It's a brilliant visual reminder that what's at stake when we talk about the dangers of fracking isn't dollars and cents, but something much simpler: Security in knowing that one of the most basic necessities of life, access to clean drinking water, is safe from harmful pollutants.
Nebraskan James Osborne appeared at the hearing to discuss an oil company's application to ship out-of-state fracking wastewater into Nebraska to be dumped into a "disposal well" in Sioux County. According to a Fox Business report on the proposal, the waste would be coming from states like Wyoming and Colorado, but dumped in Nebraska because nobody else wants anything to do with it:
Lest people think Osborne is a bleeding heart tree-hugger, he notes that he's worked in the oil industry and still even has family who work in fracking. However, his background can't stand in the way of the troubling facts about what fracking does to the environment, particularly to a farming and livestock intensive state like Nebraska which relies heavily on its water reserves to function.The commission heard 2ยฝ hours of public comment Tuesday at its Sidney headquarters before convening a specific hearing on the proposal from Terex Energy Corp. The Broomfield, Colorado-based company wants to truck salty groundwater and chemical-laden fracking wastewater that result from oil searches and production in Wyoming, Colorado and, eventually, Nebraska, to a ranch north of Mitchell, Nebraska. As much as 10,000 barrels a day of the water would be injected into an old oil well on the ranch.
On a table, Osborne sets down three water cups, filling each with some purified water. There is no question that anyone would feel comfortable drinking that water. But in the event of fracking wastewater leaking into the streams and rivers of Nebraska, residents shouldn't expect their taps to remain safe. Instead, Osborne dumps in the kind of yellow-brown sludge common in fracking runoff water. This is what the water would look like. The audience gasps.
"So you told me this morning that you would drink this water," Osborne tells the commission. "So would you drink it? Yes or no?"
The group stares silently at the display. After an awkward pause, one says he won't answer any questions.
"Oh, you can't answer any questions? Well my answer would be no. I don't want this in the water that will travel entirely across this state in three days," Osborne says. "There is no doubt there will be contamination. There will be spills."
So far the commission hasn't made a ruling on the controversial proposal. They chose to delay a ruling to think it over more carefully. In the meantime, environmental group Bold Nebraska has launched a petition to get public support against the fracking dumpsite.
Reader Comments
People who abide and create (and flourish, grow wealthy) under the rule of Mammon have really no idea of what is awaiting them after death.
Think about that.
Call it God's 'Luxury Tax' if you like, or even some other trivial sounding or manufactured name that bears the possibility of further manipulation by your (or your leader's) ego.
Better yet, dismiss it as nonsense, because after all, isn't science and technology king? Isn't that so? Isn't that what humanity is about? Isn't that how humans collectively and individually demonstrate ultimate superiority? What does science have to say? What can technology do? Isn't this all that matters? Isn't science and technology the proven pinnacle and highest, most powerful FACT?
Mammon is just an old biblical word, it means nothing.
Sure it is.
Death, too, is nothing.
Nothing to fear.
Eh?
'Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it; whosoever seek to lose his life, shall save it.'
Nothing to fear, motherfuckers, not a god-damned thing.
ned, out
If they cannot find a way to extract a resource that doesn't cause grievous harm to the environment, increase earthquakes, and destroy what is needed for life (clean air, water and soil) then it should be left in place. It isn't worth damaging our life support systems on this planet. The whole planet is an interlocking interacting system and it is under enough strain. If we damage the system too much, we won't be able to fix it as we do not really understand it. Worse we won't know we damaged it too much before it starts to fail to support us...so it is best to use the precautionary principle with our technology. We have better options, and frankly should apply our vast human creativity to create better energy systems. Work with the natural system, rather than trying forcefully to dominate it. It's not like we have another planet to go to if we destroy this one. Frankly until we learn to be responsible stewards of this planet, if we do find a way to live on another we'll destroy it with our greed too....