Park Service drafts plan for Padre Island drilling

[Khephra]

WASHINGTON - The National Park Service has drafted a plan to allow BNP Petroleum Corp. to drill five natural gas wells at Padre Island National Seashore, but the agency says the best way to protect the park is to prohibit drilling.

In a 124-page environmental assessment, the National Park Service detailed dozens of restrictions designed to protect the 130,434-acre park, the longest remaining undeveloped stretch of barrier island in the world.

The agency said it cannot ban drilling because federal law requires the park service to grant access to minerals below the public seashore.

Prohibiting drilling would "provide the greatest protection of area and park resources and values" and meet five of six national environmental goals in the National Environmental Protection Act, the park service said. Drilling with restrictions would have greater effect on the environment and meet four of the goals, it said.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/2925005

[Bluzmann57]

1. So one of my "predictions" has already come true

I hesitate to call it a prediction because anyone with a half a brain could see this coming. When retired repubs bitch about this (and they will), I'm just going to laugh at them. See, my parents winter down there and they will not be happy about this. Of course, they are Democrats, so they may laugh too. At least until it affects their daily walks on the beach and their fishing.

[alarimer]

2. Problem is

The Park Service does not own the mineral rights. In Texas mineral rights are separate from surface rights. If you own land and someone else owns the mineral rights, you have to let them access it. They have to compensate you for it but you have little choice. There is little they can do to stop this, I am afraid.

[efhmc]

3. I am a Texan and a private land owner who does own her own

mineral rights. Where did we (the US and Texas) acquire the land and did the former owners keep the mineral rights? Also, since when can't the US government over ride any land deed situation if the goverment deems it necessary for the common good? It (US gov.) can, has done so, will do so again and could do so here. We all know that this administration thinks that drilling any and everywhere they can is a good idea because wealthy repukes to whom they owe favors and with whom they are in business will profit. This will NOT go down as easily as those greedy, slime buckets think it will.

[jdj]

4. what I don't understand is since this is supposedly public land

products from the oil produced should be free to the public.

So iow profit motive should be taken out of the picture on these lands. Or hell, why can't they tell these assholes they can't go through the surface, that they'll just have to go to China and drill through from the other side.

[efhmc]

5. For over a hundred years here (don't know about other states), one

could keep his/her land and lease or sell the mineral rights. This actually was done to keep many folks in east Texas from getting bought out cheap by companies that practically stole their land and then profited highly from that theft. We both know that if they wanted the government could do whatever they wanted about the present situation but they don't wanna.

[alarimer]

6. Some of the lease fees

Go into the Texas School fund because apparently the GLO owns some of the mineral rights. This whole thing makes no sense to me- it seems that drilling for gas and running those trucks up and down the shoreline are inconsistent with the management plan for the National Seashore. I mean, sea turtles nest there in the summer. People camp and fish there. This really sucks- I hope it doesn't fly but I am not optimistic given the current regime. NPS does not have the guts to oppose them.

[struggle4progress]

7. We own your parks. A message from the ownership society. eom

[Javaman]

8. It will be a hell of a puzzle for those Brownsville repukes who love their

beach and love their prezzzz.
What to do, what to do....
Stupid assholes.
Fuck them, I live in Austin and those brownsville repukes can go rot in hell, because it was their vote that caused this.