EC September 2013

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Jim Hightower article: Colorado’s Fracking Disaster
by Paul Wilson 28 Sep '13

28 Sep '13

Colorado’s Fracking Disaster In Colorado's flood-struck areas, a tsunami of floodwater and destructive debris swamped fracking infrastructure. By Jim Hightower <http://otherwords.org/author/jim-hightower/> [image: Jim Hightower] <http://otherwords.org/author/jim-hightower/> As the people of Colorado are presently learning, it’s horrendous enough to suffer the ravages of a natural disaster, but it’s doubly horrific to then be faced with a more devastating unnatural disaster. First came the epic floods<http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/20/20606351-colorado-town-unlivable…> that recently ripped through the front range, tearing up towns, roads, waterways, mountain homes and businesses, farms, and lives. Just awful. But now comes the added horror of unknown levels of poisonous contaminants pouring out of many of the thousands of fracking sites that pock this area. Big Oil frackers were already notorious in Boulder and Weld Counties for the environmental, health, and economic damage being done by this ravaging method of forcing gas out of the rock deep under Earth’s surface. Now, though, the corporate wells, tanks, ponds, and other fracking infrastructure<http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/19/did-floods-cause-a-frackin…> have been swamped by a tsunami of floodwater and destructive debris. [image: Hightower-Fracking-East Boulder County United] East Boulder County United/Facebook Even in the chaos of people scrambling to get out of the flood’s way and to secure their property, many residents were so alarmed by seeing this mess of flooded wells, overturned tanks of highly toxic chemicals and wastewater, and ruptured lines that they paused to take pictures and videos<http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/first-colorado-was-on-fire-then-it-flooded…> . They then posted these on websites and Facebook pages to document this unexpected threat of widespread, long-term damage from fracking contaminants and to alert neighbors to the dangers. After all, the frackers themselves weren’t telling the public about this unfolding disaster, the big media outlets were curiously incurious about it, and regulators were also silent. So, like the pamphleteers of old, the people formed their own network of communication — and they’ve now turned it into a citizens’ action network. To see some of their photos, videos, and actions, go to www.facebook.com/EastBoulderCountyUnited. OtherWords <http://otherwords.org/> columnist Jim Hightower<http://www.jimhightower.com/> is a radio commentator, writer, and public speaker. He’s also editor of the populist newsletter, The Hightower Lowdown<http://www.hightowerlowdown.org/> . OtherWords.org -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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Op/Ed on EPA Carbon rules
by James Kotcon 22 Sep '13

22 Sep '13

As you should know by now, EPA announced new rules for carbon emissions from power plants yesterday, and the response by politicians in West Virginia was pretty pro-coal. Here is an Op/Ed I put together in response to yesterday's carbon rule. Please send me any feedback, as I would like to get a response out soon. Jim Kotcon

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FW: DAILY UPDATE 22 September 2013. News of interest to Mon river watershed denizens.
by James Kotcon 22 Sep '13

22 Sep '13

Near the bottom of this article, it says PJM has agreed that closing Hatfields Ferry, et al. will not harm reliability. Anyone have a copy of that PJM letter? Jim Kotcon ________________________________ Trio of FirstEnergy plant closings in region should make lawsuit moot, utility says Stephanie Strasburg | Tribune-Review The coal-fired Mitchell Power Station in Union, which is planned for closure due to decreasing demand for power and an inability to keep up with new EPA regulations. About Brian Bowling Brian Bowling<mailto:bbowling@tribweb.com?subject=RE:%20Trio%20of%20FirstEnergy%20plant%20closings%20in%20region%20should%20make%20lawsuit%20moot,%20utility%20says%20story%20on%20TribLIVE.com> 412-325-4301 Staff Reporter Pittsburgh Tribune-Review<http://triblive.com/home/> Contact Us<http://triblive.com/home/contactus/> | Video<http://triblive.com/home/video/> | Photo Reprints<http://photos.triblive.com/mycapture/> By Brian Bowling<mailto:bbowling@tribweb.com?subject=RE:%20Trio%20of%20FirstEnergy%20plant%20closings%20in%20region%20should%20make%20lawsuit%20moot,%20utility%20says%20story%20on%20TribLIVE.com> Published: Saturday, September 21, 2013 9:00 p.m. Updated 6 hours ago An eight-year legal effort by Pennsylvania and four other states to force three power plants to meet modern pollution limits could end without a court decision. FirstEnergy, which acquired the coal-fired power plants in Armstrong, Greene and Washington counties when it bought Allegheny Energy Inc. in 2011, contends that U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti should dismiss the 2005 lawsuit because the company closed the Armstrong plant and will close the others on Oct. 9. Company spokeswoman Stephanie Thornton said they are not closing the plants because of the lawsuit, but the closings should end the dispute. Company officials are “hopeful that the court will decide ... that we have no Clean Air Act liability,” she said. Regulators in the five states believe the judge should allow them to pursue their claim that the utility ignored state and federal pollution laws for more than two decades. ‘Not interrelated' John Poister, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, said the agency doesn't comment on pending lawsuits. But he noted, “The two issues are not interrelated. The suit is not affected by FirstEnergy's decisions regarding the future of the two plants.” When Congress amended the Clean Air Act in the 1970s, it established national air pollution limits but exempted older power plants from meeting them. The rationale was that companies should not be forced to install expensive pollution controls on plants nearing the ends of their lives and, if they took steps to extend operations of the plants, companies could install the controls with the upgrades. The states contend that many utilities, including Allegheny Energy, made upgrades but ignored the requirement to install pollution controls. FirstEnergy contends the work done at the plants — Armstrong Power Station in Armstrong County, Mitchell Power Station in Washington County and Hatfield's Ferry Power Station in Greene County — between 1993 and 1999 wasn't enough to trigger the requirement. The lawsuit seeks fines for the violations and an injunction to keep the company from operating the plants without installing controls. In asking Conti to dismiss the case, FirstEnergy contends that appellate court decisions have established that regulators had to seek civil penalties within five years of a violation. Since the last plant modification was in 1999 and the states didn't file the lawsuit until 2005, they missed that deadline, FirstEnergy claims. PJM request denied Lawyers for the states disagree and argue that similar state law violations alleged in the lawsuit have that statute of limitations. An injunction, FirstEnergy claims, would be moot because it will close the plants. The company has partially disassembled the Armstrong plant. The states contend that a request by PJM Interconnection that FirstEnergy keep Hatfield and Mitchell open shows they could continue operating. Valley Forge-based PJM oversees stability of the region's power grid. By filing a maintenance plan with the state, the utility could keep operating permits active until they expire in 2017, the states claim. FirstEnergy could decide “to reactivate the plants by reinstalling equipment, rehiring staff and entering into new coal contracts,” the states argue. Thornton said that First-Energy rejected PJM's request and hasn't changed its plan to close the plants. “We are confident there are no reliability issues that would require us to keep the plants in operation,” she said. PJM sent a letter to FirstEnergy on Thursday saying that it agrees the plants can be retired without hurting the grid's reliability FirstEnergy suggested Conti could dismiss the lawsuit but stipulate that it could reopen if the company attempts to reactivate the plants. Brian Bowling is a Trib Total Media staff writer. Don Strimbeck, Sec/Treas Upper Mon River Assoc UpperMon.org MonRiverSummit.org WVU t-shirts & prints - FindHarri.com 109 Broad Street, P. O. Box 519 Granville WV 26534-0519 304-599-7585 (fax 4131) dcsoinks(a)comcast.net<mailto:dcsoinks@comcast.net>

