Posted on 03/06/2012 1:01:02 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
When it comes to the controversial gas drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing, the Republican Party itself appears fractured — especially in the critical swing state of Ohio. ....
Republican Gov. John Kasich plans to introduce a new energy policy next week that would place a new tax on hydraulic fracturing to reduce personal income taxes for the state's residents. Many Republicans in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail oppose any new taxes or the elimination of tax breaks for oil and gas companies.
Kasich has also placed a moratorium on the deep injection of drilling wastes for disposal within five miles of a well site, a process that is being studied for possible links to an unusual series of earthquakes in Ohio. The process is separate from fracking — which is the pumping of water, chemicals and sand underground to open fissures in rock to allow oil and gas to flow to the surface — but it is expected to grow as fracking in neighboring states sends more waste into Ohio.
In addition, the state's Republican attorney general, Mike DeWine, has called for steeper fines on the growing industry and for drillers to disclose the chemicals they're injecting, actions that would bring Ohio in line with the toughest regulations in the nation. ....
Santorum, whose home state of Pennsylvania is one of the epicenters for the U.S. fracking boom and the complaints about its environmental effects, has outright dismissed such concerns. At a campaign stop in Oklahoma, he said the drilling technique has become "the new boogeyman" for environmentalists.
"It's the new way to try and scare you," Santorum said. ....
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has endorsed Romney for president, has recommended a one-year ban on hydraulic fracturing.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
You never read AP articles about cracks in the Democrat party, do you?
A good many of the idiots don’t even know the difference between fracking and injection wells.
My GOP state rep is using the term fracking when talking about the injection wells in this area. Idiot.
And that's why New Jersey is a major oil producer, folks.
Oh.
nevermind...
True that.
The largest concentration of hydrocarbons in NJ is in his RINO belly.
There was an article on this topic in National Review recently. The drillers said that PA is a great environment for doing this business. Even though there is a ton of scrutiny by the state govt, most of it is honest and fair. Let OH play around with getting this new industry on line. PA will thrive while they dither.
BTW, is there anyone here on FR that wants to defend, as Conservative, that fat gas bag You Tube Gov from NJ? Christie Creme wants a ONE YEAR MORATORIUM. He can go screw.
I’m sure the Saudis, Russians and iranians hate hydrofracking as well.
A women who I know who works for the Federal Government asked me about fracking. This women has 2 PhD’s and is very intelligent. She has a very high level position in the government.
I tried to explain it to her, but it was frustrating.
She just wanted to talk about how people's ground water was supposedly being poisoned. Then she said that algae was the best source of energy.
It is impossible to have an intelligent discussion of fracking, or anything about energy in the public arena. Peoples minds have been poisoned by the disinformation spread by the MSM and politicians.
Yes they do — Putin has specifically claimed fracking is dangerous and should be stopped. Of course the real danger is to his power, since natural gas is one of Russia’s only valuable exports.
Fracking is about to cause some major cracks in the Democrat party here in PA. All the state and local clowns have had their orgasm over the gusher of new revenue, and, in fact, have it already spent. Now Obama’s EPA is going to try and shut it down. Should make for a real donnybrook.
Commie NIMBY-ism is a multi-partisan cause.
Such a classic example of the left manufacturing an issue and now it’s reported as the “controversial” issue of fracking.
They even get in a semi cheap-shot at Chris Christie. Christie conditionally vetoed a bill that would ban the practice forever in NJ - he sent it back and said he’d sign it if it was a one-year ban. Not exactly a profile in courage for sure, but he wasn’t the one proposing the limitation in the first place. The whole issue is Kabuki theater in NJ in any event, because it doesn’t have any meaningful fields to frack.
In New York -- which hasn't yet approved fracking -- it's the usual issue of New York City against upstate. The city folk want to keep upstate as a big, empty park for their weekends in the country. They figure we can make our livings running antique stores, Thai restaurants, and community theaters.
If the regulations are reasonable, fine.
Cooperating with industry rather than being strictly adversarial is more likely to produce a desireable outcome for everyone. Just being arbitrarily regulatory won't. In the meantime, there are other states to drill, with taxes based on success (extraction taxes), not on just on the attempt.
Promoting responsible drilling and production operations while collecting extraction taxes, even a tiered tax based on total monthly production, will add incentive to develop the industry there and bring revenue to the state.
You won't hear it from me, that's for sure. I'm a geologist in North Dakota, and the Bakken boom is not only saving our state economically ($1 billion surplus), but folks are coming here from all over to find work. Most are good, hard working folks often working to save their homes where they are from, but on balance a good, conservative bunch.
I'll take the 'evils of prosperity' over the malaise that grips much of the country by the short hairs, any day.
I don’t care how many PhDs she has, anyone who thinks that pond scum is an answer to our current energy problems is innumerate, clueless, and if in a position of power, dangerous.
My point was that most people are ignorant about energy and the debate has been poisoned by the disinformation spread by the MSM.
I used her as an example of someone who is intelligent, well educated, has a responsible high level position and is totally clueless about energy. An intelligent discussion about energy issues with most people is literally impossible.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.