As I sat there and watched the only one real ‘expert’/spokesperson in the sessions that is truly committed to providing protections for our environment battle, it really was a ‘David & Goliath’ scenario. A very knowledgeable, environmental advocate, Justin Hayes from Idaho Conservation League has had some assistance in these sessions from informed citizens and even a representative from an affected municipality, but overall, it’s just been Mr Hayes fighting ‘Goliath’.

In the latest session on July 21st, the issue of bonding was debated quite heatedly, specifically because of Justin Hayes’ attempts to task the Department of Lands with providing adequate bonding requirements on the natural gas well drilling companies. The Department of Lands had sought out bonding statistics from some other western states that allow fracking, to assist them determining bond amounts.

Essentially, the Department of Lands is leaning towards “blanket bonds” for the natural gas wells, rather than individual bonds for each one. This of course, is the preferred method by the Oil & Gas Industry, because it is the most inexpensive. Then, the Department of Lands likes it, because it will also mean less paperwork, than bonding each individual well.

Justin Hayes (Idaho Conservation League) pointed out to the group that he felt they were making a poor choice by even offering blanket bonds, as that creates a situation where it is possible that taxpayers would be stuck footing the bill if a company abandoned their wells. He argued that every well should be covered by an individual bond.

The ‘gas folks’ really didn’t like that recommendation and the discussion became heated. The gas companies basically said they obviously would not support an individual bond on each well and Eric Wilson from the Idaho Department of Lands decided to just move on from that discussion.

One quick note regarding the bonding amounts. Mr. Wilson commented that these amounts were to cover the cost of plugging and abandoning a well – including reclaiming the surface. He said it is impossible to ‘restore’ the surface area, and that the rules for reclaiming would state something to the affect that 70% of the area’s ground cover must be similar to the surrounding area (apparently this is the standard for mining practices in the state).

Despite the somewhat negative information displayed in this post, I still feel that there are many issues that the communities and their governing agencies can do, to provide proactive protections for the environment. I urge anyone who has been affected by any natural gas drilling activities in any community, to please share with me what actions you have found to make the most impact in this area.

I also know that David did truly slay Goliath, therefore, I have hope.

The bobble contains a built-in filter, that filters contaminants out of  tap water. The actual plastic bottle is made from FDA approved recycled PET that is free of BPA, Phthalates and PVC & is 100% recyclable.

Each bobble filter is intended to filter at least 300 bottles, about 40 gallons or 150 liters. The company estimates that each filter should last approximately two months.

The bobble is going to solve a HUGE personal dilemma that I currently have, pertaining to drinking water away from home. Because at home, I have the option to use a built in reverse-osmosis system at my sink and/or filter the water with my Shaklee Get Clean® Water Dispenser.

I am always leaving the house with a full stainless steel, reusable bottle full of filtered water, but after I’ve drank it all, that’s where the problem starts. Knowing that I don’t like to drink unfiltered tap water due to taste and potential chemical content, I sometimes must concede to buying a bottle of water from a local store, to get me through my day.

Once I purchase that single-use plastic bottle filled with water, I’ve defeated the purpose of bringing pre-filtered water in my own bottle to start with. Then, I’m just adding to my energy carbon footprint, which is a bad thing.

The folks over at Ethical Ocean have a great infographic of the Energy Footprint of Bottled Water. The graphic shows how much energy is used, just for the creation of  one plastic water bottle. It is estimated that bottled water uses 1400 times more energy than tap water.

Where do you get your bobble from? Well, it’s available from their company website and there are also several retailers carrying the bobble. I’ll be purchasing mine this week, so I’ll be able to carry it with me as a back up for routine activity, as well as when traveling.

Be sure to check out the bobble website and also watch the below video about this fantastic environmentally friendly product. I symbolically raise my ‘booble’ to toast this environmentally conscious company. Kudos to bobble’s!

Despite the fact, that the proposed plant processes the fluid and gas byproducts from a fracking operation, the audience was immediately instructed that the issue before the P & Z Commission was only related to a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for a dehydration plant and had nothing to do with fracking. The audience was sternly warned that they would not be allowed to make any mention or bring into discussion, anything about fracking.

There were well over 40 oral testimonies given in opposition to the CUP  and numerous written ones submitted, that were not read during the meeting. Approximately 10 vendors or their employees of Bridge Energy, spoke in favor of the conditional use permit.

The greatest voice of opposition was from the rural community members that will be surrounding the proposed plant. They are rightfully concerned about what the dehydration/compression plant will do to their property values, air quality, infrastructure, water quality and quality of life.

