Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
North Carolina
Related: About this forumFracking off table in WNC; DENR cancels regional tests
http://m.thesylvaherald.com/breaking_news/article_e827242a-337e-11e4-ade6-0017a43b2370.html?mode=jqmBy Quintin Ellison
The state has retreated from its plan to collect rock samples this year in Jackson and the other far-western counties to test for indications of shale gas deposits.
The presence of such deposits could have led to fracking in the region.
We are focused on exploring and developing the basins with a likelihood of finding shale gas, wrote Donald van der Vaan, chief deputy secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, in an Aug. 21 memorandum obtained by The Herald.
All sampling and analyses for shale gas during fiscal year 2014-2015 will be focused downstate: on the Deep River, Dan River and proposed Cumberland-Marlboro basins, according to the memorandum, written to Timothy Dale, fiscal analyst for the Natural and Economic Resources team of the General Assembly. Plans to test in Camden, Pasquotank and Bertie counties have fallen by the wayside, too, according to DENRs Bridget Munger.
The hunt for shale gas in WNC lacked political support from the majority party: state Sen. Jim Davis, R-Macon, who co-sponsored the bill that could bring fracking to North Carolina by the spring of 2015, told The Herald last month that he views such a quest as a waste of taxpayer money. N.C. House Rep. Nathan Ramsey, R-Buncombe County, said the same. Ramsey actively tried during the legislative session to stop the state Geological Survey from collecting rocks in the seven westernmost counties.
Non-state affiliated geologists have expressed pessimism about shale gas existing in the mountains; and, if it did, about whether a private company actually could tap it profitably. There have been some geologic studies that indicated the requisite organic rich rocks might underlie parts of the Blue Ridge, but if so, getting to them would require substantial drilling.
..more..
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 1540 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (7)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Fracking off table in WNC; DENR cancels regional tests (Original Post)
G_j
Sep 2014
OP
littlemissmartypants
(22,841 posts)1. My heart goes out to the people of Lee county and their
Vulnerable neighbors.
~ Lmsp
alarimer
(16,245 posts)2. Natural Resource agencies should not be about exploitation.
DENR should not even be in the business of exploring and developing for shale gas.
They should deny all such permits and activities. But of course this agency has been wholly captured by developers of all sorts, with that piece of shit Skvarla in charge.
The talking points from the right are that renewables are not cost competitive and that fracking is. They've not come up with a good response to the counter point: if fracking in NC is cost competitive why is the state government paying for the initial exploration?