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FW: [wvec-board] Unplugging from the Power Grid- A jolt to utilities
by James Kotcon 20 Sep '13

20 Sep '13

Perhaps this is the next battle ground. We need to prepare comprehensive plans to engage the PSC so that utilities do not suppress renewables and EE in a vain effort to prolong their monopoly. JBK ________________________________ From: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com <wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com> on behalf of Patience Wait <pwaitster(a)gmail.com> Sent: Friday, September 20, 2013 7:24 AM To: James Kotcon; wvec-board Subject: Re: [wvec-board] Unplugging from the Power Grid- A jolt to utilities Yes. The utility industry is very concerned. The Edison Electric Institute report mentioned is here: http://www.eei.org/ourissues/finance/Documents/disruptivechallenges.pdf As a result, the industry is trying to figure out ways to make it punitively expensive for consumers to switch to renewables, through such approaches as a monthly "surcharge" to homes with solar panels, to "pay for" using the distribution part of the grid. Dominion Power in Virginia is trying to get this in place. And when I say punitive, I mean a monthly charge of as much as $100 - so $1200 a year! Patience On Thu, Sep 19, 2013 at 8:58 PM, Frank Young <fyoung(a)mountain.net<mailto:fyoung@mountain.net>> wrote: This article can be read online here: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/companies-unplug-electric-grid-delivering-030… ________________________________ From: WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com<mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com> [mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com<mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com>] On Behalf Of cindy rank Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2013 8:51 AM To: WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com<mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com> Cc: Bill Howley; Cathy Kunkel; Mary Ellen Cassidy Subject: [WVHCBOARD] Unplugging from the Power Grid WALL STREET JOURNAL September 17, 2013, 11:05 p.m. ET Companies Unplug From the Electric Grid, Delivering a Jolt to Utilities By REBECCA SMITH<http://topics.wsj.com/person/A/biography/7476> and CASSANDRA SWEET<http://topics.wsj.com/person/A/biography/7459> At Kroger's food-distribution center in Compton, Calif., a tank system converts organic waste into biogas to produce electricity used by the facility. On a hill overlooking the Susquehanna River, two big wind turbines crank out electricity for Kroger<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=KR> Co.'s Turkey Hill Dairy in rural Lancaster County, Pa., allowing it to save 25% on its power bill for the past two years. Across the country, at a big food-distribution center Kroger also owns in Compton, Calif., a tank system installed this year uses bacteria to convert 150 tons a day of damaged produce, bread and other organic waste into a biogas that is burned on site to produce 20% of the electricity the facility uses. These two projects, plus the electric output of solar panels at four Kroger grocery stores, and some energy-conservation efforts are saving the Cincinnati-based grocery chain $160 million a year on electricity, said Denis George, its energy manager. That is a lot of money that isn't going into the pockets of utilities. >From big-box retailers to high-tech manufacturers, more companies across the country are producing their own power. Since 2006, the number of electricity-generation units at commercial and industrial sites has more than quadrupled to roughly 40,000 from about 10,000, according to federal statistics. Experts say the trend is gaining momentum, spurred by falling prices for solar panels and natural gas, as well as a fear that power outages caused by major storms will become more common. "The battle cry is Hurricane Sandy," said Rick Fioravanti, vice president of energy-storage technology at DNV Kema, a Netherlands-based consulting company. The growing number of companies that are at least partly energy self-sufficient is sending a shudder through the utility industry, threatening its revenues and growth prospects, according to a report earlier this year by the Edison Electric Institute, a trade association for investor-owned electric companies. State and federal regulators say they are worried that utilities could end up with fewer customers to pay for costly transmission lines and power plants. Utility executives, meanwhile, are asking themselves a disquieting question: "Am I going to just sit here and take it and ultimately be a caretaker of a museum, or am I going to be part of that business" that's emerging, said Nick Akins, chief executive of American Electric Power<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=AEP> Co., a big Ohio-based utility. AEP is considering helping its customers install their own generating facilities. On-site generation still accounts for less than 5% of U.S. electricity production. But it is peeling off some of the bulk sales that utilities find especially profitable. And some of the companies getting into the business think it is approaching a tipping point called "grid parity," at which point power would be as cheap to make as to buy from a utility. Since 2007, when the first solar arrays went up on its store roofs in California, the installed costs of Wal-Mart Stores<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=WMT> Inc.'s solar systems have dropped from $6 or $8 per watt of capacity to about $3.50 per watt, said David Ozment, the company's senior director of energy management. He said he expects the retailer to be paying as little for solar power as utility power "in less than three years," opening the floodgates to solar expansion. Wal-Mart produces about 4% of the electricity it uses but intends to make 20% by 2020, taking advantage of idle acreage on thousands of store rooftops. On-site generation isn't a new idea. It existed before the electric grid—the