Texas House OKs bill barring cities from banning fracking

[Winehole23]

House Bill 40 by Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, would pre-empt local efforts to regulate a variety of oil and gas activities, most notably hydraulic fracturing or fracking. Darby said his bill would do away with the "patchwork of inconsistent regulation that undermines" the future economic potential of the state's most valuable natural resource.http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/texas_legislature/article/House-OKs-fracking-bill-6206286.php (http://linkis.com/url/redirect/http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/texas_legislature/article/House-OKs-fracking-bill-6206286.php)

[Spurminator]

Right on the heels of this study.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/state/headlines/20150421-azle-earthquakes-likely-caused-by-oil-and-gas-operations-study-says.ece


Oil and gas operations are the most likely cause of dozens of earthquakes that began rattling the North Texas towns of Azle and Reno in November 2013, a group of scientists has concluded.The study, led by researchers at SMU and published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications (http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/ncomms7728), presents some of the most conclusive evidence yet that humans are shifting faults below Dallas-Fort Worth that have not budged in hundreds of millions of years.

Another victory for small government Republicans.

[boutons_deux]

Right on the heels of this study.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/state/headlines/20150421-azle-earthquakes-likely-caused-by-oil-and-gas-operations-study-says.ece

Another victory for small government Republicans.

but but but that area has always had earthquakes, as STalkers say in defense of SkyPeople.

e/q rate went from 1 /year to several per month, but but but .... :lol

[DMX7]

The science isn't settled yet.

[boutons_deux]

Needs more study

[DMX7]

I'm not a scientist and neither are you.

[boutons_deux]

I'm not a scientist and neither are you.

My 97 scientists will beat the shit out of your 3 scientists.

[TeyshaBlue]

"Your" scientists. :lmao

[DMX7]

My 97 scientists will beat the shit out of your 3 scientists.

There is disagreement within the scientific community.

AND my 3 scientists don't use "junk science"...

[DMX7]

Have we considered that these earthquakes could be caused by something other than fracking?

If not, we should consider that and then not do anything about it and leave the debate in perpetual limbo.

Case closed, problem solved; you're welcome, America.

[boutons_deux]

There is disagreement within the scientific community.

AND my 3 scientists don't use "junk science"...

your 3 scientists are BigOil well-paid whores.

[Spurminator]

Have we considered that these earthquakes could be caused by something other than fracking?

If not, we should consider that and then not do anything about it and leave the debate in perpetual limbo.

Case closed, problem solved; you're welcome, America.

I agree, we need to give voice to all theories. This could be a result of Intelligent Tectonics.

[Spurminator]

PR machine in full effect... $$$$

http://i.imgur.com/fwg9SFG.png

[DMX7]

Booyah, boutons_deux! "Researchers" have ruled OUT fracking as a cause of the earthquakes!

Let's frack 'till we can all ignite our facets! That's not fire, it's freedom.

[DarrinS]

Good news

[DMX7]

I don't like how it says "Ad" though. That gives the impression that it was paid for and is not unbiased credible news. That's kind of liberal of Google, but what else would you expect from San Francisco?

[Th'Pusher]

Have we considered that these earthquakes could be caused by something other than fracking?

I think the study concludes that it's not the fracking thats likely casing the increases in earthquakes, but rather the wastewater injection wells which are used to dispose of the drilling waste.

[DMX7]

I think the study concludes that it's not the fracking thats likely casing the increases in earthquakes, but rather the wastewater injection wells which are used to dispose of the drilling waste.

Right, but the reason that's done is because of fracking.

[Th'Pusher]

Right, but the reason that's done is because of fracking.

Understood. Just trying to be accurate.

[TeyshaBlue]

This is my surprised face.

[baseline bum]

I agree, we need to give voice to all theories. This could be a result of Intelligent Tectonics.

Tidal forces from the moon. Also, are we closer to Jupiter right now? That could explain these.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Tidal forces from the moon. Also, are we closer to Jupiter right now? That could explain these.

Fuck that we are orbiting through the dark matter disc of the milky way.

[Winehole23]

Good newswhy, and for whom?

[The Reckoning]

how about we perfect photosynthesis and be completely independent of energy costs

[Winehole23]

oh well, Texas just told the NIMBYs to get fucked on their quality of life complaints related to fracking. which of course they won't.

[RandomGuy]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/texas_legislature/article/House-OKs-fracking-bill-6206286.php (http://linkis.com/url/redirect/http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/texas_legislature/article/House-OKs-fracking-bill-6206286.php)

If you read the state GOP platform, they blather on about "local" control for just about everything, and encourage it as a principle.

