Tag Archives: Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation

The Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation does not protect citizens from the damage done by oil and gas drilling. Here’s what local communities can do about it.

Posted on December 3, 2015 by davidjkatz

A small item on the Board of Oil and Gas Conservation docket for the organization’s December 9 meeting provides just a hint of major problems with the BOGC.

This state agency does not adequately enforce its existing laws and regulations with regard to oil and gas, and the problem has worsened as the Bakken oil boom has increased demands on the BOGC. If Montana residents want to protect themselves from the damage caused by oil and gas operations, they need to create their own local regulations.

Click to read the damning results of a 2011 Montana Legislature audit of the BOCG, and a report that shows the resources just aren’t there to enforce existing regulations. Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Guest editorial by Bonnie Martinell: “Protecting property rights in Montana: You have to do it yourself.”

Posted on August 24, 2015 by davidjkatz

The following guest editorial by Bonnie Martinell will appear in the Billings Gazette on Tuesday, August 25. It concerns the failure of Montana government agencies to protect landowner property rights, and the efforts of a group of Belfry landowners to secure those rights in the Montana Supreme Court. Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Montana Board of Oil and Gas refuses to take up setbacks

Posted on August 13, 2015 by davidjkatz

At its meeting on Wednesday, the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (BOGC) decided not to take up rulemaking for setbacks. Instead, they created a review panel to consider the issue. This is another example of a Montana state agency running roughshod over the rights of surface owners, whose only recourse is local regulation.

The record speaks for itself. The state of Montana has no interest in setting up reasonable protections for landowners from oil and gas drilling. It is up to local landowners to do it themselves, using provisions for citizen initiated zoning established in Montana law. Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Time for the Montana Board of Oil and Gas to step forward on setbacks

Posted on August 7, 2015 by davidjkatz

The Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (BOGC) will take up the issue of whether to begin rulemaking on establishing oil and gas setbacks — the minimum distance between oil and gas wells and homes or other occupied buildings … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

There have been 66 oil-related spills and 8 oil fires in Montana so far this year

Posted on July 3, 2015 by davidjkatz

Click to read BOGC report. Photo: Montana Board of Oil and Gas According to data published by the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (BOGC), in 2015 there have been a total of 74 “undesirable” oil-related incidents in Montana … Continue reading →

Posted in Fracking Information | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Follow up on last week’s setback hearings at the Montana Board of Oil and Gas

Posted on July 1, 2015 by davidjkatz

A follow up on the June 23 public session at the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (BOGC) on setbacks of oil and gas wells from occupied buildings and water sources. After a two-hour special hearing with significant testimony, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fracking Information | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Action Alert: Your voice is needed to put strong Montana setback rules into place

Posted on June 22, 2015 by davidjkatz

Montana currently has no setback requirements that require many distances between wellheads and occupied dwellings or water sources. Your voice is needed to tell the Montana Board of Oil and Gas that it is time to protect Montana citizens. Continue reading →

Posted in Fracking Information | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Great Falls Tribune interview with Jim Halvorson of the Montana Board of Oil and Gas

Posted on June 12, 2015 by davidjkatz

“Drilling in the Bakken Formation in Montana has basically ceased at the current oil price, which fell dramatically last fall. There have not been many wells actually shut-in yet but there are some drilled wells that might not be put in production until the oil price improves.” Continue reading →

Posted in Fracking Information | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Another oil and gas commission ignores citizen rights (with video)

Posted on March 30, 2015 by davidjkatz

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. The Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission proposed an injection well in Sioux County to dispose of wastewater from oil exploration. This wasn’t wastewater from local oil activity. This was an out-of-state … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Timeline of events leading to legal action by Silvertip landowners

Posted on February 16, 2015 by davidjkatz

Last week landowners in the Silvertip area of Belfry filed a legal action to overturn the Carbon County Commissioners’ rejection of their attempts to form a citizen initiated zone Here is a timeline of events leading up to this action: … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History | Tagged , , | 7 Comments