interconnected system of power plants, substations and transmission lines that ferry power thousands of miles—was stitched together beginning in the 1920s. But for most of the past 50 years, the practice was associated mostly with remote locations like Alaska fish canneries or industrial facilities like oil refineries that generated lots of waste heat that could be harnessed for power production. Almost overnight, that niche market has gone decidedly mainstream. Six years ago, Google<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=GOOG> Inc. attracted attention by installing big solar arrays atop its Silicon Valley complex in California. Other tech companies followed suit, worried about ensuring power supplies for energy-hungry server farms and achieving sustainability objectives. Apple<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=AAPL> Inc. now gets 16% of its electricity from solar panels and fuel cells that run on biogas. Apple's data center in Maiden, N.C., makes all the power it consumes, a company spokeswoman said. BMW<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=BMW.XE> AG's assembly plant in South Carolina, which made 300,000 vehicles last year, gets half its electricity from an on-site energy center that burns methane piped to it from a nearby garbage dump. Drugstore chain Walgreen<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=WAG>Co., which has solar panels at 155 stores, plans to install them at 200 more. Falling equipment prices make on-site generation increasingly attractive. From 2002 to 2012, the cost of installed solar systems fell by half, according to an August report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Companies also have the option of leasing big solar systems, rather than incurring the capital cost of buying them. Many "clean energy" projects also qualify for federal and state subsidies. In the case of solar installations, there is a 30% federal tax credit, which is set to drop to 10% in 2017. Government officials say a shift to greener energy resources is good since it reduces the output from coal-fueled power plants, which produce about 40% of the nation's electricity and are the most polluting. But analysts say the importance of subsidies has been waning, overshadowed by steep declines in the cost of power-generating equipment. For example, the cost of solar modules—the biggest single component in a rooftop solar system—has dropped about 80% in the past four years, to about 65 cents a watt from about $4 a watt, said Galen Barbose, a senior researcher at the lab. Companies also are turning to wind turbines and technologies like fuel cells, batteries, small natural-gas turbines and reciprocating engines, which are natural-gas-fueled cousins of the auto's internal combustion engine. Engineering and technology company SAIC<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=SAI> Inc. is installing enough generating capacity at a data center outside New York to meet the center's core needs, with batteries for backup power. The system uses reciprocating engines burning natural gas, an option considered reliable in storms because gas pipelines are buried. A report released by the White House in August estimated that power outages caused by bad weather cost the U.S. economy $18 billion to $52 billion a year in lost productivity from 2003 to 2012. Demand for fuel cells in the U.S. is coming primarily from telecom companies, hotels and universities, said David Wright<http://topics.wsj.com/person/W/David-Wright/5739>, CEO of ClearEdge Power Inc., a manufacturer in Hillsboro, Ore. Many buyers want reliable on-site generation as a hedge against storm-related outages. By next year, Verizon Communications<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=VZ> Inc. plans to install $100 million worth of fuel cells from ClearEdge and Bloom Energy, as well as solar panels, at 19 data centers and other facilities in seven states, including New York and New Jersey. Some traditional utility companies are edging into the on-site generation business. Edison International<http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=EIX>, which owns big utility Southern California Edison, recently bought a Chicago-based developer of rooftop solar projects, SoCore Energy LLC, and it is an investor in solar-finance company Clean Power Finance. As power production becomes more decentralized, "I want to make sure the company is deeply involved," said Edison CEO Ted Craver. Write to Rebecca Smith at rebecca.smith(a)wsj.com<mailto:rebecca.smith@wsj.com> and Cassandra Sweet at cassandra.sweet(a)dowjones.com<mailto:cassandra.sweet@dowjones.com> __._,_.___ Reply via web post<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxdGo3a2VtBF9TAzk3…> Reply to sender <mailto:pwaitster@gmail.com?subject=Re%3A%20%5Bwvec-board%5D%20Unplugging%20from%20the%20Power%20Grid-%20A%20jolt%20to%20utilities> Reply to group <mailto:wvec-board@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20%5Bwvec-board%5D%20Unplugging%20from%20the%20Power%20Grid-%20A%20jolt%20to%20utilities> Start a New Topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmZ2xsdG10BF9TAzk3…> Messages in this topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board/message/3700;_ylc=X3oDMTM1NHRkMmV2…> (2) Recent Activity: Visit Your Group<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvec-board;_ylc=X3oDMTJmMGMxdXNoBF9TAzk3MzU5N…> [Yahoo! Groups]<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJldDdrOWp2BF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzIxN…> Switch to: Text-Only<mailto:wvec-board-traditional@yahoogroups.com?subject=Change%20Delivery%20Format:%20Traditional>, Daily Digest<mailto:wvec-board-digest@yahoogroups.com?subject=Email%20Delivery:%20Digest> • Unsubscribe<mailto:wvec-board-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> • Terms of Use<http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> • Send us Feedback <mailto:ygroupsnotifications@yahoogroups.com?subject=Feedback%20on%20the%20redesigned%20individual%20mail%20v1> . __,_._,___

