-line application, resume, transcript and cover letter. The exam for this position will involve a review of the information you submit in your application material. Therefore, it is paramount that in the experience portion of your application and cover letter, you describe the extent that you possess the education, experience and competencies outlined in the job announcement as well as the special and/or preferred qualifications. Failure to include adequate information or follow instructions may affect your score and prevent you from competing in subsequent measure used to arrive at a top group of applicants. If you do not submit transcripts at the time of application, you will be required to submit later in the selection process.