Until, of course, that locality does something they don't like. Then it is all about the state's sovereignty.

Smells like, hypocrisy...

[RandomGuy]

Have we considered that these earthquakes could be caused by something other than fracking?

If not, we should consider that and then not do anything about it and leave the debate in perpetual limbo.

Case closed, problem solved; you're welcome, America.

Texas has been, until recently one of the most geologically stable places on the planet, based on a map of earth quake activity I saw a few years ago.

From what I understand the evidence indicating that the injection well activity was the cause of the minor quakes has been fairly conclusive.

I would imagine the geo-scientists responsible have considered other possibilities, but I haven't read any other potential theories.

[boutons_deux]

TX Repugs are going to castrate TX cities' self-mgmt again with STATE-WIDE REGULATION of uber, lyft, etc.

[boutons_deux]

Gov. Paul LePage Will Protect Maine From Threat Of Decent Wages

pushing a bill that would prevent Maine cities (http://bangordailynews.com/2015/04/20/politics/state-house/lepage-seeks-to-quash-portland-bangor-efforts-for-increased-minimum-wage/)from setting a minimum wage higher than the state’s minimum wage of $7.50 an hour,

the beautifully Orwellian title “An Act to Promote Minimum Wage Consistency,” (http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0494&item=1&snum=127) is yet another of those brilliant rightwing efforts to promote States’ Rights — particularly the right of states to keep troublesome municipalities from having any of that “local control” stuff that is good when Republicans run a city, and terrible when Democrats do.

Mayor Michael Brennan, of the People’s Republic of Portland, wants to raise the local minimum wage to $9.50,

and in the Revolutionary Democratic Collective of Bangor, Councilor Joseph Baldacci is pushing for a minimum wage of $9.75,

http://wonkette.com/583511/gov-paul-lepage-will-protect-maine-from-threat-of-decent-wages#gAKP40sOdeElPxBm.99

[ChumpDumper]

Good newsPlease explain.

[Winehole23]

people will die before the oil is played out, therefore, people don't matter as much.

[boutons_deux]

people will die before the oil is played out, therefore, people don't matter as much.

Bachmann and others predict Obama is bringing End Times well before oil is played out, so no worrying about 10s of 1000s of fracking well permanently scarring the USA. End Times excuses BigCorp destroying governemtn, forests, national parks, oceans, lands, water, air, humans. Christ will come back and fix everything, and cut taxes.

[FromWayDowntown]

Austin will not be dictated to by Washington since Washington doesn't think like Texans do, but Denton had best toe Austin's line, no matter what it's people actually think about an issue.

[Spurminator]

Good news


why, and for whom?


Please explain.

I would also like to hear the opposing argument.

[Winehole23]

Classic DarrinS drive-by. He generally prefers to stand pat with content-free scoffing.

[Winehole23]

Texas RR Commission bows up to Exxon:


The state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry is ordering an Exxon Mobil Corp. (http://www.bizjournals.com/profiles/company/us/tx/irving/exxon_mobil_corp/520131) subsidiary and another energy company to prove their wells aren't responsible for a swarm of earthquakes in North Texas.


On Friday, the Texas Railroad Commission told officials at Fort Worth-based XTO Energy Inc. (http://www.bizjournals.com/profiles/company/us/tx/fort_worth/xto_energy_inc/520142), the Exxon subsidiary, and EnerVest Operating LLC (http://www.bizjournals.com/profiles/company/us/tx/houston/enervest_operating_llc/618400) to appear at hearings scheduled for June to explain why their wells near Azle shouldn't be shut down.


The agency's order follows findings published this week (http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2015/04/21/oil-and-gas-activity-did-cause-azle-earthquakes.html) by seismic experts at Southern Methodist University that connected two wastewater disposal wells operated by the companies to a flurry of earthquakes that rocked the area northwest of Fort Worth between November 2013 and January 2014. The study concluded that the 30 temblors were most likely caused by high volumes of drilling wastewater injected deep into the ground as natural gas was pumped out.

http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/blog/morning_call/2015/04/state-orders-two-energy-firms-to-prove-wells-arent.html?ana=e_hstn_nrg&u=nUaD8fviVoHFvMpVGQzj8ze7HI5&t=1430145407

[boutons_deux]

http://www.texasobserver.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/042015-loon-star-state-759-474-759x474.jpg