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Re: [EC] from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: Clean energy least costly to power America's electricity needs
by John Christensen 20 Sep '13

20 Sep '13

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from ScienceDaily e-newsletter: Clean energy least costly to power America's electricity needs
by Paul Wilson 19 Sep '13

19 Sep '13

Clean energy least costly to power America's electricity needs<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/zfP…> Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:48 AM PDT Findings show carbon pollution from power plants can be cut cost-effectively by using wind, solar and natural gas. It’s less costly to get electricity from wind turbines and solar panels than coal-fired power plants when climate change costs and other health impacts are factored in, according to a new study. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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Unplugging from the Power Grid- A jolt to utilities
by Frank Young 19 Sep '13

19 Sep '13

This article can be read online here: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/companies-unplug-electric-grid-delivering-0305 00879.html _____ From: WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com [mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of cindy rank Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2013 8:51 AM To: WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com Cc: Bill Howley; Cathy Kunkel; Mary Ellen Cassidy Subject: [WVHCBOARD] Unplugging from the Power Grid WALL STREET JOURNAL September 17, 2013, 11:05 p.m. ET Companies Unplug From the Electric Grid, Delivering a Jolt to Utilities By <http://topics.wsj.com/person/A/biography/7476> REBECCA SMITH and <http://topics.wsj.com/person/A/biography/7459> CASSANDRA SWEET At Kroger's food-distribution center in Compton, Calif., a tank system converts organic waste into biogas to produce electricity used by the facility. On a hill overlooking the Susquehanna River, two big wind turbines crank out electricity for <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=KR> Kroger Co.'s Turkey Hill Dairy in rural Lancaster County, Pa., allowing it to save 25% on its power bill for the past two years. Across the country, at a big food-distribution center Kroger also owns in Compton, Calif., a tank system installed this year uses bacteria to convert 150 tons a day of damaged produce, bread and other organic waste into a biogas that is burned on site to produce 20% of the electricity the facility uses. These two projects, plus the electric output of solar panels at four Kroger grocery stores, and some energy-conservation efforts are saving the Cincinnati-based grocery chain $160 million a year on electricity, said Denis George, its energy manager. That is a lot of money that isn't going into the pockets of utilities. >From big-box retailers to high-tech manufacturers, more companies across the country are producing their own power. Since 2006, the number of electricity-generation units at commercial and industrial sites has more than quadrupled to roughly 40,000 from about 10,000, according to federal statistics. Experts say the trend is gaining momentum, spurred by falling prices for solar panels and natural gas, as well as a fear that power outages caused by major storms will become more common. "The battle cry is Hurricane Sandy," said Rick Fioravanti, vice president of energy-storage technology at DNV Kema, a Netherlands-based consulting company. The growing number of companies that are at least partly energy self-sufficient is sending a shudder through the utility industry, threatening its revenues and growth prospects, according to a report earlier this year by the Edison Electric Institute, a trade association for investor-owned electric companies. State and federal regulators say they are worried that utilities could end up with fewer customers to pay for costly transmission lines and power plants. Utility executives, meanwhile, are asking themselves a disquieting question: "Am I going to just sit here and take it and ultimately be a caretaker of a museum, or am I going to be part of that business" that's emerging, said Nick Akins, chief executive of <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=AEP> American Electric Power Co., a big Ohio-based utility. AEP is considering helping its customers install their own generating facilities. On-site generation still accounts for less than 5% of U.S. electricity production. But it is peeling off some of the bulk sales that utilities find especially profitable. And some of the companies getting into the business think it is approaching a tipping point called "grid parity," at which point power would be as cheap to make as to buy from a utility. Since 2007, when the first solar arrays went up on its store roofs in California, the installed costs of <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=WMT> Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s solar systems have dropped from $6 or $8 per watt of capacity to about $3.50 per watt, said David Ozment, the company's senior director of energy management. He said he expects the retailer to be paying as little for solar power as utility power "in less than three years," opening the floodgates to solar expansion. Wal-Mart produces about 4% of the electricity it uses but intends to make 20% by 2020, taking advantage of idle acreage on thousands of store rooftops. On-site generation isn't a new idea. It existed before the electric grid-the interconnected system of power plants, substations and transmission lines that ferry power thousands of miles-was stitched together beginning in the 1920s. But for most of the past 50 years, the practice was associated mostly with remote locations like Alaska fish canneries or industrial facilities like oil refineries that generated lots of waste heat that could be harnessed for power production. Almost overnight, that niche market has gone decidedly mainstream. Six years ago, <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=GOOG> Google Inc. attracted attention by installing big solar arrays atop its Silicon Valley complex in California. Other tech companies followed suit, worried about ensuring power supplies for energy-hungry server farms and achieving sustainability objectives. <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=AAPL> Apple Inc. now gets 16% of its electricity from solar panels and fuel cells that run on biogas. Apple's data center in Maiden, N.C., makes all the power it consumes, a company spokeswoman said. <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=BMW.XE> BMW AG's assembly plant in South Carolina, which made 300,000 vehicles last year, gets half its electricity from an on-site energy center that burns methane piped to it from a nearby garbage dump. Drugstore chain <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=WAG> WalgreenCo., which has solar panels at 155 stores, plans to install them at 200 more. Falling equipment prices make on-site generation increasingly attractive. >From 2002 to 2012, the cost of installed solar systems fell by half, according to an August report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Companies also have the option of leasing big solar systems, rather than incurring the capital cost of buying them. Many "clean energy" projects also qualify for federal and state subsidies. In the case of solar installations, there is a 30% federal tax credit, which is set to drop to 10% in 2017. Government officials say a shift to greener energy resources is good since it reduces the output from coal-fueled power plants, which produce about 40% of the nation's electricity and are the most polluting. But analysts say the importance of subsidies has been waning, overshadowed by steep declines in the cost of power-generating equipment. For example, the cost of solar modules-the biggest single component in a rooftop solar system-has dropped about 80% in the past four years, to about 65 cents a watt from about $4 a watt, said Galen Barbose, a senior researcher at the lab. Companies also are turning to wind turbines and technologies like fuel cells, batteries, small natural-gas turbines and reciprocating engines, which are natural-gas-fueled cousins of the auto's internal combustion engine. Engineering and technology company <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=SAI> SAIC Inc. is installing enough generating capacity at a data center outside New York to meet the center's core needs, with batteries for backup power. The system uses reciprocating engines burning natural gas, an option considered reliable in storms because gas pipelines are buried. A report released by the White House in August estimated that power outages caused by bad weather cost the U.S. economy $18 billion to $52 billion a year in lost productivity from 2003 to 2012. Demand for fuel cells in the U.S. is coming primarily from telecom companies, hotels and universities, said <http://topics.wsj.com/person/W/David-Wright/5739> David Wright, CEO of ClearEdge Power Inc., a manufacturer in Hillsboro, Ore. Many buyers want reliable on-site generation as a hedge against storm-related outages. By next year, <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=VZ> Verizon Communications Inc. plans to install $100 million worth of fuel cells from ClearEdge and Bloom Energy, as well as solar panels, at 19 data centers and other facilities in seven states, including New York and New Jersey. Some traditional utility companies are edging into the on-site generation business. <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=EIX> Edison International, which owns big utility Southern California Edison, recently bought a Chicago-based developer of rooftop solar projects, SoCore Energy LLC, and it is an investor in solar-finance company Clean Power Finance. As power production becomes more decentralized, "I want to make sure the company is deeply involved," said Edison CEO Ted Craver. 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FW: America's Dirtiest Power Plants report
by James Kotcon 18 Sep '13

18 Sep '13

The attached report identifies the top 100 largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the utility sector. I suspect that there may be a few large oil refineries or aluminum mills that would also make a top 100 list, but coal-fired power plants are, by far, the largest emitters as a group. What is interesting is that, of the five plants in WV that made the top 100 list, three (John Amos, Harrison and Mitchell) are the ones that AEP and FE want to transfer from deregulated states to WV. Thanks to Dan Heyman for uncovering this one, and be on the lookout for the news story he is producing. Enjoy. JBK ________________________________ From: West Virginia News Service (WVNS) <wvns(a)publicnewsservice.org> Sent: Friday, September 13, 2013 8:40 PM To: James Kotcon Subject: report should be attached. Dan -- [http://www.publicnewsservice.org/images/signature_attachments/wvns_logo.png]<http://wvns.publicnewsservice.org> West Virginia News Service Toll-free: 1-800-317-6705 Email: wvns(a)publicnewsservice.org<mailto:wvns@publicnewsservice.org> Fax: 1-208-247-1830 www.publicnewsservice.org<http://www.publicnewsservice.org> [http://www.publicnewsservice.org/images/signature_attachments/twitter_icon.…]<http://www.twitter.com/PNS_WV> [http://www.publicnewsservice.org/images/signature_attachments/facebook_icon…] <http://www.facebook.com/PublicNewsService>

2 1

FW: {GT} October 5th & 6th Free Energy Efficiency Workshops
by James Kotcon 17 Sep '13

