Lobby for NC Environment, May 30

The North Carolina General Assembly returns to Raleigh in May. Those of us who care about land and water conservation need to let our legislators know how important this issue is for North Carolina.
Please make plans to join us for Land for Tomorrow Lobby Day on Wednesday, May 30 to help us tell our conservation story and ensure continued support for the state’s four conservation trust funds. 
You know firsthand the difference that land and water conservation has made in your community and across the state. Your legislators need to hear from you so they can understand how important this issue is for their constituents.
Visit landfortomorrow.org for more details and to register for Lobby Day.

See you in Raleigh on May 30^th!

Compost Awareness, May 5, Carthage

Saturday, May 5, 9:30 AM

Moore County Extension Center in Carthage

 
Compost Educational Lectures, Program and Compost Related Exhibits

 Speakers & Topics

·       Amy Brooks – How we make Brooks Compost

·       Kathy Byron – Composting: The Art & Science of Healthy Soil

·       Glenn Bradley – How to successfully use Compost in your Garden and Landscape

 Those attending the Educational Program will be given a free 50# bag of Brooks BR-1 Compost!

4-site garden tour to follow:

After the educational program & collecting your free bag of Compost, a map to the location of the Compost Garden Tour will be handed out for self directed visits over the next 2 hours.

·       Large Home Vegetable Garden using Compost

·       Pinehurst Elementary FirstSchool Garden

·       Private Home @ CCNC using Compost for Garden & Landscaping

·       Horse Farm successfully using Compost for their Outstanding Pastures

 No cost to attend - see you there!    For Information call 947-3188

Last Chance to Speak, Fracking in NC

Last Chance to Speak Out on Possible Fracking in NC!

Public Hearing on Draft Shale Gas Report
6:30-8:30 PM, Monday, April 2
The Barn at Fearrington Village
100 Village Way, Pittsboro. (map/directions)

arrive by 5:15PM to sign up to speak

Chatham County will host the last final hearing on DENR's draft shale gas study report next Monday. This meeting will cover a summary of the draft report and DENR will be present to accept comments. For possible talking points click here.

The deadline to submit written comments has been extended to April 2. Send your comments via email to shale_gas_comments@ncdenr.gov or mail to NCDENR, attn: Trina Ozer, 1601 MSC, Raleigh 27699

House Republicans Slowing the Rush to Frack? Only ‘til early 2014…

On Wednesday, Representatives Gillespie and Stone held a press conference to outline a proposal that would continue some studies on regulatory needs for fracking and require legislative proposals by March of 2014. While this is a big improvement over the aggressive bill we expect from Senator Rucho and Rep. Mike Hager, it would still call for regulations even before the EPA study on water impacts is final (late 2014) or national regulations are considered. Stay tuned for further detailed review by grassroots groups of the Gillespie/Stone proposal and opportunities to advocate for improvements!

Here’s the News and Observer’s coverage of the press conference: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/29/1966174/delay-fracking-2-gop-lawmakers.html

Fracking in NC? Update

The DENR shale gas hearing in Chapel Hill had a large, feisty and well-informed turnout last night! Thank you for your presence, comments and solidarity against 'fracking' in North Carolina, which regional legislators got loud and clear. DENR acknowledges plenty of unknowns in the study and we'll have more to point out in written comments, due April 2. Many speakers pointed out that we haven’t seen evidence from any state that fracking can be done safely. Thanks to public pressure, a third and final hearing will take place in Chatham County next week!

EVENTS:

• March 30, 7-9:30 PM. Black Mountain, Fracking in NC? (details).
• April 2, 6:30-8:30 PM. Pittsboro (map/directions), Shale gas study hearing (details) and DEADLINE FOR WRITTEN COMMENTS! Email to shale_gas_comments@ncdenr.gov or mail to NCDENR, Attn: Trina Ozer, PO Box 1601, Raleigh, NC 27699

Second Public Comment Session on Fracking, Mar. 27

DENR is holding its second public comment session on its hydraulic fracturing report tomorrow, March 27th, at 6:30pm at East Chapel Hill High School.  More information about these meetings can be found on DENR's website here: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/guest/public-input

 

RAFI encourages the public to provide DENR with comments on hydraulic fracturing and consumer protection at the upcoming public meetings. Although the Attorney General's office has not made the consumer protection section of the report available at this time, it is important that landowners tell DENR and the Attorney General's office of the importance of maintaining landowner property rights and supporting strong landowner protections. Anyone interested in landowner protections and hydraulic fracturing can contact RAFI-USA for further information.

