Blog: The Fine Print / posts by Sofia Plagakis
BLM Fracking Rule Violates New Executive Order on Open Data
May 16, 2013 by Sofia Plagakis
Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its revised proposed rule for natural gas drilling (commonly referred to as fracking) on federal and tribal lands. The much-anticipated rule violates President Obama's recently issued executive order that requires new government information to be made available to the public in open, machine-readable formats.
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Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Raises Important Questions
Apr 18, 2013 by Sofia Plagakis
Last night, there was a massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in central Texas (outside of Waco), which killed as many as 15 people and injured more than 160. Though investigators are still trying to determine the exact cause of the incident, the West Fertilizer Co. explosion raises serious questions about managing the risks that facilities can pose to local communities.
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Voluntary Certification Program for Fracking Companies Is Not Enough
Apr 1, 2013 by Sofia Plagakis
Last week, a coalition of natural gas producers, environmental groups, and philanthropic organizations unveiled a voluntary certification program for companies engaged in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the Marcellus Shale region (parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, western Maryland, and western Virginia). The program is based on a set of fifteen water and air protection standards, which are more stringent than current federal law and many state laws. However, a careful review of the standards shows that they are still not strong enough and should not replace public protections enforced by state and federal governments.
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Public Denied Right to Know about Chemicals Used in Fracking
Mar 27, 2013 by Sofia Plagakis
Last Thursday, a Wyoming district court ruled against a lawsuit brought by public interest groups, including the Center for Effective Government, that sought to make public the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The identities of these chemicals can remain secret when companies make claims that fracking solution formulas are "trade secrets." The court upheld such claims, effectively denying the people of Wyoming access to accurate, complete, and detailed information about the chemicals that are being injected into the ground and that may affect their health.
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Fracking Projected to Continue for Decades in Texas
Mar 7, 2013 by Sofia Plagakis
The significant size of natural gas reserves in Texas could mean at least another two decades of hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) in the state, according to a recent study. This means that communities will have to deal with air and drinking water contamination from the toxic chemicals used in fracking for some time to come unless greater protections are put in place by the state or federal government.
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State Department Ignores the Environmental Impacts of Keystone XL
Mar 4, 2013 by Sofia Plagakis
On Friday, the U.S. Department of State published a revised draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Keystone XL pipeline, which essentially ignores the substantial environmental impacts associated with building the pipeline. If approved, the pipeline would transport tar sands (which are more corrosive than crude oil) from Canada through America's heartland to Texas and create air, water, and public health problems.
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Water Quality Reports Go Online but Access for Many Likely to Decline
Jan 10, 2013 by Sofia Plagakis
After months of waiting, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a disappointing memorandum allowing water companies to switch from mail to all-electronic delivery of annual drinking water quality reports. The memo fails to set clear standards for electronic notification and delivery and makes it likely that segments of the public will have less access to these reports.
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Toxic Release from Train Derailment Highlights the Need for Safer Chemicals
Dec 7, 2012 by Sofia Plagakis
A train derailment in southern New Jersey last Friday released thousands of pounds of a cancer-causing chemical into the air, sent over a dozen people to hospitals, and forced local residents to hide in their homes with their doors and windows shut. A week after the incident, 200 homes have been evacuated and area schools remain closed. The derailment highlights the risks that hazardous chemicals can pose to communities and the urgent need to shift to safer chemicals.
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Petition Seeks Information on Toxic Fracking Emissions
Oct 24, 2012 by Sofia Plagakis
Today, OMB Watch and 16 local, regional, and national organizations filed a petition under the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require the oil and gas industry – including companies engaged in fracking – to report their toxic emissions. Such reporting would provide EPA with more information on the identity, use, and quantity of chemicals used by the oil and gas industry and would help the agency evaluate their health and environmental risks.
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Clear Standards Needed to Ensure Public Access to Water Quality Reports
Oct 4, 2012 by Sofia Plagakis
On Oct. 1, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a public meeting on a new proposal that would allow water systems to electronically deliver drinking water quality reports to the public. Currently, these reports, required under the Safe Drinking Water Act, are mailed to customers, often with their water bills.
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