17 Sep '13

This may be worth checking out. I am out of town that weekend, can anyone make it? Jim Kotcon ________________________________ From: morgantowngreenteam(a)googlegroups.com <morgantowngreenteam(a)googlegroups.com> on behalf of Aaron Sutch <asutch(a)mountain.org> Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2013 2:37 PM To: morgantowngreenteam; James Kotcon Subject: {GT} October 5th & 6th Free Energy Efficiency Workshops Hello All, Here is a great opportunity to attend two energy efficiency workshops. Both are free. On October 5th there is a hands-on home energy efficiency workshop from 9am-4pm at the Glenmark Lowes outside of Morgantown. On October 6th there is a 'saving money with energy efficiency' workshop at WVU.1pm-5pm (Allen Hall Rm 406, Evansdale campus). See attached for more information and registration instructions. Best, -- Aaron Sutch Energy Program Manager 505 730 3943 [The Mountain Institute]<http://www.mountain.org/> www.mountain.org<http://www.mountain.org> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MorgantownGreenTeam" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to morgantowngreenteam+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to morgantowngreenteam(a)googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/morgantowngreenteam. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

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PA's Suite Codes, Can it happen here? (Was: DAILY UPDATE 12 September 2013.
by James Kotcon 17 Sep '13

17 Sep '13

I ran into some PA residents discussing this on Saturday, but was not familiar with the issue till i saw Don Strimbeck's News post (below). Is WV-DEP doing this too? JBK ________________________________ From: dsborowiec(a)aol.com<mailto:dsborowiec@aol.com> To: dsborowiec(a)aol.com<mailto:dsborowiec@aol.com> Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2013 2:41 AM Subject: Auditor General’s Investigation of DEP Important for Southwest PA excerpt: People are entitled to the truth about what is in water they drink. Is that a debate we even need to be having? Aren’t some things so obvious they should go without saying? What possible reason is there for the DEP, under the direction of Governor Corbett, to withhold information from residents about something this important? http://canon-mcmillan.patch.com/groups/jesse-white-state-representative-46t… Auditor General’s Investigation of DEP Important for Southwest PA It’s great to say we should all work together on every issue all the time, but there comes a point when you have to realize the other side has no intention of doing so under any circumstances whatsoever. Posted by Jesse White<http://canon-mcmillan.patch.com/users/jesse-white-state-representative-46th…> , September 11, 2013 at 08:36 AM <http://canon-mcmillan.patch.com/groups/jesse-white-state-representative-46t…> Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene Depasquale gave an interview to the Scranton Times-Tribune last week in which he was asked about the ongoing audit of the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s handling of water quality issues related to Marcellus Shale drilling. His response to the question was “The only thing I could say is, it’s a good thing we’re doing the audit.” Eugene Depasquale and I were both elected to the State House in 2006 and our offices were across the hall from one another in the Capitol for several years. I believe Eugene is an honest public servant and a good person, and I consider him a friend. I have no doubt that his audit of DEP will be objective and accurate, even though the Corbett administration has recently slashed budgets for investigators, limiting manpower and resources. To refresh everyone’s memory, the basis of the audit is the DEP’s use of “Suite Codes” to limit the amount of information given to people about what DEP found in their water. This scheme was uncovered through the sworn testimony of DEP lab chief Taru Upadhyay in a deposition taken last year. Based on that testimony, here’s what was apparently happening. You have concerns about your water because you live near drilling operations, so you call DEP to check it out. The DEP inspector comes to your house, takes a sample, marks it with a “Suite Code” and sends it off to the lab for testing. The lab tests over thirty different chemicals and substances as required by federal law, the results of which are stored in the DEP lab computer. So far so good, right? But when it’s time to generate the report based on the test results, that “Suite Code” tells the computer to only give back results for a handful of the things DEP tested for, not all of them. So the DEP inspector gets a report out of the computer that is purposely incomplete, but you don’t know that because you’d have no way to know. And when the inspector shows up with that report, they can be technically correct when they say, “According to the report I received from the lab, there is no evidence of any contamination.” But what they know, and you don’t, is that they purposely told the computer to leave out results of dozens of chemicals known to be found in frac water and flowback water. Many of them are known or suspected carcinogens, which means they can cause cancer. The results are sitting in the DEP computers, but you had no way of knowing you got less than the complete results. The DEP has not denied this practice, but they haven’t explained it either. We also learned that they developed a “Suite Code” specifically designed to provide proper results for drilling-related water quality concerns; unfortunately (but not surprisingly) it has never been used by DEP. Furthermore, you would think the Marcellus Shale Coalition would be with us on this. If they don’t believe drilling operations impact the water, wouldn’t they want all the facts out there to help prove their point? The facts should be allowed to speak for themselves, plain and simple. I have provided the Auditor General and his staff information about many problems occurring here in the 46th District, and will continue to do what I can to shed light on these inexcusable practices by the DEP. People are entitled to the truth about what is in water they drink. Is that a debate we even need to be having? Aren’t some things so obvious they should go without saying? What possible reason is there for the DEP, under the direction of Governor Corbett, to withhold information from residents about something this important? The DEP is clearly taking their marching orders from the Corbett Administration to stonewall anyone who asks the tough questions. It’s great to say we should all work together on every issue all the time, but there comes a point when you have to realize the other side has no intention of doing so under any circumstances whatsoever. On an issue as important as letting parents and grandparents know whether their drinking water could put their children or grandchildren at risk of cancer, I decided that standing up for what’s right and demanding accountability is more important than pandering for the sake of politics.

2 1

Fw: Less than a week away! Who has the power? Wheeling, WV Talk
by Sally Wilts 16 Sep '13

16 Sep '13

Seem to have short notice of their events! ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Energy Efficient West Virginia <energyefficientwestvirginia(a)gmail.com> To: sallywilts(a)yahoo.com Sent: Monday, September 16, 2013 4:18 PM Subject: Less than a week away! Who has the power? Wheeling, WV Talk Less than a week away! Who has the power? Wheeling, WV Talk Moving Energy Efficiency Forward in the Mountain State... View this email in your browser Facebook Twitter Website You're invited! WHO HAS THE POWER? (View the Flyer In Your Browser) What: Panel Discussion // Forum on Electric Utilities in West Virginia Policies and Programs to: Lower rates Employ Renewables Empower Communities with Panel Speakers: Cathy Kunkel // Energy Efficient West Virginia James van Nostrand // WVU College of Law Aaron Sutch // The Mountain Institute Local Community Members // Energy conservation, efficiency and renewable projects around Wheeling and near by communities Moderated by Mary Ellen Cassidy When: Thursday, September 19, 2013 at noon Where: Main Floor // First State Capitol 1413 Eoff Street, Wheeling, WV Contact: Mary Ellen Cassidy // Jay Good // 304-312-4444 The event is free to the public. For CLE credit for legal professionals inquire with Jay Good at 304-312-4444. Share Tweet Forward to Friend Copyright © 2013 Energy Efficient West Virginia, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you joined our mailing list at a local event or on our website. Our mailing address is: Energy Efficient West Virginia 1500 Dixie St.Charleston, WV 25311 Add us to your address bookunsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences

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Fwd: Darrell Scott and Tim O'Brien : Song and Video: "Keep your Dirty Lights On"
by Jim Sconyers 16 Sep '13

