The Top 5 Lies About Fracking

[Reason]

The Top 5 Lies About Fracking (http://reason.com/archives/2013/07/05/the-top-5-lies-about-fracking) Ronald Bailey (http://reason.com/people/ronald-bailey/all)|Jul. 5, 2013 1:30 pm
Gasland Part II, (http://vimeo.com/69061416) the sequel to director/activist Josh Fox's earlier anti-fracking docudrama Gasland, will run on HBO next Monday. It appears to have rounded up the usual corporate villains and appealing victims of profit-hungry capitalist skullduggery, rather than telling the more substantial story: that fracking combined with horizontal drilling has unleashed a bonanza of cheap natural gas.

Read the full article @ http://reason.com/archives/2013/07/05/the-top-5-lies-about-fracking/print

[Natural Citizen]

Family awarded $3 million in first US fracking trial (http://rt.com/usa/154408-fracking-trial-family-sued/)




After three years of legal wrangling, a Texas family has won its case against a company engaged in hydraulic fracturing near their home. The family, which suffered tangible health deterioration after the fracking began, was awarded $3 million.

The lawsuit was definitely not the first levied against a fracking company over health impacts, though it has been common for plaintiffs in such cases to settle with companies along with agreeing to strict gag orders.

Last year, a Pennsylvania family reached a $750,000 settlement (http://rt.com/usa/gag-order-children-fracking-settlement-982/) with gas companies – Range Resources Corporation, Williams Gas/Laurel Mountain Midstream, and Markwest Energy – after suing them for environmental and health impacts caused by their fracking operations near the gas-rich Marcellus Shale. In exchange for the award, however, Chris and Stephanie Hallowich agreed that no member of their family – even their 7- and 10-year-old children - could comment on the case “in any fashion whatsoever.”



Aside... Lifelong ‘frack gag’: Two Pennsylvania children banned from discussing fracking (http://rt.com/usa/gag-order-children-fracking-settlement-982/)


"We know we're signing for silence forever, but how is this taking away our children's rights being minors?" Stephanie Hallowich asked the judge.
"I mean, my daughter is turning 7 today, my son is 10."

According to the transcripts, Judge Polonsky, who oversaw the case, was unable to clarify. The family's attorney, Peter Villari, questioned whether the order would be enforceable.

"I, frankly, your Honor, as an attorney, to be honest with you, I don't know if that's possible that you can give up the First Amendment rights of a child," stated Villari.

“These gag orders are the reason [drillers] can give testimony to Congress and say there are no documented cases of contamination. And then elected officials can repeat that,” said Sharon Wilson, an organizer with Earthworks who also spoke with ClimateProgress.

[Natural Citizen]

Reason. You abandoned your thread.

[anaconda]

I watched this on Streaming Netflix a while back and it was very good, I thought. It attacks Gasland:

http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/FrackNation/70266688

Looks like there's a dedicated website also:

http://fracknation.com/