Author Archives: davidjkatz

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About davidjkatz

The Moses family has lived on the Stillwater River since 1974, when George and Lucile Moses retired and moved to the Beehive from the Twin Cities. They’re gone now, but their four daughters (pictured at left, on the Beehive) and their families continue to spend time there, and have grown to love the area. This blog started as an email chain to keep the family informed about the threat of increased fracking activity in the area, but the desire to inform and get involved led to the creation of this blog.

(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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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Pavillion, Wyoming: politics trumps science, citizens suffer

Posted on March 13, 2014 by davidjkatz

The town of Pavillion, Wyoming is in many ways unremarkable. It sits southeast of Yellowstone Park, just 200 miles due south of Red Lodge. The 2010 census puts its population at 231 in 95 households. But Pavillion sits at the … Continue reading →

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More on federal loopholes: how the Clean Air Act enables polluters in Wyoming (audio)

Posted on March 12, 2014 by davidjkatz

On Monday we looked at how successful the oil and gas industry has been in obtaining exemptions from major federal environmental legislation. This has real consequences for local communities, and from time to time we’re going to look at specific … Continue reading →

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A personal story: John Fenton, Pavillion, Wyoming (audio and video)

Posted on March 11, 2014 by davidjkatz

“We have really no power, no control of them coming or over what they do, where they do it or when they do it so you know it was a pretty rude awakening for us.” -John Fenton, Pavillion, Wyoming Telling … Continue reading →

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Oil and Gas Industry exempted from most major environmental legislation

Posted on March 10, 2014 by davidjkatz

From the 1960s to the 1990s the United States had a national conversation about how, as we expanded in population and industrialization, we would make sure that our natural resources were protected. This resulted in a series of landmark laws, … Continue reading →

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Update: Railway safety

Posted on March 7, 2014 by davidjkatz

In previous posts we’ve looked at the tremendous increase in railway traffic involving crude oil over the last five years, the outmoded nature of tank car stock and the particular vulnerability of Columbus to increased railway traffic related to increased … Continue reading →

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