16 Sep '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Aaron Isherwood <aaron.isherwood(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Mon, Sep 16, 2013 at 1:48 PM Subject: Fwd: Darrell Scott and Tim O'Brien : Song and Video: "Keep your Dirty Lights On" To: Jim Sconyers <jimscon(a)gmail.com>, Glen Besa <glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org>, Axel C Ringe <onyxfarm(a)bellsouth.net>, Brian Paddock <bpaddock(a)twlakes.net> Enjoy...! Aaron Friends Darrell and Tim contacted me about writing a song. They knew I was producing a new film. They wrote this amazing song, and we gave them the footage for the music video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GInMaWUud4 Please share this link with everyone you know and all the lists. You can post it on all social media, as well. We are all happy to give you a free license to use this song and video on web sites, your own videos and promotional materials, etc. Just send me a request with details. All the best, Mari-Lynn Mari-Lynn Evans CEO and Executive Producer Evening Star Productions -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last. *There is no Planet B!*

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Beech Ridge Wind HCP and ITP document
by Frank Young 13 Sep '13

13 Sep '13

At 286 pages, it is rather intense (or even boring?) at several points. I am particularly interested in the Project Operations protocols (aka adaptive management techniques) descriptions which start on document page 100 (PDF page 107). Direct PDF link is here: http://www.fws.gov/westvirginiafieldoffice/PDF/beechridgehcp/August_2013_Bee ch_Ridge_%20FHCP.pdf I noted several references to the "Shoenfeld estimator"- developed by WV Highlands Conservancy's Peter Shoenfeld- for determining total numbers of bat/bird fatalities by correcting for ground search results that are subject to several kinds of influences toward inaccuracy. Frank Young _____ From: WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com [mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of larryvthomas(a)aol.com Sent: Friday, September 13, 2013 9:43 AM Subject: [WVHCBOARD] Fwd: [FR] Articles matching 'beech ridge' Posted in the Federal Register today. -----Original Message----- From: Federal Register Subscriptions <subscriptions(a)mail.federalregister.gov> To: larryvthomas <larryvthomas(a)aol.com> Sent: Fri, Sep 13, 2013 4:58 am Subject: [FR] Articles matching 'beech ridge' 2 matching documents for Friday, September 13th, 2013 from FederalRegister.gov <https://www.federalregister.gov/my/my/assets/email_header-7d6492055dbadd32c a72d3a01ef38526.png> <https://www.federalregister.gov/my/my/assets/email/flag-039d29e60ac33d27791 bf62d6ebdb530.png> Clip Documents From Search Did you know that you can clip documents from search results? From any search result on FederalRegister.gov you can add a document to your clipboard or a folder in your MyFR account. 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Learn more here <http://mail.federalregister.gov/wf/click?upn=DFtRpaplr-2FSC-2BoRh-2Bq1pRLgi 1XoG-2BD1J2hVbXy22247rW-2FwrcoFc2Jx5g2PM-2BKcMkmNpqIlmo6wYnVQfKuKK1yI9xLWdt5 Fxt8cBn52BnAka9CCQFWCWjhT2o5NTzHJ4VOgksKyiAQyhZu8kthxXESEORWv86ZK1s5X5Dp6gsz c-3D_GTpUPR8fTpChgwzVF9GCReVe-2Bw4yhg9BQNvjEJFhzyctKO-2BKnNna4q-2Fs1pMxyrLO6 pfG7l0Hk-2BNRPlHfJFGPsoBrwCvpkqoRFcfTthSwJENnp-2BEA7wORxLJrJXeXgd3ewCSAE9PbR CkpupTX2e1GcJpTSr9Q87YNhQuxurZ62DStmqZydp87FTas2glUtJn0J2o5lcTgamWZHDUVfUS3F pWAgsvPDWy6QxG7UmL5qUM-3D> Follow Federal Register on Twitter Like Federal Register on Facebook subscription results for Friday, September 13th, 2013 2 matching documents Articles matching 'beech ridge' Environmental Protection Agency Notices <http://mail.federalregister.gov/wf/click?upn=ywqMjKqqmNNvJlV40EZ86-2BnU66le guF9OJ-2FxO5e0G4RpZSbE-2BmwSbexeR4X-2F9NSdhDjPmrXKggFJN-2FUln1sLkoSqmk9QqHh4 8FArAb6uhHBdcEKXjtEA3gyKXl8cIULkIqolWPEogV4MsELOjoJ6sK3gGqzYOAwN1Jx7J4lnBV2X X4zeyewNfXnLyVzSJ2jJ_GTpUPR8fTpChgwzVF9GCReVe-2Bw4yhg9BQNvjEJFhzyctKO-2BKnNn a4q-2Fs1pMxyrLOlu3rrWCS6xEm2BfvmFOT941ecEYimDiEuWT71Xl9YaTtvzjJtPPV3YpOHIhna -2FtxD-2F8irYJfvu0wEYFtNgCBHf0V9zird3j1KIsot0bRJ4bmVatODX-2FJ2QcpUPZ2fgAWIj0 Gs8dZEiaLoLBJ3TU1qB-2B6jZPQKz5a13Ut8KBPMdo-3D> Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability [No abstract available] Fish and Wildlife Service Notices Environmental Impact Statements; Availability, etc.: <http://mail.federalregister.gov/wf/click?upn=ywqMjKqqmNNvJlV40EZ86-2BnU66le guF9OJ-2FxO5e0G4Sp0i87lCJg7djuUK0rx1NL6kd6k4eYa-2Bfb2e1ugaoZ8aF486QUSLuv346D Ql6QTc5G3tWNNBNEJ1nQrOL8r6ZhOSjp4pW7ypJdEUBdJuE8ErI9APZbmBwCzRNXjkmn59qYnh16 1lVZOfhueH0cOLG-2B_GTpUPR8fTpChgwzVF9GCReVe-2Bw4yhg9BQNvjEJFhzyctKO-2BKnNna4 q-2Fs1pMxyrLO9asSQYqqZ7gE8S-2FaZgXSvuUlxOIrnEot8WSlFMVGcpOZ04iEGooemRaYDPAAp R3nYbvSWOQNy-2BBwYkONjA-2FetitTQXiDQD2JEEbrrMnh3nEaXKCkgPXHjZKbZkd6mjdyk1-2B XEF2ugBzAlibi5D7ypauBB43KZ0cTZWEVdKNIlQY-3D> Final Environmental Impact Statement, Habitat Conservation Plan, and Implementing Agreement; Beech Ridge Wind Power Project, Greenbrier and Nicholas Counties, West Virginia Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is advising the public of the availability of a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) associated with an application received from Beech Ridge Energy, LLC and Beech Ridge Energy II, LLC (collectively referred to as Beech Ridge Energy, applicant), for an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). 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FW: Save Your National Forests From Hydrofraking!
by Beth Little 10 Sep '13

