No new forest plan

No new forest plan

NELSONVILLE, Ohio

The supervisor of Wayne National Forest announced that despite urging from environmental activists, the forest will not amend its 2006 Land and Resource Management Plan in order to address the surface impacts of horizontal drilling for oil and gas development.

The forest’s Environmental Impact Statement prepared for the 2006 forest plan also will go unchanged.

Last December, 3,303 acres of Wayne land were scheduled for an oil and gas lease auction by the federal Bureau of Land Management.

That acreage included 2,624 acres in Athens County, 528 acres in Perry County’s Monroe Township and 151 acres in Gallia County’s Harrison Township.

The auction plans resulted in the formation of Right the Wayne, a campaign opposed to the leasing, which collected hundreds of petition signatures and more than a thousand protest letters in opposition to the leasing. The opposition resulted in Anne Carey, the Wayne National Forest supervisor, withdrawing the land from the auction and ordering a study to be done on the impacts of fracking.

The original consent for the leasing, given by the U.S. Forest Service in May 2011, was based on the Wayne’s 2006 Forest Plan, which included an environmental impact statement that did not address fracking.

Many residents have asked Wayne to conduct a new environmental-impact statement to address the potential impacts that fracking may have on the forest.

Carey issued a news release that says there is no need to correct or amend the 2006 Land and Resource Management Plan, nor supplement the environmental impact statement.

Fine for chemicals

PITTSBURGH

A gas-drilling company is paying a $62,000 fine for reporting violations in Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in a release that Talisman Energy USA discovered the violations at 52 gas-drilling sites and reported them to the agency. The violations were for failing to file safety information about hazardous chemicals stored at the sites.

The EPA said Talisman, which is based in Canada, corrected the violations swiftly.

Talisman said in a statement that it appreciates the opportunity to work with EPA to fairly resolve the matter.

Contamination study to get second look

HOUSTON

The University of Texas will independently review a study that found no link between hydraulic fracturing and water contamination after learning the lead author is a paid board member of a company that uses the drilling method.

Charles “Chip” Groat, a professor of geologic sciences and associate director of the university’s Energy Institute, also is a board member of Plains Exploration and Production Co.

Plains Exploration, like many other companies, uses hydraulic fracturing to drill into impermeable layers of rock to extract natural gas and oil. Groat received from Plains more than $413,000 in cash and stock in 2011.

Groat did not disclose his position with Plains to supervisors or in the study.

Critics of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, believe it harms the environment. Industry leaders insist it is safe.

Delaware studies boom

DELAWARE, Ohio

The Delaware County commissioners heard about both the positives and negatives that could come with the expected oil and gas boom.

Matthew Warnock, an attorney with the Brickler and Eckler law firm who has worked with both public and private entities entering into hydraulic fracturing leases in the eastern portion of the state, laid out both the pros and cons of the process and tried to alleviate some of the fears associated with the controversial drilling technique.

“It’s not all positive,” he told the commissioners. “There are some concerns out there.”

One of the most prevalent worries about fracking is the possibility of ground-water contamination.

1,000 protest in NY

ALBANY, N.Y.

More than 1,000 demonstrators marched to New York’s state Capitol to keep up the pressure on Gov. Andrew Cuomo as he prepares to decide whether to allow shale-gas drilling using high-volume hydraulic fracturing after four years of studying its health and environmental impacts.

The coalition of groups rallied at Albany’s Corning Preserve along the Hudson River before marching several blocks to the Capitol to deliver a pledge of resistance demanding that Cuomo ban hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

The process uses millions of gallons of chemically treated water to blast open gas-rich shale deposits deep underground.

Some of the protesters carried a large cardboard likeness of Cuomo with an angel and devil on his shoulders to represent the opposing viewpoints of drilling opponents and industry supporters.

Others toted tall mock-ups of windmills to symbolize their preference for renewable-energy sources over fossil fuels such as natural gas.