NC Ranks 10th

From NC League of Conservation Voters:  A special report released on the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act of 1972 finds that toxic water discharges still abound, and North Carolina places tenth on the list of states by volume of discharges.

The 48-page report, titled "Wasting our Waterways 2012", was issued by the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center. It is based on discharge information submitted to the EPA for its Toxic Release Inventory for 2010, the most recent data year available.

The report notes that 53 percent of assessed rivers and streams, and 69 percent of assessed lakes, remain unsafe for swimming or fishing or both. Our nation continues to fall far short of the 1972 Clean Water Act's goal that all American waters should be "fishable and swimmable".

Public Comment on Fracking, two meetings

Legislative Watch: Fracking Report Released, Hearings Planned

The long-anticipated state report on fracking was released late last week, and contains conclusions guaranteed to dissatisfy all perspectives. In sum, the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) draft report concludes that 'fracking'--hydraulic fracturing to release natural gas contained in rock layers--and the horizontal drilling to conduct it can be done safely. However, it also says that additional legal and regulatory safeguards are needed first.

The report's recommendations for safety steps proceeding the authorization of fracking include the following:
--Further study of the potential impacts on groundwater in areas where exploration may take place.
--State-approved plans limiting the amounts of water that can be withdrawn during the process.
--Mandated disclosure of chemicals used in the fracking process, with public disclosure of any information not protected by 'trade secret' status.
--Development of an oil and gas waste management regulatory program.

The report's recommendations are not likely to please either those whose position is 'no fracking, no way', nor those whose mantra is 'drill now, drill everywhere, for everything'.

DENR's press release with more information is available at http://portal.ncdenr.org/c/journal/view_article_content?groupId=21953&articleId=6157644, and the full draft report can be found at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/guest/denr-study.

The two meetings to accept public comments on the draft report are scheduled for March 20 at the Wicker Center in Sanford, and March 27 at the East Chapel Hill High School auditorium in Chapel Hill. Both public meetings are scheduled to run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

DENR is required to make its final report to the N.C. General Assembly no later than May 1. The legislature's special Energy Policy Committee is set to meet April 21, and is likely to take up the report for discussion whether the final is ready or not.

One Showing Only- Green Fire, Sunrise Theater, 7 pm TONITE

Inspiring!

http://grist.org/list/urban-farming-in-detroit-gets-the-documentary-it-deserves/?fb_ref=fbrw

Save Our Sandhills and Palustris, Mar. 24

PALUSTRIS SCHEDULE

Save Our Sandhills: Learning from the Past for a Better Future

Saturday, March 24, 2012

9:00 am  -- 5:30 pm

Southern Pines Civic Club, downtown

There is a “web of connection” throughout life, a web between past and present, a web between plant life and animal life to create an ecosystem, a web between mankind and nature. Save Our Sandhills celebrates those webs that create sense from chaos, thereby making our lives more meaningful and enjoyable.

9am –5:30pm: Enjoy a celebration of North Carolina’s natural landscapes through the photographic display by David Blevins. Items will be offered for sale.  Blevins’ website is www.blevinsphoto.com.

9:30am – 11am: Wild North Carolina: Author Michael Schafal, a community ecologist for the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program) and nature photographer David Blevins, also a forest ecologist, will discuss their book Wild North Carolina, illuminating our state’s natural communities and highlighting the reasons plant and animals are found where they are, with a special focus on the Sandhills. Autographed books will be offered for sale.

11am – 12:30pm: “Eating Wild”: Terry Sharpe, a wildlife biologist and forester who spent 30 years working with the NC Wildlife Commission, will describe the joys of reconnecting with a more natural way of life. Considering the great outdoors to be one big dinner plate, he will discuss favorites on his menu, provide guidelines on finding and preparing them, and bring samples to taste.

12:30pm – 1:30pm: Traditional bluegrass music by Joe and Abby and Friends. Refreshments will be served.

1:30pm – 3pm: Looking for Longleaf: Lawrence Earley, former editor of Wildlife in North Carolina magazine, and a writer and photographer, will discuss his book Looking for Longleaf. Having the ability to bring the past to life, he will explain how the longleaf pine ecosystem was exploited, the problems with regeneration of the pines, and the renewed commitment needed to help this biodiverse ecosystem thrive. Autographed books will be offered for sale.