10 Sep '13

Please distribute. From: Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics [mailto:jennifer@fseee.org] Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 2:06 PM To: blittle(a)citynet.net Subject: Save Your National Forests From Hydrofraking! <http://e2ma.net/oz/13120590906/214339203/1408143/spacer.gif> If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may <http://e2ma.net/map/view:CampaignPublic/id:1408143.13120590906/rid=bd36e13a…> see it online. Share This: <http://social.e2ma.net/next/e/1408143/410cfd183c10571e9246cba4df8e0a55/1312…> <http://social.e2ma.net/next/t/1408143/410cfd183c10571e9246cba4df8e0a55/1312…> <http://social.e2ma.net/next/f/1408143/410cfd183c10571e9246cba4df8e0a55/1312…> <http://social.e2ma.net/next/l/1408143/410cfd183c10571e9246cba4df8e0a55/1312…> <http://cdn.e2ma.net/userdata/1408143/images/e1292443300> <http://e2ma.net/go/13120590906/214339203/241682967/1408143/b64/aHR0cDovL2Zz…> Environmental activist Lopi LaRoe created this Smokey Bear parody to call attention to the dangers of fracking on public lands. Visit our website <http://e2ma.net/go/13120590906/214339203/241683122/1408143/b64/aHR0cDovL2Zz…> to learn more about how the Forest Service is attempting to squelch LaRoe’s free speech. <http://e2ma.net/go/13120590906/214339203/241683123/1408143/b64/aHR0cHM6Ly9k…> DonateNow September, 2013 Dear FSEEE Supporter, I’m writing to ask for your help in combating one of the greatest threats to our public lands today: the unregulated use of hydraulic fracturing or fracking. At stake is the most precious resource provided by our public lands: clean water. More than 60 million Americans receive their drinking water from a source originating in a National Forest. Freshwater rivers, streams, and underground reservoirs sustain innumerable ecosystems and are crucial to both wildlife and people. We need your help to ensure that National Forests are protected from the environmentally detrimental impacts of fracking and that the industry is held accountable when damage occurs. With your help, FSEEE will challenge this threat to our public lands and water supplies every step of the way. With consumer demand for cheap power increasing, the natural gas industry is looking to our National Forests as the next frontier for production. No region of the country is immune from the potential damage caused by natural gas fracking, but a lack of environmental regulations has left our National Forests and the clean water they produce extremely vulnerable. One of the most important mandates of the U.S. Forest Service, indeed, one of the reasons it was established in 1905, is to protect the nation’s supply of clean water. But you would never know that by the way the agency allows the natural gas industry to run roughshod over our public lands while threatening environmental activists with prosecution and jail time (visit our website, <http://www.fseee.org> www.fseee.org, to read more about FSEEE’s efforts to defend those who speak out about the dangers of fracking). Hydrofracking endangers our precious freshwater resources on many fronts. The process itself requires the use of huge amounts of water—a single well can use 5 million gallons—which is mixed with a slew of toxic chemicals. This noxious slurry is injected at high pressure into the ground where it can contaminate subsurface waters and reservoirs. And much of the chemical mixture returns above ground where fracking fluid endangers National Forest ecosystems when spills occur. A lack of consistent and effective disposal techniques often results in the remaining fluid ending up as pollutants in our streams and rivers. Current fracking practices are a risky proposition at best. Despite the threat that existing wells pose to water supplies, the Forest Service has failed to regulate fracking. At the same time, the natural gas industry denies ANY responsibility for the environmental contamination caused by fracking. The natural gas industry is powerful, and the Forest Service is complacent, but FSEEE is prepared to challenge this freewheeling experiment on every front. First, we must cease the development of new natural gas wells on those National Forests where the federal government owns both the surface occupancy and subsurface mineral rights. On these forests, the federal government has complete control over whether to issue fracking leases. The Forest Service makes leasing decisions about fracking during the planning process. FSEEE will monitor forest plans now being revised and insist that the Forest Service properly document the potential environmental hazards associated with fracking when completing the obligatory environmental reviews. There is no requirement forcing the Forest Service to open these lands to fracking, and FSEEE will ensure that the federal government prioritizes the protection of our public lands and waters over private profits. Second, we must ensure that regulations that protect human health and ecosystem integrity are in place when fracking on public lands does occur. Regrettably, fracking is already occurring on some of our public lands. That’s particularly true for the millions of acres of so-called “split estate” lands in the eastern U.S. where the Forest Service owns only the surface while the underground minerals are in private ownership. On these National Forest acres, the Forest Service can regulate industry’s access to its underground minerals, but it cannot deny access to them without condemning and paying for the underground oil and gas. But the Forest Service CAN regulate how the miners use the surface of these National Forests, including how they store and transport fracking fluids on Forest Service lands. This regulation is done through a “surface occupancy permit,” which companies must obtain before they can build access roads or start drilling. FSEEE knows that one of the best ways to ensure that environmental safeguards are implemented is to hold drillers responsible for any damage they cause. To date, the fracking industry has not been required to disclose the toxic stew of chemicals that are used in fracking under the claim that the mixture is a trade-secret. But the real reason they want to keep this chemical mix a secret is that when toxins show up in someone’s well, a town’s water supply or a nearby stream, no one is able to prove that fracking is at fault or which driller is responsible for the mess. Drillers claim that without proof a chemical contaminant came from their operation, they can’t be held responsible. FSEEE has been consulting with cutting-edge scientists to find ways to ensure that gas producers are held liable for any water pollution that results from this industry. In the coming year, FSEEE will be campaigning for a federal rule that requires oil and gas companies to include a non-toxic unique “tracer” in the fracturing fluids used to break up the underground shale rock. We will work to ensure that the Forest Service requires “tracer” use as a condition of getting a surface occupancy permit for natural gas development on National Forests. Tracers can pin liability on drilling companies, even if they refuse to disclose their fracking chemicals. If contamination occurs, a positive tracer will finger the culprit just like DNA can identify the perpetrators of crime. In fact, DNA is a possible tracer chemical because it is non-toxic and can be synthesized in an unlimited number of sequences so that each and every natural gas well can be identified individually. The tracer needs to be unique to each gas well, move with the fracking fluid underground and be readily detectable even at very small concentrations in water wells or streams. Several new technologies are being developed, but without a federal rule requiring industry to label its fracking fluid, none are likely to become commercially viable. A National Forest tracer rule for fracking would catalyze needed research and development in this field. Requiring that industry label its fracking fluids to avoid escaping liability for pollution is a sensible step to take. The National Forests were created to protect water quality and watersheds. To carry out that overriding mission, the Forest Service needs to cease fracking on those lands where they are legally entitled to do so. The Forest Service can and must say “no” to the big-money interests of the natural gas industry. The future of our forests and water resources are too precious to gamble on fracking. And where the Forest Service has no choice but to issue fracking leases, they must ensure that liability for any water pollution can be pinned squarely on the polluter. Tracer technology is the best guarantee that those who pollute our water are held accountable for damages and clean-up. We need your help to ensure that our National Forests and freshwater resources are safe from fracking. Please make a special contribution to FSEEE today. Your gift makes our work possible. Thank-you! Sincerely, Andy Stahl Executive Director P.S. Please see the “ Action Alert <http://e2ma.net/go/13120590906/214339203/241683124/1408143/b64/aHR0cDovL2Zz…> ” on our website and join us in demanding that the Forest Service hold the natural gas industry accountable when fracking results in environmental damage. P.P.S. You can contribute by sending a gift online using the "Donate Now" button below or by calling us at 541-484-2692. Thank you! <http://e2ma.net/go/13120590906/214339203/241683125/1408143/b64/aHR0cHM6Ly9k…> DonateNow P.O. Box 11615 | Eugene, OR 97440 US This email was sent to <mailto:blittle@citynet.net> blittle(a)citynet.net. To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list. <http://e2ma.net/app/view:Manage/signupId:1420038/id:1408143.13120590906/rid…> manage your preferences | <http://e2ma.net/app/view:OptOut/ID:1408143.13120590906/signupId:1420038/rid…> opt out using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? <http://e2ma.net/app/view:Join/signupId:1420038/acctId:1408143/mailingId:214…> Sign up to receive our future emails. Network for Good <http://e2ma.net/userdata/20050/images/templates/nfg_emma_logo.gif> <http://e2ma.net/go/13120590906/214339203/241683126/1408143/b64/aHR0cDovL3d3…> EmailNow powered by Emma _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3222/6651 - Release Date: 09/09/13

