by Glynn Wilson
TALLADEGA, Ala. — About 125 people or more showed up Monday night at the Talladega Ritz to learn more about ways to fight fracking for oil and methane gas in the Talladega National Forest. (A full story and video are in the works).
Many consider the proposal by the oil and gas industry to lease mineral rights from the federal government by mining companies, including Halliburton, to be a dangerous threat to the health and safety of not only nature in the area, but a public health threat to drinking water supplies, as well as a public safety threat with hundreds of dangerous new trucks traveling and destroying the roads.
It is also considered to be a no win situation economically, since it will probably run more tourism dollars off from the area while creating almost no new local jobs and generating no local or state tax revenue.
No public officials showed up to support or oppose the issue, Democrat or Republican, and no agency representatives showed up either. The official public comment period has passed. But one geologist and several science teachers were there to help the public understand the issue.
It was announced at the meeting that state Sen. Gerald Dial, a Republican real estate developer from Lineville, introduced a resolution in the state Senate to oppose oil and gas leases in Alabama’s national forests. The resolution was adopted by the Senate, but the special session of the legislature on redistricting ended before it was taken up by the House. The text of the resolution is below in the comments. But the public should be aware this is a non-binding resolution without the force of law.
The crowd watched several videos on the issue. Here are a couple you should check out if you are interested learning more about fracking.
Fracking Hell The Untold Story: Part One
Fracking Hell The Untold Story: Part Two
We will have a full story and a video up on this issue soon.
For more information, see our previous advance coverage here and here.
© 2012, Glynn Wilson. All rights reserved. The Locust Fork News-Journal, LocustFork.Net
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Senator Gerald Dial of Lineville, Alabama, introduced this resolution in the state Senate.
EXPRESSING OPPOSITION TO THE JUNE 14, 2012, OIL AND GAS LEASING ON ALABAMA’S NATIONAL FORESTS BY THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT.
WHEREAS, Alabama national forest land is an important source of drinking water supplies, fish and wildlife habitats, hunting and fishing, and other outdoor recreation that contribute to the local economies in the state and the quality of life for Alabamians; and
WHEREAS, on June 14, 2012, the United States Bureau of Land Management is scheduled to offer over 43,000 acres of Alabama national forest land for lease for oil and gas development; and
WHEREAS, much of the land to be leased is underlain by shale geological formations, a potential source for natural gas that is to be extracted by a drilling process known as horizontal hydraulic fracturing; and
WHEREAS, some of the national forest land to be leased for drilling is located near a potential water supply source for the City of Anniston, other municipalities, and users including, but not limited to, Fort McClellan, the Anniston Army Depot, parts of the City of Oxford, Blue Mountain, the City of Jacksonville, the Calhoun County Water and Fire Protection Authority, Hobson City, and the City of Weaver; and
WHEREAS, some of the national forest land to be leased for drilling contains popular recreation areas, trails, and streams used for swimming and fishing; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That we hereby oppose the sale of oil and gas leases to parcels of Alabama national forest land on June 14, 2012, by the United States Bureau of Land Management.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we urge the United States Bureau of Land Management to act to protect drinking water resources and other important forest, water, and economic resources by removing all parcels located in Alabama national forests from the June 14, 2012, lease sale.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be provided to each member of the Alabama Congressional Delegation.
Many thanks to Senator Dial for standing up for the good people of Alabama! Water is the THING! We lived for many years without using fossil fuels, but, WATER! Well, we can’t live without it!
People: Like so many of these horrible things pushed upon us, we only pay attention when it gets close to home. Oh well, better too late than never, I suppose.
I am totally opposed to fracking and I emailed Congressman Mike Rogers to stop it. However, I think he is on their payroll and will not stop it. Only my opinion. Get government out of our lives, in November, vote for somebody you DON’T know!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never vote for the encumbant! Because you get the same old shaft up your butt.