Several testimonies referred to the Applicable Standards for Issuance of a Conditional Use Permit in Payette County Zoning Code 8-9-3.  Several conditions were cited, but the one that prevailed the loudest was #A3. It reads:

Will be designed, constructed, operated and maintained to be harmonious and appropriate in appearance with the existing or intended character of the general vicinity and that such use will not change the essential character of the same area.

After a grueling 5-hour hearing, where everyone who wanted to, was given the opportunity to be heard, the Planning & Zoning Committee closed the hearing. They then began their meeting to discuss the concerns & issues that they had and that were raised by others in attendance.

In the first half of their discussion, the Commission appeared to be very concerned over expressed environmental concerns, as well as the “harmonious and appropriate appearance” that the plant would have on the rural New Plymouth community. But, somewhere along the way, once weariness and fatigue set in, their focus appeared to narrow considerably.

Eventually, the Commission was only focusing on what would make the Dehydration/Compression plant fit more aesthetically (harmoniously), into the landscape on SW 2nd Ave, between Butte Rd & Custer Ave. They did realize that this plant would be sitting directly in the backyards of some farms, dairies and private residential homes.

So, with that, they determined to place the burden on the County Engineer to put together some ‘Conditions’  to go along with the approval of the CUP. Primarily, the Conditions were related to landscaping, lighting, and noise.

No where in the anticipated list of Conditions, were environmental issues addressed. Issues such as: air quality, water quality, emergency response preparedness or potential traffic and road maintenance.

So, as of now, the Planning & Zoning Commission has tabled the CUP application and will revisit it at their August meeting. At that time, the County Engineer’s Conditions will be presented and the Commission will vote to either approve or deny the Conditional Use Permit.

Sadly, by the end of an almost 6-hour marathon meeting, the relevant issues of environmental safety for the community and the planet did not get addressed. Those issues are ones that are currently devastating many people’s lives in several states, after the natural oil and gas industry has come in and conducted their intrusive fracking operations.

The desired outcome of those in attendance were hoping that the Conditional Use Permit would be turned down for the SW 2nd Avenue location. But, at this time, it still looms over the minds of those who value their quality of life in their neighborhood and the planet.

For more information about the process of fracking, the following video shows a tidbit from the Sundance Movie Award winning documentary, Gasland:

The Idaho Energy Collaborative is presenting a  Living Energy Festival on Sunday, July 10th at the Shangri-la Tea Room and Cafe Lawn from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

This free event is offering an energy festival, workshops on renewable energy and energy efficiency, and live music. And, if you visit every booth before 3:00 pm, there will be raffle prizes to win!

Some of the businesses and organizations that you can expect to see:
Green Works Idaho, Snake River Alliance, Idaho Conservation League, Renewable Energy NW, Sustainable Community Connections, Treasure Valley Food Coalition, Think Boise First, Think Nampa First, Modus Architecture, Site Based Energy, EV Idaho, U.S. Green Building Council Idaho Chapter, Idaho Rivers United, AltEnergy, Western Energy, 5D LLC, and more!

Bridge Resources Corporation of Canada has been drilling natural gas wells in the area and must also build a Compression Station to pipe the drilled gas and residual fluids to. The compression station will be unmanned, and its only activity will be commercial tanker traffic, taking the extracted 80,000 plus gallons of oil and liquid waste to undisclosed locations.

Besides the truck and other industrial activity traffic and stresses, people living near Compressor Stations could develop a life-threatening condition from the constant low-level noise called ‘vibro-acoustic disease’. Some of the resulting symptoms of that can be depression, increased irritability and aggressiveness, a tendency for isolation, and decreased cognitive skills.

Despite it being an unmanned facility, thus creating no local jobs, it will have emissions that have been shown to increase the chance of deaths from respiratory and  cardiovascular diseases, as well as increasing the rate of premature births and low birth weights.

Disposal of oil and liquid waste, as well as noise and air emissions, are currently unregulated and have not been addressed by the local governing agencies. The property values in other communities where natural gas well drilling and compression stations are in use, have experienced property value reductions of up to 60%.

Who will benefit from this Compressor Station? Not the homeowners who live in the affected area, some for 50 plus years. The environment and the wildlife won’t benefit either. We need to be using clean alternative energy sources, but natural gas isn’t clean energy. There are numerous proven renewable energy options in this day and age. It’s a matter of people being educated on the detriments and values of each, and then the decision is really a no-brainer.

Payette County citizens will have an opportunity to voice these and other concerns at the Planning & Zoning Meeting on Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 7:00 at the Payette County Courthouse.

The below video shows the effects of a Compression Station.

The process of fracking, as explained on Greenpeace’s website is as follows:

Large shale rock formations lie deep underground throughout much of the US. Some of these shale deposits, including the Marcellus Shale in the Eastern US, contain reserves of natural gas that cannot be exploited using conventional drilling methods.