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from Saturday's Washington Post: : U.S. Forest Service mulls fracking in key national forest
by Paul Wilson 09 Sep '13

09 Sep '13

*U.S. Forest Service mulls fracking in key national forest<http://link.email.washingtonpost.com/r/QJTXP3/C57BVM/34JPBP/GKKSX6K/JEE4XO/…> * The decision will settle whether the drilling method may be used at George Washington National Forest. ( Darryl Fears, The Washington Post) -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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FW: [WVHCBOARD] whistleblowers
by Frank Young 07 Sep '13

07 Sep '13

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia University is bringing whistleblowers to Morgantown to discuss the role they've played in environmental issues. A panel discussion is set for Sept. 18. Among the panelists is Rick Plitz, a former senior associate at the U.S. Climate Change Science Program who exposed White House censorship of reports on global warming in 2005. Also participating is Jack Spadaro, a former head of the National Mine Health and Safety Academy who reported attempts to whitewash an investigation into a Kentucky coal slurry spill. The third panelist is Wilma Subra, a Louisiana scientist who exposed misleading statements by the Food and Drug Administration that seafood harvested in the Gulf of Mexico was safe to consume after the 2010 oil spill. This event is being produced with the Government Accountability Project. _____ From: WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com [mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Cynthia D. Ellis Sent: Saturday, September 07, 2013 10:31 PM To: West Virginia Highlands Conservancy Subject: [WVHCBOARD] whistleblowers WVU hosting environmental whistleblower forum http://www.wowktv.com/story/23366616/wvu-hosting-environmental-whistleblower -forum -- Cynthia D. Ellis RR 1 Box 163 Red House, WV 25168 304 586-4135 304 206-0083 [no service at residence] cdellis(a)wildblue.net "The wars of the twenty-first century will be fought over water." Ismail Serageldin, World Bank __._,_.___ <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJwZzJyYmdrBF9TAzk3M zU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEbXNnSWQDMjIwODIEc2VjA2Z0c gRzbGsDcnBseQRzdGltZQMxMzc4NjA3NDU1?act=reply&messageNum=22082> Reply via web post <mailto:cdellis@wildblue.net?subject=Re%3A%20whistleblowers> Reply to sender <mailto:WVHCBOARD@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20whistleblowers> Reply to group <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJkdjRkZjU1BF9TAzk3M zU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDbnRwYwRzd GltZQMxMzc4NjA3NDU1> Start a New Topic <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD/message/22082;_ylc=X3oDMTM1YW84MXZx BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEbXNnSWQDMjIwODIE c2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDdnRwYwRzdGltZQMxMzc4NjA3NDU1BHRwY0lkAzIyMDgy> Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WVHCBOARD;_ylc=X3oDMTJkcDZoZnRhBF9TAzk3MzU5Nz E0BGdycElkAzEwODEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEc2VjA3Z0bARzbGsDdmdocARzdGltZQ MxMzc4NjA3NDU1> Visit Your Group Working since 1967 for the conservation and wise management of West Virginia's natural resources <http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJjbGVnajNvBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEwO DEwOARncnBzcElkAzE3MDUwNjQxNzcEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDZ2ZwBHN0aW1lAzEzNzg2MDc0NTU-> Yahoo! Groups Switch to: <mailto:WVHCBOARD-traditional@yahoogroups.com?subject=Change%20Delivery%20Fo rmat:%20Traditional> Text-Only, <mailto:WVHCBOARD-digest@yahoogroups.com?subject=Email%20Delivery:%20Digest> Daily Digest . <mailto:WVHCBOARD-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> Unsubscribe . <http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> Terms of Use . <mailto:ygroupsnotifications@yahoogroups.com?subject=Feedback%20on%20the%20r edesigned%20individual%20mail%20v1> Send us Feedback . <http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97359714/grpId=108108/grpspId=1705064177/msgId= 22082/stime=1378607455> __,_._,___

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Fwd: E- the Environmental Magazine Piece on Fracking
by Paul Wilson 06 Sep '13

06 Sep '13

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Dow <ddow420(a)comcast.net> Date: Fri, Sep 6, 2013 at 4:50 AM Subject: E- the Environmental Magazine Piece on Fracking To: Patricia Matejcek <patachek3(a)gmail.com> Cc: Alison Robb <nature(a)cape.com>, Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> *Concern Grows Over Fracking Public Lands*[image: wildlands]<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Y9hnx-fniUx3esXBMaf4IzrFvC9mVSxw3G7GWhbhworo…> On May 16, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced new rules for fracking - or hydraulic fracturing – on public lands that environmental groups say do not go far enough to protect public health. There are more than 1 million fracked wells across the U.S.… *Continue Reading »*<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Y9hnx-fniUx3esXBMaf4IzrFvC9mVSxw3G7GWhbhworo…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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