3pm – 4:30pm: “Photographing Nature”: David Blevins, a nature photographer and forest ecologist, will describe how patterns in landscapes help people to see familiar places in a new way and new places with a sense of familiarity.

4:30pm – 5:30pm: Traditional bluegrass music by Joe and Abby and Friends. Refreshments will be served.  Refreshments courtesy of The Fresh Market and Nature’s Own, both of Southern Pines

Our Local Food Coop in the News!

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/supportdocuments/1033437_RuralCoop_JanFeb12.pdf  National news

NC Farmers at Occupy Monsanto

http://youtu.be/3jzkd8-bbRo

Green Growth Explained, Jan. 26, Sou. Pines

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS SPEAKER EXPLAINS “GREEN GROWTH TOOLBOX”

On January 26, Save Our Sandhills will host Brenda Johnson, a specialist in ecology and wildlife, to describe why The Green Growth Toolbox, a cooperative, non-regulatory effort developed by the Wildlife Diversity Program of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, is so important to North Carolina in general, and Moore County in particular.
By its own definition, “Green Growth is a nature-friendly way of developing communities. It means conserving habitat and biological diversity while building homes, businesses and shopping centers.” Its tools consist of a handbook, GIS data package, and a website.
This project was conceived because of the unprecedented population growth fueled in North Carolina in recent years, along with projections that over the next 20 years, 3 million additional people would move to North Carolina, threatening our environment, public health, and quality of life.
Therefore, in 2005, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission developed the North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan, which identified sprawling patterns of land development as a top threat to wildlife resources. Since land use in North Carolina is regulated at the local government level, where officials often do not have sufficient knowledge concerning risks to wildlife while they develop policies concerning growth, The Green Growth Toolbox concept gained traction.
Green Growth helps to bridge the gap between scientists and local decision makers by offering wildlife data and important wildlife conservation principles so that well-informed decisions can be made. While planning for growth, communities learn how to protect important species and habitats by locating their important natural resources and determining how best to conserve them through land use planning. Habitats support much more than wildlife.
They also sustain healthy ecosystems, healthy economies, healthy communities, and a high quality of life. This is why The Green Growth Toolbox emphasizes 10 benefits to communities: “1. Better health all around, 2.Economic return, 3.Environmental safeguards, 4.Avoid environmental conflicts, 5.Attract new economy businesses, 6.Increase prosperity, 7.Generate tourist income, 8.Reduce costs to taxpayers and local government, 9.Respond to public demand, 10.Improve quality of life.”
In North Carolina, 45 local governments (including counties and municipalities) have received Green Growth Toolbox training at 11 workshops which targeted jurisdictions that are experiencing significant habitat conversion to development. Twenty-one local governments have received technical guidance on 31 land use planning projects. Locally, both Moore and Harnett County planning staffs attended Green Growth Toolbox Workshops and received follow-up technical guidance, including one that took place at our local Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve Auditorium in mid-2010. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission has been working in partnership with regional organizations, including Sustainable Sandhills, the Coastal Land Trust, and Land of Sky Regional Council.
In Moore County, The Green Growth Toolbox has been used to provide recommendations to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that is currently under revision by the Planning Board. UDO’s are the rulebooks for how building and development occur in a community, and thus can have heavy impacts on wildlife habitat. Most Green Growth recommendations to the Moore County UDO were made to the Planned Unit Development (PUD) and Subdivision Ordinances, since these usually impact large tracts of land at a time. The UDO process is currently ongoing, and work continues to see Green Growth recommendations adopted.
Brenda Johnson has worked with Sustainable Sandhills for two years as their Green Growth Planner. Sustainable Sandhills, a nonprofit dedicated to conserving the natural resources of the eight-county region surrounding Fort Bragg, concentrates on four main program areas: Green Business Certification, Green Schools, Green Growth, and Local Food.
Johnson holds a B.A. in Zoology from Ohio Wesleyan University, an M.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences from NC State University, and has several years’ experience in ecology and wildlife biology research. Her work at Sustainable Sandhills is funded by a fellowship through Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE).
She is currently working with both Moore County and Harnett County to incorporate Green Growth strategies into their land use policies.
Join us for an informative and interesting evening; refreshments will be served. Thursday, January 26 at 7 PM in the Southern Pines Civic Club, corner of Ashe Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. All are welcome.

