Texas Fracking Companies Self Regulating

[Newell Steamer]

http://www.occupydemocrats.com/caught-on-tape-illegal-dumping-of-texas-toxic-fracking-waste-video/

Under the cover of darkness, environmental activists caught a tanker truck illegally releasing fracking waste fluids across a road in the Texas Eagle Ford Shale, one of the most active drilling areas in the country. They were able to collect samples of the toxic sludge and get evidence with which to identify the polluting company. The incident, which Texas watchdog groups assert is a common practice in the region, has led to an investigation by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the state Railroad Commission.

Texas Self Regulation = just dump the chemicals on the road.

Oh, and fracking companies do not disclose what the chemicals are made up of. In fact, one state (North Carolina) is considering making it illegal to disclose what fracking chemicals are made up of; http://rt.com/usa/160052-nc-outlaw-disclosing-fracking-chemicals/

Self regualtion means ensuring the public's interests are maintained, so, there is no need for government intervention. Is dumping toxic and harmful chemicals anywhere they damn well please really a form of valid self regulation?

 

[DominionSeraph]

Texas groundwater doesn't affect me. If conservatards want to worship corporations as their Gods, I'm fine with it as long as they have to live with the consequences, not me.

 

[Paratus]

Texas groundwater doesn't affect me. If conservatards want to worship corporations as their Gods, I'm fine with it as long as they have to live with the consequences, not me.

Hey some of us have to live here you know!

Besides I have it on the scientific authority of P&N that it's impossible, just impossible for man to effect his environment.

Although before I say that, I should make sure this didn't happen near any rich oil and gas executives house, because that would be tragic. :whiste:

 

[cyclohexane]

the funniest thing is that while Texas is in a historic drought, the oil companies have huge reservoirs of water saved up for the drilling rigs. (right next to dried up ranges and farmland)

Irony.

 

[Newell Steamer]

the funniest thing is that while Texas is in a historic drought, the oil companies have huge reservoirs of water saved up for the drilling rigs. (right next to dried up ranges and farmland)

Irony.

Why give the water to the people, animals and plants,.. when you can toxify it, pump it into the group and then illegally dump it on the road - all in the name of profits?

 

[realibrad]

Texas Self Regulation = just dump the chemicals on the road.

Self regualtion means ensuring the public's interests are maintained, so, there is no need for government intervention. Is dumping toxic and harmful chemicals anywhere they damn well please really a form of valid self regulation?

The problem is still government involvement. The government sold the rights for the frackers to work. There are 3rd party costs not being paid, and the government is not representing its people. I would bet there are only a handful of people who don't want to know what chemicals are being used and how its being done. Most people want to know what is going on, but the government and fracking companies work together to hold back that information.

The reason the government allows this, is because those companies pay for campaigns, so they wont bite the hand that feeds them.

Self regulation can and has worked. ESRB is a great example of self regulation. We don't need the government rating games. In this case, the government should be representing the peoples will and make sure the full costs of fracking are known, and then they can decide if they want it done.

 

[CPA]

If it's being investigated by state regulatory agencies, then there is obviously regulation.

I work in an industry that is highly regulated, yet there are still instances of employees doing things against regulation.

 

[shira]

Texas fracking is definitely self-limiting. Once the severity of the earthquakes caused by fracking-destabilized shale exceeds a threshold level, it's no longer possible to frack.

 

[theeedude]

Any danger to those of us outside of Texas? Does Texas export any food stuff to California? Dried up ranges and farmland may be a good thing in this case. I don't want food grown next to a shale rig operation on my plate.

 

[MooseNSquirrel]

Perhaps he meant it poses a danger in the sense that sunddenly a whole bunch of Texans will be looking to live elsewhere.

 

[dmcowen674]

http://www.occupydemocrats.com/caught-on-tape-illegal-dumping-of-texas-toxic-fracking-waste-video/



Texas Self Regulation = just dump the chemicals on the road.

Oh, and fracking companies do not disclose what the chemicals are made up of. In fact, one state (North Carolina) is considering making it illegal to disclose what fracking chemicals are made up of; http://rt.com/usa/160052-nc-outlaw-disclosing-fracking-chemicals/

Self regualtion means ensuring the public's interests are maintained, so, there is no need for government intervention. Is dumping toxic and harmful chemicals anywhere they damn well please really a form of valid self regulation?

This is the shit the resident Rich Republicans support all the time.

Obviously they personally benefit from such activities.

 

[realibrad]

This is the shit the resident Rich Republicans support all the time.

Obviously they personally benefit from such activities.

Democrats do the same thing. This is not a political issue, its a corruption issue. If you think that either party has your side, you are blind.

Dont vote for a political party because they are your party, vote for who you think you want in office.

Public health and safety is not a party issue.

 

[thraashman]

If it's being investigated by state regulatory agencies, then there is obviously regulation.

I work in an industry that is highly regulated, yet there are still instances of employees doing things against regulation.

But Texas is one of those largely "hands off" states when it comes to regulation. The regulations are extremely lax and the enforcement and inspections are almost nonexistent. If not for a private third party group this violation would not have been discovered because the state doesn't try to enforce regulations on the fracking industry.

