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Upcoming Events See event calendar
May 19, 5 pm, An evening with "No Fracking Way" singer Marc Black, Asheville. Register here!
May 19, 11:30 AM, March and Rally at the legislature, Raleigh.
May 20, 7 p.m., GASLAND Screening & Discussion, The Depot in Hillsborough Map/directions!
May 21, 7PM, Hydraulic Fracturing & Gas Leasing Meeting. Pittsboro, NC Details!
May 22, 6-8PM, Gasland Screening. Raleigh. Sign Up Here
May 23, 1:30 PM, Hydrofracking: Public Health Issues and Impacts. Chapel Hill. Find Out More!
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 Hydraulic fracturing could have major impacts on NC's water, air, land, and communities. Contact your senator today! On April 18th, state Senator Bob Rucho, working with state Representative Mike Hager, unveiled a bill that would establish an entirely new bureaucracy – an oil and gas commission – and legalize fracking this summer, with a brief moratorium in place while rules are crafted. Local ordinances that prohibit or place restrictions on oil and gas exploration and development activities would also be declared invalid if this bill comes to law.
Contact your state Senator and Representative today and urge them not to support Sen. Rucho’s proposed legislation on hydraulic fracturing. Legalizing fracking now has no near term benefits, threatens NC landowners and taxpayers, does not ensure drilling would be done safely, and is downright irresponsible. Learn about what the proposed bill would do.
To find your Senator go to http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/ and click on”Who Represents Me?”
To read the full proposal click here (starts on page 37).
Learn more about hydraulic fracturing in North Carolina by watching our short introductory video and visit our resources page to get information about ‘fracking’ and its impacts. Thanks to a great team of students from the University of North Carolina’s Service Learning (APPLES) program we are pleased to share this video on hydraulic fracturing and how YOU can get involved. Contact your state senator today!
 Lenore Yarger, Siler City. The recent DENR hearings in Sanford, Chapel Hill and Pittsboro have caused quite a buzz among NC residents. CWFNC was blown away by these alternative conclusions and recommendations written by Lenore Yarger, a Chatham County resident. Lenore’s family is part of the Silk Hope Catholic Worker community, where she homesteads sustainably and works for peace and justice.
“I share the dismay, confusion, and suspicions of many over the conclusion of your draft report. As I know DENR is busy and has limited time for their revision, I have helped by writing a new conclusion, which I think better reflects their own research and public opinion expressed at these hearings. Please feel free to use it in its entirety. More…
 Photo by Lisa Sorg The possibility of hydraulic fracturing in the state has caused some homeowners to think twice about whether they own what’s underneath their homes. Lisa Sorg (Independent Weekly) reports that mineral rights to properties at many homes built by D.R. Horton were split off at the time of purchase to a Colorado energy corporation. This is a suspicious practice in a state that does not have a history of oil and gas production. The article “Does a developer’s sale of mineral rights to an energy company foreshadow fracking?” sheds light on what signing off mineral rights could mean for homeowners and for the real estate market.
“For the past two years, D.R. Horton has sold the mineral rights—and the right to drill, mine, store and explore for them—to its Colorado-based energy company on at least 425 of its lots in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and other Triangle cities, according to deed records. Coincidentally, the transactions began occurring in the summer of 2010, around the time the push began to legalize fracking in North Carolina.” … More…
 Progress Energy operates two large coal-fired power plants in Person County. The Mayo Steam Electric Plant discharges to Mayo Lake, a popular place for boating and fishing. However, the power plant discharges large amounts of harmful metals into the lake….Mercury (a neurotoxin), Boron, Thallium, Manganese (a neurotoxin at high doses), and Selenium.
The NC Environmental Management Commission is proposing to issue a “Special Order by Consent” for the Mayo Plant, allowing Progress to discharge higher amounts of these metals without penalty while Progress studies and constructs a new treatment system. Your comments are needed by April 6, because the deal lacks solid deadlines, and the plant could have exceptions on the amount of metals they pour into Mayo Lake for 5 years under the current plan! Comment Now.
Recently, two NC House members showed that they paid attention to your concerns by leading an effort to slow down hydraulic fracturing. Read more: Two state House Republicans call for delay of fracking in N.C. (Raleigh News and Observer)
A special public info session on oil and gas exploration will be held in Chatham County.