Nov. 10, in Sou Pines, Discuss, Learn about Fracking

PENNSYLVANIA LANDOWNERS SHARE FRACKING EXPERIENCES


On Thursday, November 10, 7 PM at the Days Inn Of Southern Pines, the nonprofit organization Save Our Sandhills will host Carol French and Carolyn Knapp, dairy farmers from Bradford County, Pennsylvania, who have witnessed firsthand the effects of the gas extraction boom, known as fracking, and Hope Taylor, Executive Director of Clean Water for North Carolina (CWFNC).

As you may know, this natural gas boom that is sweeping across the United States may soon reach Lee County and northern Moore County. Geologists believe that there is a major sub-basin of natural gas that extends from Granville County above Durham southward through the Sanford area and into Moore County to the vicinity of Carthage. Some early estimates indicate that this area might yield as much as a 40-year supply of natural gas. Fracking of natural gas wells would take place in northern Moore County within the Triassic Deep River Basin/Sanford Sub-basin, and it could have great implications through all of Moore County. The Marcellus Shale gas deposits in Pennsylvania are different from those in our Triassic Deep River Basin/Sanford Sub-basin. Our gas deposits lie closer to the surface, have more faults, and may be less extensive.

We keep hearing that fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, has been around for decades. Therefore, why the big fuss now? Well, until recently, natural gas drilling consisted of “vertical” wells being drilled or fracked in order to retrieve the gas from porous rocks such as limestone and sandstone. Other gas in tight rock formations, such as shale, tight sand and coal beds, was uneconomical to extract until fracking with “horizontal” wells was conceived. This method of drilling involves injecting more than a million gallons of water and sand, as well as a toxic cocktail of chemicals under high pressure into the rock formation to release the gas. It has been estimated that over a 4-year period, up to 140 million gallons of water can be used by just one gas well.

Hope Taylor, Executive Director of CWFNC, will speak on the environmental and health impacts of hydraulic fracturing as well as current regulations and legislation in North Carolina. Following this, French and Knapp will talk about their firsthand experiences regarding fracking on their farms. Since 1999, Taylor has served as Executive Director of Durham-based CWFNC, a statewide science-based nonprofit that focuses on environmental health, drinking water and the impacts of energy production on water. Her background, which includes a Master of Science in Public Health degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from UNC-Chapel Hill, plus twenty years as a biomedical researcher at National Institutes of Health and Duke University, makes her an effective and knowledgeable advocate for the people and communities of North Carolina. In 2009, the EPA appointed Taylor to its National Drinking Water Advisory Council. In her spare time, Taylor is also a dairy goat farmer in the upper end of the Triassic Basin shale area. CWFNC promotes clean, safe ground and surface water and environments through organizing, education, advocacy and technical assistance.

Carol French and Carolyn Knapp are dairy farmers, one conventional and one organic, whose families had leased their farmland to gas companies for a small source of income for years. They had no expectation that gas development was imminent or that horizontal fracking would be developed and permitted in Pennsylvania. When Marcellus shale gas extraction with horizontal drilling began rapidly developing in 2007, many landowners were caught completely off guard. In 2010, French and Knapp founded Pennsylvania Landowners’ Group for Awareness and Solutions, an organization committed to educating farmers, landowners and the public about the consequences of rapid gas development. Both are familiar with the ‘good,’ the ‘bad,’ and the ‘ugly’ concerning gas extraction, as they live in Pennsylvania’s county that has been most impacted from rapid gas development. They presented a very powerful presentation at a Statewide Summit on Fracking Impacts in Pittsboro on September 10. Knowing that both sides of the issue need to be explored, they discuss the ‘good’ that can come from gas exploration: revenue for landowners from leasing agreements, jobs in the gas industry, business for restaurants, hotels and lawyers. And they raise awareness about the ‘bad’: questionable leases favoring gas companies, liens on property, mortgage conflicts, heavy truck traffic, social disintegration, loss of agricultural land, ground water contamination, increased community and farming costs, loss of tourism. They will also respond to industry messaging about the potential for shale gas to contribute to “energy independence” in the US, and to create sustainable jobs and other widespread economic benefits. Both suggest that we learn from other states by setting up support centers in our local communities.

Hear personal accounts from Carol French and Carolyn Knapp who are living with fracking on their lands on a daily basis. Their personal experiences can help us sort the good from the bad, and help us put guidelines in place to protect our communities if fracking is legalized as proposed in North Carolina. These guidelines can safeguard our air and water, our environment, and our way of life for future generations. We need to balance the promise of riches with the peril of drilling.