Hydraulic fracturing involves drilling a deep well vertically into the reservoir formation and then turning it horizontally into the deposit. Sand, water, and chemicals are injected into the rock layer, creating cracks that allow the gas to seep out. These cracks can extend as much as a few hundred meters into the rock from the injection well.

If  it was as simple as that and didn’t pose any great environmental and health concerns, that would be fine. But, it doesn’t. It is only the beginning of numerous potential exposures and hazards created from the total process.

Some exposures are from the numerous chemicals used in the fracking process. There are also dangerous elements that can be brought to the surface during the extraction of the gas from below ground. Additionally, air pollution is created by the equipment used.

Then, there’s the issue of the reducing water resources to local communities. This being due to the fact that the average estimates of water usage at a single gas well using multi-stage hydraulic fracturing range from 2 million gallons and at times as high as 7.8 million gallons.

There have been several, proven and theorized negative health and environmental impacts in most states where fracking has been taking place. Raised levels of methane in water systems, a plethora of health issues, high concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions, to name just a few.

In states such as Pennsylvania, New York, Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado, the fracking process has been taking a toll on it’s natural resources and it’s residents. And now, the State of Idaho is currently engaged in entertaining the industry of fracking in southwestern Idaho.

Exploratory wells have been drilled in Payette County and that community is banning together to educate themselves as well as the State Land Board, that this is an industry that has been under-regulated for too long.  Additionally, neighboring Washington County is being very proactive in setting standards and ordinances to protect their beautiful rural community.

The oil and gas industry would like you to believe that they’ve been fracking in these other states for the last 60 years and haven’t generated or seen these issues. The problem with that rationale is, that the methods that they were using up until the 1990’s, were seriously less invasive and hazardous. Additionally and very importantly, they themselves didn’t monitor themselves and the natural resources that they were affecting, to prove or disprove the hazards that fracking has created.

It’s all very political and money driven of course, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. There are far too many issues that were ‘overlooked’ in the past, and they have come back to haunt the people and this planet.

For more in-depth information about how unconventional gas threatens our water, health and climate, there is an excellent website called the Desmogblog. It’s provides factual information about the myths and dangers of fracking.

Idaho residents that would like to become more educated on the issues at hand in that state, can get regular updates from the Idaho Conservation League’s website. Additionally, this author has created a Facebook Group that features the latest information about fracking and protecting Idaho’s natural resources and our future.

How can this be, you ask? Well, it’s because some forward-thinking entrepreneurs are setting their sights on being the “next step” in fixing a variety of problems in today’s food industry. They state that there mission is to be a different kind of grocery store, one that is responsible to the environment and community and one that facilitates a healthy lifestyle.

In their recent press release, in.gredients promises to be an alternative to supermarket-style shopping, featuring local, organic food products, offering cooking classes and gardening activities on site, and hosting a variety of community oriented events geared towards promoting healthy living.

Customers will bring their own reusable containers to hold their purchases or they can purchase compostable containers from the store. It’s bulk food buying at a higher level and it doesn’t get much more sustainable than this.

in.gredients is also searching for investors for this worthy venture, and I’m sure they won’t be searching for very long. This new style of bulk merchandising will hopefully very soon, become the norm as people continue to learn the value of sustainable living.

Almost half of everything that goes to our landfills is packaging and most of that packaging has been used only one time. I am very anxious to see this philosphy spread throughout the nation and eventually see package free, zero waste stores for all consumable products. It’s a no-brainer and it’s a win-win for everyone!

Recently, I have been involved in raising community awareness about the natural gas well drilling, known as hydro fracturing or “fracking” in my own Idaho community. In my opinion, common sense is being thrown to the wind, while big corporations try to buy their way into our backyards.

The same type of scenario is playing out across the country from me, on the Atlantic Coast. In this situation, deep sea canyons on the continental shelf are being threatened in the name of commerce. These undersea canyons house a multitude of marine life. But, their fate is in jeopardy, if competent regulations aren’t placed on commercial fisherman and the gas and oil companies.

Let me be clear, I am not opposed to the creation of jobs and industry. That’s something that is necessary and good. But, our country no longer has the luxury of misusing and abusing our natural resources. Conscientious, bi-partisan research must be utilized to establish the standards necessary to use our natural resources, while protecting them at the same time.

Please watch the below video, Oceans Oases with Philippe Cousteau. In it, he shares about the urgent need to protect the precious and mysterious underwater canyons and seamounts of the Atlantic Coast.

For more information you can also check out the NRDC’s (National Resources Defense Council) website.