Once upon a time there was an industry that wanted to do as they pleased in order to make money for their investors. It started many years ago during a time when the industry felt it was constrained by rules that prevented it from doing so. So it met with the rulers of the land to convince them if they removed these constraints everyone would be happier. Hence deregulation began and has continued ever since.
A few years later the industry was concerned not enough of the constraints were removed to continue its profit-making ventures (drilling, fracking and producing energy from natural resources below the surface), so it went to the rulers again and they passed the Energy Policy Act, which exempted the industry in part from Safe Drinking Act; Clean Water Act; Clean Air Act; National Environmental Policy Act; Superfund Act; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liabilities Act (CERCLA); Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; and the Toxic Release Under Emergency Planning and Community Right To Know Act. This went on for many years until some of the people in the land felt concerned about: the amount of water used; the tons of toxic-laced chemicals per fracked well; the lighting up of the night sky 24 hours a day, seven days a week with continuous noise throughout the day and night for months on end (possible OSHA violations); and the potential air emissions from drilling, fracking and production (methane, butane, ethylene, toluene, and xylene), which are highly toxic substances. Until one day they asked their rulers about the health, environmental and property values. The nobles said to not be concerned because the industry was abiding by the rules of the land.
The impacts went on while hundreds of spills, composed of spilled and “unrecovered” oil, gallons of “spilled” and “unrecovered” water and “spilled” and unrecovered “other” substances including fracking fluids and 60-plus percent of ozone- producing emissions continued. The nobles again stated we shouldn’t be concerned because it is good for the economy.
Anyway, the people of the land started getting very upset because the rulers were ignoring them, so they decided to take the matter into their own hands by taking it to vote (ballot initiative). A few weeks prior to the vote the industry began feeling nervous and started to spread half truths about how safe, profitable and patriotic it was for those living within oil and gas land. It cited examples of how it created jobs, boosted the economy, provided tax monies and that it was safe. This continued while four towns in the area voted to postpone the activities until further research and studies would prove it healthy and safe.
Unfortunately, the industry didn’t like this as it wanted to continue its actions in spite of a majority who agreed to study it further. So it went to the rulers and said it had the right to extract resources even in spite of potential negative impacts to those who live and work there. The question now is: Will the aristocracy take heed from those who are being subjected to abuses and find an equitable solution for the citizens who elected them and the industry that lobbies them? As the law of the land currently states the industry has a right to impact citizens who continue to want to live and raise their families in a resource-rich land, when will the citizens’ rights be considered?
Robert Winkler has managed all aspects of risk mitigation, disaster prevention and emergency management programs. He is a Greeley resident.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Robert Winkler: A tale of deregulation and environmental injustice )
Also on site :
- Yankees’ hot-hitting outfielders lend good problem to ‘valuable’ rest days
- Recent AEW Signing Wins Gold In Another Promotion
- Liberty set for final preseason tune-up, roster decisions before WNBA title defense begins