Central Plateau, North Island

Central Plateau, North Island
View from a friend's farm

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Fracking, or Hydraulic Fracturing in NZ

 

Not my usual post!!!

If you read the latest posts from Lori, at  “ The Skoog Farm Journal” you will see how one lady has made a stand against the practice of fracturing, ending with her being  put in jail. Sandra Steingraber, having a Doctorate in Biology from University of Michigan, and  Master’s Degree in English from  Illinois State University,  joined by 10 others, in March  they blockaded a gate to a gas compressor station , run by Missouri- based Inergy LLP. They were protesting  their opposition to Inergy’s  planned heavy industrialization of the Finger Lakes Region.

this is an area with vast wild life, and I can see the impact that fracking might have on the whole region.And indeed any country that might start or continue this practice without very real investigation with regard to safety and pollution .

You can  read Alyssa Johnson’s column in the  “ timesunion.com” with the heading.. and see what a wonderful area this is, and should stay safe and protected.

River Otters in the Finger Lakes.

Her blog is on my list “ Nature in a Nutshell”

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Courtesy of the Internet, New Zealand Herald, February 28th, 2013.

Further to this interim report, Jan Wright has recently stated “ her office  required more specialist advice to complete the investigation, and she was unlikely to meet  her deadline of mid-2013”

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The following has been taken from, with acknowledgement,

“ An interim report, Evaluating the environmental impacts of fracturing in New Zealand” , November 2012. From the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Jan Wright.

This report is available on the internet, is 119 pages in length, and contains much detailed information.

Start of the report from the Internet

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“”” Page 71…“”In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), the US Secretary of Energy Advisory Board, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT), and the University of Texas have all released reports on fracking in the last two years.189 These have generally been narrower in scope than their European counterparts. With the exception of the University of Texas report, all recommended improved transparency and data collection on fracking operations and their environmental impact.
The US EPA produced a scoping report last year on the potential impacts of fracking on sources of drinking water. The agency has also published a report on groundwater contamination in the town of Pavillion in Wyoming, concluding that it is likely that fracking operations caused the contamination of the local drinking water. The US EPA is now working on a big study on fracking due in 2014, and a
progress report will be released in late 2012.
The US Secretary of Energy Advisory Board report looked at how fracking could be done more safely. It recommended more information about fracking operations be provided, best practice be adopted, and more research and development into environmentally friendly techniques be done.

Page 113…Most substances used in fracking fluid in New Zealand are classed as hazardous under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act. Some of these chemicals can certainly be harmful, particularly when in concentrated form. Biocides are,
by definition, ecotoxic because that is their purpose. However, the chemicals are diluted when mixed into fracking fluid, and risk to the environment depends on many factors.”””

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End of the  report from the Internet.

In NZ 55 sites have been detailed as used for this purpose, from 1989 to 2011, some have been more than once at the same site.

this is very different to my usual posts,

but I feel passionate about what should always be a “  Clean Green  New Zealand” and if this fracturing did continue, and on a larger scale, what is the future of our land, the environment, safety for future generations. My thanks to Lori for posting on her blog, we can all benefit from reading Sandra  Steingraber’s words, one brave lady not afraid to speak out and act for  what she so passionately believes in.

Quotation of the day, author unknown

Believe in yourself, be true to yourself, stand up for what you feel is right,speak the words, write the words, tell the world”

Greetings from Jean

8 comments:

MandaBurms FarmStay for Cats. said...

In total agreement Jean

We need more Green Party voters to keep the govt on their toes.

More people speaking up, signing partitions... Writing to government.

Eggs In My Pocket said...

Oh my goodness. Here in Texas, the do fracking for the oil wells, using a lot of water. We are under such a horrible drought that this seems like a waste of good water. Very interesting post!

Carol Mattingly said...

Not a big fan of fracking either. Fantastic info Jean.

Janet said...

This is an issue in the Yukon as well. There is a large group which puts pressure on the government not to allow fracking and to preserve a large watershed area from any mining. I sign their petitions but haven't attended any meetings.

Nancy J said...

I must admit, that report was 119 pages LONG, so I skimmed a lot of the really technical pages, but Lori at Skoog Farm is putting letters from Sandra Steingraber on her pages, fascinating reading, one lady who I will probably, well maybe.. definitely.. never meet, but admire so very much.Sandra is a master artist with words, please read . Cheers from Jean

Julie Fukuda said...

With all the technology available today, we need to have people working on other forms of energy rather than messing up nature for oil.

Lindsjö taxar said...

HI! Hope you are ok.
Tyra is wagging here today...so I Think the pups will come in 24 hours

Nancy J said...

Yes Julie, I agree, I now have a postal address for Sandra,as no email is allowed in the jail. Guess snail mail is all opened and vetted, but I will send her a letter, might be rather special to get one from NZ..Lindsjo, so soon now, Would you please send me your own email address, I have lost it when I had a new hard drive put in the laptop. Cheers from Jean,