Plan Shows Regulatory Agency and Fracking Industry in Cahoots to Promote Drilling in State Parks
Source: EcoWatch
Public documents reveal a plan by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the agency responsible for regulating fracking in Ohio, to work with allied groups to promote the controversial drilling technique in state parks. The allied groups named were both fracking industry and state regulatory bodies alike, drawing new criticisms to what many people have been calling Gov. Kasichs agenda to have his own way with the states public funds and resources.
The document, Oil & Gas State Lands Leasing: Draft Outline for Communication Plan, was uncovered by Program Coordinator for the Ohio Chapter of the Sierra Club Brian Kunkemoeller after making a public records request. It outlines a PR initiative from August 2012 to encourage support to stakeholders and the public for fracking in state parks and forests, and proactively counter zealous resistance by environmental activist opponents, who are skilled propagandists.
After reading the 13-page document, Kunkemoeller was gravely concerned as the ODNR seemed to be acting like a marketing firm for the oil and gas industry instead of the agency charged with regulating oil-and-gas drilling in Ohio to protect human health and the environment.
This is an unprecedented collusion between oil and gas companies and the agencies that regulate them. This isnt just bad news for our parks and forests, its bad news for our democracy, said Kunkemoeller.
Read more: http://ecowatch.com/2014/02/16/regulatory-agency-fracking-industry-promote-drilling/
Herself
(185 posts)but I can not reveal why I do. I can't get a hole of someone that would be able to tell me plans for Ohio currently. It's been discussed privately in the past.
PSPS
(13,607 posts)Divernan
(15,480 posts)Corbett gutted the state Dept. of Environmental Protection as soon as he got in office by slashing the number of inspectors available to go into the field to monitor and investigate complaints, and then appointing a Big Gas crony as head of the DEP, and taking away powers from the inspectors. They were not allowed to file a notice of violation or take any action, but had to turn their reports in and nothing was done until the political hack heading DEP approved the action.
The Wielding Truth
(11,415 posts)How can the corruption be stopped?
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)You are just along for the ride.
The Wielding Truth
(11,415 posts)Ahpook
(2,750 posts)but this and a magnitude of other problems need to be stopped. You would think somewhere in their dark soul they would understand what they are doing to our world. But, I suppose being drunk on money and power negates this thought process?
Its past time to fight back
They may kill us with bullets but they're already killing us with polluted air, food and water. Whats to lose?
The Wielding Truth
(11,415 posts)Divernan
(15,480 posts)Big Oil has paid off the majority of politicians from both parties, right down to the local govt. level in Pennsylvania. 2 recently elected township commissioners in a southwestern PA. fracking community are a farmer who's leased several hundred acres for fracking, and a man whose parents have leased farmland for fracking.
The Wielding Truth
(11,415 posts)WillyT
(72,631 posts)DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)K&R
[center]''Which man should have used a breath mint?''
"In dog years, I'm dead." - Unknown[/center]
tecelote
(5,122 posts)Parks are lands owned by the public. Park land should be free from commercialization. That's the reason why we have parks.
Do we have no integrity these days? Must everything be for sale?
America is a country that has lost it's way.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)okaawhatever
(9,462 posts)Surely this state agent is in violation of his duties. Honest services fraud? I wonder what the charter for the agency says it's responsibilities are.