Monday, April 2 from 6:30-9:30 PM
The Barn at Fearrington Village, 100 Village Way Pittsboro, NC
Staff from the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources will summarize the report and receive comments from the public. Written comments will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. April 2 and may be sent to shale_gas_comments@ncdenr.gov; or by mail to NCDENR, attn: Trina Ozer, 1601 MSC, Raleigh, NC 27699.
For more information, view this flyer or contact Haw River Assembly at info@hawriver.org
On Tuesday March 20th, over 500 folks turned out to the shale gas hearing in Sanford. We heard many concerns about the findings of the draft report (draft executive summary) and the possibility of “fracking” for natural gas here in North Carolina.
The next hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 27th in Chapel Hill. We encourage all who plan to speak to arrive by 5:15PM in order to sign up.
6:30-9:30 PM for the hearing
East Chapel Hill High School Auditorium
500 Weaver Dairy Rd. ( map/directions) Read about the Sanford hearing:
Both Sides in Fracking Debate Say More Data Needed
“Both sides of the fracking debate agree on at least one point — there is not enough information in the draft report issued by state environmental officials to determine whether the controversial form of drilling for natural gas can be done safely.” March 22, The Pilot (Southern Pines, NC)
In state’s fracking report, politics threatens to trump science
“If you read the first nine pages of the state’s draft report on fracking, you will be unprepared for the punch line at the end. Written by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the 444-page report was released March 16. It clearly lays out the many potential perils associated with the controversial drilling method.” March 21, The INDY Weekly
“CONCLUSIONS” OF DENR REPORT DON’T FIT THE FACTS
Groups and Local Elected Officials to Hold Press Conference Tuesday, March 20, 5:50 PM
Dennis Wicker Center Lecture Hall, 1801 Nash St. Sanford, NC
After reviewing the over-400 page report released by DENR last Friday, eight groups planning a press conference for Tuesday say the conclusion that hydraulic fracturing “can be done safely provided the right protections are in place,” is simply not supported by the information in report itself.
Speakers at the press conference will point to issues raised by the report that contradict the conclusion given, to critical information on studies relevant for North Carolina that is lacking from the report, and to the extreme complexity of the local control, economic and environmental issues raised by hydraulic fracturing. Perhaps most evident in the report is the overwhelming lack of readiness of state officials and agencies to manage an oil and gas program.
Confirmed speakers for the press conference include:
- Mayor Darryl Moss, Creedmoor, Granville County
- County Commissioner Sally Kost, Chatham County
- Mayor Randy Voller, Pittsboro, Chatham County
- Luke Cranford, Cumnock Preservation Assoc., Lee County
- Therese Vick, Anson County Water, Air, Land and Lives
- Joe McDonald, President, Save Our Sandhills, Moore County
Tuesday, March 20th Sanford, 6:30-9:30 PM – Dennis A. Wicker Center, 1801 Nash Street (map)
Tuesday, March 27th Chapel Hill, 6:30-9:30 PM – East Chapel Hill H.S. Auditorium, 500 Weaver Dairy Rd. (map)
Update:
The NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) just released a 6 month study of the potential shale gas resources and possible impacts on NC communities. We need YOU to come and share your concerns!
Draft Executive Summary
Draft Recommendations and Limitations
Please come and speak briefly or support those who do—a big turnout will show DENR, the media and legislators how concerned we are. For more information, please call (919) 401-9600 or email hope@cwfnc.org. THANKS!
Wednesday, March 14, 6-9 PM
Page Walter Arts and History Center, 119 Ambassador Loop, Cary, NC (Map).
Join us for a Citizen’s Activist training on hydraulic fracturing in NC. We’ll provide a quick issue update, walk through our plan to convince state leaders to maintain North Carolina’s prohibitions on fracking and share key skills that will help keep North Carolina frack-free! To RSVP please contact CWFNC at (919)401-9600 or email maribel@cwfnc.org
Sponsors: Environment NC, CWFNC, Haw River Assembly, NC Sierra Club, Food & Water Watch and Neuse River Foundation.
Presenters will include Elizabeth Ouzts of Environment NC, Jessie Miller of Public Interest Network and Hope Taylor of Clean Water for NC.
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Water and Energy Water and Energy Page
Visit this page for resources on nuclear & radiation, energy efficiency and NC SAVE$ ENERGY, and power plants and "annual rate hikes"!
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