Monthly Archives: March 2014

What does Australia know that Montana doesn’t?

Posted on March 31, 2014 by davidjkatz

Sometimes it’s useful to look at business practices in other countries to see clear examples of how oil and gas policies in the US disempower property owners.. In Montana and throughout most of the West, most estates are split: surface rights … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History, Fracking Information | Tagged Australia, insurace, loans, Mineral rights, Montana, oil and gas drilling, property value, split estate, surface use agreements | 2 Comments

Ravalli Republic Letter to the Editor: Reform the Board of Oil and Gas

Posted on March 30, 2014 by davidjkatz

The following Letter to the Editor appeared in the online editon of the Ravalli Republic (Hamilton, Montana) on March 30, 2014: The Red Lodge area has been described as the gateway to Yellowstone National Park, nestled in the beautiful Beartooth Mountains. … Continue reading →

Posted in Shared Letters and Posts, Uncategorized | Tagged Beartooth Front, ECA, Letter to the Editor, Montana Board of Oil and Gas, Ravalli Republic, Red Lodge | Leave a comment

The four ways hydraulic fracturing contaminates water

Posted on March 27, 2014 by davidjkatz

For over a decade, oil and gas executives and the policy makers who support them have repeated a single bold claim: there has never been a single documented case where fracking contaminated groundwater. Well, if you repeat a lie often enough … Continue reading →

Posted in Fracking Information | Tagged aquifers, Fracking, hydraulic fracturing, methane, shale gas drilling, wastewater, water contamination | 4 Comments

The impact of truck traffic associated with fracking in rural areas

Posted on March 26, 2014 by davidjkatz

One issue we’ve touched on several times is how oil and gas drilling increases the flow of traffic, and the problems this causes in rural areas. A single well can require 400-800 or more truck trips, and wells are frequently … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

A Personal Story: Bob Deering, Pennsylvania. “Our Dream Has Become a Nightmare”

Posted on March 25, 2014 by davidjkatz

(T)he shale isn’t going anywhere, it has been there for hundreds of years. Why the rush? If technology had time to catch up, I think the drilling could be completed much more efficiently and have less environmental impact. -Bob Deering … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal stories | Tagged Bob Deering, hunting, Pennsylvania, personal stories, pipelines, traffic, tree hugger | 2 Comments

(Not so) wonderful progress

Posted on March 21, 2014 by davidjkatz

Reader Kurt Voight sends a note: “I have just finished my daily reading of the Gazette on line. In the last 24 hours there have been a number of articles related to wonderful progress: North Dakota (taxpayers) to pay for … Continue reading →

Posted in Bakken | Tagged Bakken, drug dealing, methamphetamines, North Dakota, oil spill, pipeline spills, renewable power | Leave a comment

A personal story: Linda Monson, Yellowstone River southwest of Williston, North Dakota

Posted on March 19, 2014 by davidjkatz

“When this first happened, it pretty much consumed my life. Now I don’t even want to think about it.” -Linda Monson Telling personal stories The oil and gas boom has been underway for a number of years in many locations … Continue reading →

Posted in Bakken, Personal stories | Tagged Bakken, Charbonneau Creek, Linda Monson, oil spill, settlement, Williston, Yellowstone River | 8 Comments

Johnson County, Illinois: the power of the personal appeal in rural areas and small towns (video)

Posted on March 18, 2014 by davidjkatz

Residents along the Beartooth Front will nod knowingly as they read about a referendum being held today in Johnson County, Illinois. It’s a familiar story of community dynamics. The question voters will consider is: Shall the people’s right to local … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History | Tagged fracking ban, fracking Illinois, fracking video, Illinois, Johnson County, personal appeal, Rex Tillerson Fracking Hypocrite Award, Tony Gerard | Leave a comment

Clay Jenkinson, a North Dakota natural resource, covered by Last Best News

Posted on March 17, 2014 by davidjkatz

“I believe North Dakota yesterday declared itself to be an energy sacrifice zone.” -Clay Jenkinson Clay Jenkinson I’ve been looking for an opportunity to write about Clay Jenkinson, a Dickinson, North Dakota native and one of the state’s great non- … Continue reading →

Posted in Bakken, Community Organization, Politics and History, Personal stories | Leave a comment

Announcing the first Rex Tillerson Fracking Hypocrite Award

Posted on March 14, 2014 by davidjkatz

The Rex Tillerson Fracking Hypocrite Award We here at Preserve the Beartooth Front are pleased to announce the first recipient of the Rex Tillerson Fracking Hypocrite Award. The Award is a 160-foot water tower, engraved with Rex Tillerson’s photo, delivered … Continue reading →

Posted in Fracking Information | Tagged Aubrey McClendon, Chesapeake Oil, gouging, Mineral rights, monopoly, oil pipelines, Pennsylvania, Rex Tillerson Fracking Hypocrite Award, royalties, surface use agreement | 6 Comments