 

[realibrad]

But Texas is one of those largely "hands off" states when it comes to regulation. The regulations are extremely lax and the enforcement and inspections are almost nonexistent. If not for a private third party group this violation would not have been discovered because the state doesn't try to enforce regulations on the fracking industry.

The problem is that the regulation in place breeds abuse. Current regulation is built to create loopholes. The reason companies lobby the government is to create these loopholes, not remove regulation.

If the people who ran these companies feared jail time and or fines personally, they would do a whole lot less of this crap.

Instead, they got the government to back them and built loopholes to stop any real punishment. This is not an issue of lax regulation, its an issue of regulation being used to enable them. That sword cuts both ways here.

 

[theeedude]

Which party is for cutting the EPA? Which party is always passing these loopholes for these companies to use?

 

[MrPickins]

Texas groundwater doesn't affect me. If conservatards want to worship corporations as their Gods, I'm fine with it as long as they have to live with the consequences, not me.

Hey some of us have to live here you know

No doubt. I'm no "conservatard", and I own land in that county.

It's really shitty what the oil companies are doing in that area, both with the pollution and the strain on the infrastructure (especially the roads).

 

[realibrad]

Which party is for cutting the EPA? Which party is always passing these loopholes for these companies to use?

Both parties hate the EPA. Republicans explicitly want to do away with it, and Democrats make it useless with legislation. Both accomplish the same thing.

Both parties pass loopholes for companies.


These are facts. Both of the major parties are corrupt. I also have no doubt that if we got a 3rd major party, it too would become corrupt. Its the structure of our government right now.

Companies have found it very profitable to use the government.

 

[Sonikku]

 

[kage69]

Both parties hate the EPA. Republicans explicitly want to do away with it, and Democrats make it useless with legislation. Both accomplish the same thing.

False equivalence rears it's ugly head again. Let's not bother with addressing the contempt for science the GOP has long maintained, with relation to the EPA in particular.

All you have to do to support that is provide an example of any other admin gutting the EPA the way Cheney and Co. did 2000-2008.

Good luck.

 

[realibrad]

False equivalence rears it's ugly head again. Let's not bother with addressing the contempt for science the GOP has long maintained, with relation to the EPA in particular.

All you have to do to support that is provide an example of any other admin gutting the EPA the way Cheney and Co. did 2000-2008.

Good luck.

You have it wrong. The GOP is chasing the religious base, and they seem to hate science right now. I agree that the GOP is far more anti-science than the Dems are.

What I was arguing is that the GOP and Dems are pretty consistent on what they cause. Both make the EPA crippled, either by legislation or lack of support. 2 different methods, same out come.

 

[kage69]

You have it wrong. The GOP is chasing the religious base, and they seem to hate science right now. I agree that the GOP is far more anti-science than the Dems are.

What I was arguing is that the GOP and Dems are pretty consistent on what they cause. Both make the EPA crippled, either by legislation or lack of support. 2 different methods, same out come.

No, you have it wrong.

You're not arguing anything by acting like you don't have the burden of proof for your claim. Simply repeating yourself does not an argument make.

As far as I am aware, the Cheney admin stands alone for it's contempt of the EPA, and environmental concern in general. If you think there is another admin, of any party really, that has achieved some kind of parity wrt to the EPA, then lets see it.

Otherwise you're just acting like another hack promulgating the "they're both the same!" bit.

 

[realibrad]

No, you have it wrong.

You're not arguing anything by acting like you don't have the burden of proof for your claim. Simply repeating yourself does not an argument make.

As far as I am aware, the Cheney admin stands alone for it's contempt and for the EPA, and environmental concern in general. If you think there is another admin, of any party really, that has achieved some kind of parity wrt to the EPA, then lets see it.

Otherwise you're just acting like another hack promulgating the "they're both the same!" bit.

Oh I misunderstood what you were saying. I believe you are asking for proof of where the Dems have hurt the EPA.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/coal-state-democrats-epa-97125.html

That is an article where Coal State Dems were fighting regulation on Coal plants.

No doubt that the GOP is far more explicit in hating the EPA. But I don't see how you can argue that the Dems are Pro EPA. The Dems could push through and give the EPA real power to do something, but instead they did not. Both parties are pandering to their bases, and both don't care about anything past getting elected.

 

[trenchfoot]

Well I can see where at the federal level, the Dems push harder for more regulatory authority as being witnessed by the constant complaining of such by the conservatives in this forum as well as the uniform ideological championing for less and ever less regulatory constraints for more profit by the same folks.

However, it's at the state level of government where the regulatory processes seem to get corrupted the most, including the federal ones where they are discretely and at times blatantly ignored. IMO, this is where Repub and Dem politicians seem more of the bird of the feather.

However, due to the fact that big business seems to be much more well represented by the Repub Party, especially as evidenced by the preponderance of legislation that they either promote or pass into law, I'd say the Repubs should be held more accountable in this regard.

 

[Incorruptible]

Good for them for engaging in self regulation. Shame on the OP for wanting government to bully businesses with regulations.

 

[thraashman]

Good for them for engaging in self regulation. Shame on the OP for wanting government to bully businesses with regulations.

So you're fine with the fact that their "self regulation" involves dumping toxic chemicals in unsafe and illegal ways? Can't say I'm surprised. You should consider getting some land near a fracking site since you feel their self regulation is such a good thing. I'm sure it'll work out for you.