Letters December 16, 2009

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

By JH Weekly User

Fracture stimulations in Wyo.
 Your recent article “Frack Attack” is filled with numerous misrepresentations and inaccuracies about the natural gas and oil industry and hydraulic fracturing.  The alarmist misinformation about fracking and the reiteration of stories that have been debunked are a disservice to your readers.

 Colorado, says unequivocally ‘To the knowledge of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission staff, there has been no verified instance of harm to groundwater caused by hydraulic fracturing in Colorado.’

The incident in Sublette county was not related to fracking, but rather poor pipe construction in industrial, not drinking, water wells.  In Pavillion, the EPA has discovered tentatively identified compounds of unknown origin, but has speculated that the source could be someone’s kitchen sink.  Since fracking hasn’t occurred nearby since 2007, it’s unwise to jump to conclusions before EPA has finished investigating.  The Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission reiterated this summer that there are ‘No documented cases of groundwater contamination from fracture stimulations in Wyoming.’

Western natural gas and oil producers are very concerned about water quality, as are all Westerners.  Our engineers, regulatory folks, and geologists work very hard to prevent any impact to drinking water.  We carefully adhere to hundreds of federal, state and local regulations that govern energy development and fracking, and as a result, fracking has an exemplary safety record.

– Kathleen Sgamma, IPAMS Director of Government Affairs
[Reporter Jake Nichols responds in the adjacent column. – eds]

Frack attack back
This is a particularly disgusting state of affairs, when private companies can put out most precious resources at risk. What is even more disturbing is that politicians would protect these companies and these practices.

Even more disturbing still, is that the people allow it to go on. We have perfectly legal means to make them pay for their destructive practices. It is called trial by jury. Local courts need to hold these people responsible.

The U.S. Constitution clearly prohibits any president allowing private companies to destroy our states lands. This sounds more like Russian polatics than American. The powers of the federal government are clearly limited to Article 1 Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. They have no power to provide immunity to private corporations, except the false power they have usurped. And the 10th amendment puts the nail in the coffin of the Fed’s power, in these regards.

Bushes “laws” are clearly criminal, as he has no such jurisdiction. Our local courts should hold both Bush and the offending companies liable for their destruction of land and law. We the people must take back our land and our laws. I don’t know about you but I want my Bill of Rights back! We the people of Wyoming have the right to govern these things ourselves regardless of who sits in the White House.
– Kevin Aznoe, Alpine

Resistance to wildlife protection
The formation of an Environment Commission was a suggested strategy from the draft Comprehensive Plan and is now in the hands of the elected officials. Hopefully, the commission will be formed in time to contribute to the review of the plan itself.
However, despite the fact that wildlife protection and stewardship of natural resources are the community’s top priorities, and despite the positive response by many in the community to the idea of creating an Environment Commission, there is still some resistance on the part of some of our elected officials. The Conservation Alliance believes that this commission would be a valuable addition to the process of writing public policy, and that its implementation should not be delayed any longer. And we encourage people to tell their elected officials just that.  
Our community is unique in its location within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest intact ecosystems in the lower 48, and we are adjacent to two world-famous national parks.

We cannot step out of our front doors without breathing in the fresh mountain air and soaking up the majestic vistas that are visible from almost anywhere in the town or county. Each decision that we make regarding development amounts and patterns has impacts not only on the building sites themselves, but on the surrounding lands and environment as well. Whether it is a displaced mule deer herd or the interruption of the natural flow of a creek, the indirect, “downstream” impacts of our decisions are very real.  Knowing all that we can about our ecosystem, and the impacts that we are having on it, will lead to an increased understanding of the environment that we live in and a better ability to plan for our community’s future.

The value of the current system of project-by-project analysis of environmental impacts cannot be understated. Such analyses and efforts most certainly should be applauded and will always be essential. What our community has long needed to augment this incremental collection of information is a comprehensive look at cumulative environmental impacts on the health of the ecosystem over time and valley wide. We would like to express support for the elected officials who recognize the benefit of taking every opportunity to increase our understanding of this incredible ecosystem, and encourage those who do not to reconsider their position.
– Becky Tillson, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance

Town as Heart – a retrospective
I was driving into town the other day thinking about Jackson as “Town as Heart” back in ’94, and how town has changed since then.  What good has come from these changes?  To begin with, in 1994 there were fewer, massive “big box” commercial/lodging mix structures that block the sunlight and sit lot-line to lot-line. 

There were fewer traffic lights, and residential neighborhoods were real neighborhoods where neighbors interacted with each other. There were fewer “affordable” housing projects because the program was just getting under way and lodging was primarily motels, Snow King and the Wort Hotel.  There were still open fields in West Jackson and a significant deer herd at the Y. The Bike trail was in its infancy and there were only three banks.

What has happened since then is not news to anyone.  We boomed. The building industry exploded, more landscapers came to town, second homes and visitor lodging popped up all over the county, including in town. Visitor-oriented services and banks multiplied.

Our historic character has changed quite radically since ’94 and now we are faced with an economy that is negatively impacting our wonderful valley. During the Comp Plan review process, we are taking the time to plan our land use future.  Where should we go from here, specifically in the Town of Jackson?

Right now, we are faced with hard decisions that will influence our community into the future. Planning decisions must be based on honoring our historical bulk and scale, prioritizing providing affordable housing for our workforce that supports our basic needs and utilizing our already substantial commercial zoning in the town limits rather than expanding it. Possibly the Housing Authority could expand its mission to include purchasing commercial spaces to provide local entrepreneurs with affordable rents or purchases so they can conduct their businesses.

Planning decisions must acknowledge that our wildlife and open spaces are our economic base for visitors and new settlers, as well as for those of us who have lived here for a long time. We need to bring back a sense of community that has welcoming neighborhoods and create many more activities that integrate visitors and residents. We need more trees and less traffic, and we need a stable economy.  There are good planning tools and policies to accomplish this. Let’s use them.
– Nancy Hoffman, 31-year County resident


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Letters December 16, 2009 | Planet JH News Article: Letters To Editor

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