Join us for an informative presentation on Thursday November 10, 7 PM at the Days Inn Of Southern Pines, located at 650 US Highway 1 South (near the intersection of Morganton Road). Refreshments will be served. All are welcome.

Joyride, Sept. 6

FirstHealth Community Health Services and the Foundation of FirstHealth are bringing Portland-based bicycle transportation expert and author Mia Birk to the Sandhills to discuss bicycling and pedestrian programs, plans and policies while sharing experiences and stories that inspired her success.


Monday, September 5

22nd Annual Tour de Moore Classic to benefit the Moore County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity
Join guest rider Mia Birk for a hilly, challenging and fun ride around beautiful Moore County in the heart of the Sandhills. For more information or to register, visit www.tourdemoore.org

Tuesday, September 6

Mia Birk will meet with key leaders to examine local policies that affect non-motorized transportation initiatives. Community leaders will have the opportunity to work directly with a leading expert on bicycle planning to create a bike and pedestrian-friendly community in Moore County.

Tuesday, September 6

Joyride: Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet featuring author Mia Birk

6 p.m. • Robert E. Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School

A dramatic and enlightening behind-the-scenes story of how a group of determined visionaries transformed a community into a cycling mecca and inspired the nation. Please join us as author Mia Birk inspires, educates and empowers us to create ways to make our community more human, healthy, safe and splendid.

Representatives from The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines will be present with books available for purchase and signing.

To register for this event, please call (910) 715-5376 or visit www.firsthealth.org/joyride.

Leasing Your Mineral Rights? Carthage, Aug. 23

August 23rd, 2011, 6-8pm
Old Town Hall Building, 203 W. Barrett St., Carthage NC

Thinking About Leasing Your Mineral Rights?

With the arrival of natural gas leases in central North Carolina, landowners should understand the complexities of natural gas exploration, acquaint themselves with how to critically assess mineral rights contracts and learn about the potential impacts of drilling on agricultural fields, water resources, timber, and personal property. On August 23nd at 6pm the Rural Advancement Foundation International will host Penn. St. Cooperative Extension Educator Tom Murphy and N.C. St. Cooperative Extension Specialist Dr. Ted Feitshans for a public community information session on hydraulic fracturing and mineral rights leasing. Topics of discussion will include understanding the gas drilling process, negotiating a fair mineral rights lease, potential impacts on land resources, and limiting landowner financial liabilities in contracts.

Mr. Tom Murphy is a Penn. St. Cooperative Extension Educator with extensive knowledge of gas exploration and experience working with landowners in the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania. Mr. Murphy will lead a presentation on gas exploration process, potential impacts on land and water resources, and the experiences of landowners leasing mineral rights in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Ted Feitshans, attorney and an Extension Specialist in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department at NC State University, will also give a presentation on how NC landowners can evaluate leases offered to them by drilling companies and determine the status of ownership of the mineral rights on their land. Dr. Feitshans is one of the few mineral rights experts in North Carolina, with extensive experience in environmental and agricultural law.

Representatives from RAFI-USA, a farmer advocacy non-profit organization based in Pittsboro, will be present to help landowners with additional resources on natural gas extraction and information on legal supports available to landowners interested in signing a mineral rights lease. Following the presentations there will be a question and answer session for program participants.

This event is free and open to the public and will run from 6pm-8pm on Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011 in the Old Town Hall Building in Carthage, NC. For additional information you may contact RAFI staff member Jordan Treakle: 919-444-1321; jordan@rafiusa.org

More information on mineral rights leasing can be found on RAFI's website: http://www.rafiusa.org/gaslease.html

July 28, Fracking, SOS, Sou. Pines

On July 28, 7 PM at the Southern Pines Civic Club, Save Our Sandhills will follow up the recent screening of the movie GASLAND with an open question–and--answer panel discussion featuring Senator Harris Blake and Representative Jamie Boles explaining their position to endorse North Carolina’s Senate Bill 709.
Understanding the topic of natural gas and fracking is going to be critical to this area since so many counties appear to be sitting on top of a 40-year supply of natural gas.

Decision July 19, Pine Forest Development, Co. Comm. meeting

PINE FOREST

The decision on the Pine Forest rezoning has been lingering for several months. Numerous times meetings have been delayed because of illnesses of one or more of the Moore County Commissioners. At present, Planning Board Director Joey Raczkowski plans to present a report to the Commissioners on Tuesday July 19. At that time the Moore County Board of Commissioners may make a decision on the rezoning.

Let’s keep the character of Moore County from being destroyed.

PLEASE – Show your support by attending the July 19 meeting regarding the Pine Forest rezoning at the Moore County Board of Commissioners meeting, 6 PM at the historic Carthage Courthouse, 2nd floor.

Leasing Your Mineral Rights?

July 19, 2011, 6:30-8:30 pm
Agriculture Building Auditorium, Pittsboro, NC

Thinking About Leasing Your Mineral Rights?

With the arrival of natural gas leases in Chatham County, landowners should acquaint themselves with how to critically assess mineral rights contracts and understand the potential impacts of drilling on agricultural fields, water resources, timber, and personal property. Topics of discussion will include negotiating a fair mineral rights lease, potential impacts on land resources, and limiting landowner financial liabilities in contracts. The Chatham County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension in conjunction with Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI-USA) will be conducting a program to help answer landowners’ questions about these issues.

Dr. Ted Feitshans, attorney and an Extension Specialist in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department at NC State University, will lead a presentation on how landowners can evaluate leases offered to them by drilling companies and determine the status of ownership of the mineral rights on their land. Dr. Feitshans is one of the few mineral rights experts in North Carolina, with extensive experience in environmental and agricultural law. Representatives from RAFI-USA, a farmer advocacy non-profit organization based in Pittsboro, will be present to help landowners with additional resources on natural gas extraction and information on legal supports available to landowners interested in signing a mineral rights lease. Following the presentations there will be a question and answer session for program participants.

This program will run from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday July 19, 2011 in the Auditorium of the Chatham County Agriculture building in Pittsboro, NC. For additional information you may contact the Chatham County Center of NC Cooperative Extension at 919-542-8202 or by e-mail at extension.programs@chathamnc.org.

North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran’s status. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.

Persons with disabilities and persons with limited English proficiency may request accommodations to participate by contacting Sam Groce, County Extension Director at 919.542.8202 or sam_groce@ncsu.edu or in person at the County Extension Office at least 5 days prior to the event.

Samuel E. Groce
County Extension Director
Administration, Community & Rural Development, Livestock & Forages
Chatham County Center, NC Cooperative Extension
North Carolina State University
Post Office Box 279  Pittsboro, NC 27312
Office 919-542-8202, Mobile 919-548-2220
webpage: http://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/
e-mail: sam_groce@ncsu.edu

Call the Gov. Today re Fracking/Offshore Drilling Bill

Last chance to have your voice heard on VETO of S709 — Deadline tomorrow!

As tomorrow's decision deadline approaches, we still need as many people as possible to make their voices heard on Senate Bill 709 (promoting offshore oil, fracking and bad energy policy), and S781 (makes new protective rules essentially impossible, gutting current rules by endless cost-benefit analyses)! Please call again or for the 1st time, and urge friends and family to do the same. The veto of these bills is truly vital to our environment and quality of life in NC.

Call 919-733-2391 or email governor.office@nc.gov today!

Lawmakers Seek Inquiry of Natural Gas Industry
Federal lawmakers are calling on agencies to investigate the natural gas industry and whether the picture that has been painted accurately reflects the reality of projections. State and Federal concerns about the financial and environmental impacts sparked the inquiry. Five companies have been subpenaed including Talisman and Chesapeake Energy. Supporters of natural gas sent a letter signed by a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers to President Obama calling on him for continued support of natural gas development.
EPA Fracking Study to Focus on Five States
The Environmental Protection Agency will focus its national study of hydraulic fracturing on seven areas in five states. Five of these research projects will take a forensic approach, retroactively investigating places where drilling has already occurred and where contamination has been alleged (including sites in North Dakota, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Colorado). At two additional sites—in DeSoto Parish, La., in the Haynesville Shale and a separate site in Washington County, Pa.—the EPA will attempt to observe and measure the changes drilling brings to an area as it happens.

Worst Drought in More Than a Century Strikes Texas Oil Boom

The water crisis in Texas, the biggest oil- and gas- producing state in the U.S., highlights a continuing debate in North America and Europe over the impact on water supplies of an oil and gas production technique called hydraulic fracturing. The worst Texas drought since record-keeping began 116 years ago may crimp an oil and natural-gas drilling boom as government officials ration water supplies crucial to energy exploration. Environmental groups are concerned the so-called fracking method may pose a contamination threat, while farmers in arid regions like south Texas face growing competition for scarce water.