 |
Call Now
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE. READ ON....
We need you to perform AN ESSENTIAL TASK and we need to do it this week, preferably TODAY. (2/4/04)
The Legislature is acting on various coalbed methane bills and the committee hearings are this week. We need a resounding voice to to come from the citizens NOW - one phone call or fax at a time. We need you ALL to tell our representatives in Juneau what you think about the content of these bills. It is very easy and seemingly small, but SO IMPORTANT. PLEASE MAKE TIME FOR THIS JOB. Please also send a confirmation email to Jeff at cbm@pobox.mtaonline.net so that we know how many call or faxes have been sent. THANKS in advance. Need would like 100 calls and faxes to individual legislators this week.
We are primarily focused on HB 395. The suggested comments BELOW mostly pertain to this bill. Your job is to call EACH of these legislators and tell them what you think. Harris, Gatto, Stolze, are sponsors of 395 so it is most important that you contact them. Definitely call your district legislators too, identify yourself as a constituent, but try to call all the legislators listed.
There is nothing intimidating about making these calls. You will speak to an aid who will simply record your comments without challenging you. If you feel timid, you can call after hours and speak into an answering machine.
For those of you who having been wanting to do more on the CBM issue but lack time, making these calls is one of the MOST IMPORTANT AND EFFECTIVE jobs there is on our rough road to protect our homes and communities. DON'T PUT THIS OFF. Get a friend, parent, child, or neighbor to call too.
According to legislative staff members, legislators pay the most attention to calls and faxes and, we are told, consider them much more meaningful and representative than emails or public opinion messages.
Here's who to call:
Representative Kohring (District : Phone: 800-468-2186 (toll-free): Regular office: 907-465-2186; Fax: 907-465-3818
Tell him that House Bill 364 (buy-back legislation) needs a hearing and that constituents want a buy-back bill to include the Mat-Su Valley.
Representative Harris : Phone:1-888-465-4859 (toll-free); Regular phone: 907-465-4859; Fax:907-465-3799
Representative Gatto: 1-800-565-3743 (toll-free); Regular phone: 907-465-3743: Fax:907-465-2381
Representative Heinze: 1-900-331-4930 (toll-free); Regular phone: 907-465-4930; Fax:907-465-3834
Representative Stoltze: 866-465-4958 (toll-free); Regular phone: 907-465-4958; Fax:465-4928
Representative McGuire: 800-365-2995 (toll-free); Regular phone: 907-465-2995; Fax:907-465-6592
Representative Rokeberg: 800-773-4968 (toll-free); Regular phone: 907-465-4968; Fax:907-465-2040
For more detailed information about the various bills, check out this very useful table put together by Randy Carter. Great job, Randy. http://www.alaska.net/~jrc/cbm.html
Here's the scoop on HB 395 - a few points to adddress in your comments to legislators:
* HB 395 "An Act relating to shallow natural gas leasing and the regulation of shallow natural gas operations" falls far short of full protection for property owners.
* The bill needs to insist that DNR develop regulations and standards to review and reject leases if the community situation and public comments warrant it.
* The bond amounts listed are insufficient to protect private property and community drinking water.
* There is insufficient protection for water supplies. The bill should include a requirement for use of non-toxic fracturing fluids and should require protection of water supplies.
* The suggested complaint process is too informal. A formal complaint process with Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission should be established.
* The pending bills do not help the private property owner. They don't provide for adequate notice before property is leased. Neither bill provides standards for regulating noise, setbacks, surface restoration and other qualities that would protect water resources, quality of life, and the environment for property owners.
* Property owners need more help and protection so that they could insist on these protective provisions to preserve their quality of life.
* The bill should require third party mediation to resolve disputes, paid by a fund established by the Legislature.
* The bill should require that Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission regulate the industry properly and require re-injection of produced water at the well-site.
* Public notice in the newspaper is not enough. Individual land owners need written actual notice before their land is leased.
* The bills should address the need for baseline studies, especially for surface and ground water, to help assess impacts resulting from any future development. Furthermore, companies should be required to establish a compensation fund to pay property owners whose water is impacted.
* HB 395 does eliminate the DNR Commissioner's capacity to waive local planning requirement. However, the bill should clearly spell out that local land use regulations can govern coal bed methane development.
* Let them know you are looking for checks and balances to protect private property owners and community water resources and provide a good, fair public process.
The House Oil and Gas committee will take testimony on HB 395 on Thursday, February 5, at 1 p.m. at the LIO in Wasilla.
We need you to perform AN ESSENTIAL TASK and we need to do it this week, preferably TODAY. (2/4/04)
The Legislature is acting on various coalbed methane bills and the committee hearings are this week. We need a resounding voice to to come from the citizens NOW - one phone call or fax at a time. We need you ALL to tell our representatives in Juneau what you think about the content of these bills. It is very easy and seemingly small, but SO IMPORTANT. PLEASE MAKE TIME FOR THIS JOB. Please also send a confirmation email to Jeff at cbm@pobox.mtaonline.net so that we know how many call or faxes have been sent. THANKS in advance. Need would like 100 calls and faxes to individual legislators this week.
We are primarily focused on HB 395. The suggested comments BELOW mostly pertain to this bill. Your job is to call EACH of these legislators and tell them what you think. Harris, Gatto, Stolze, are sponsors of 395 so it is most important that you contact them. Definitely call your district legislators too, identify yourself as a constituent, but try to call all the legislators listed.
There is nothing intimidating about making these calls. You will speak to an aid who will simply record your comments without challenging you. If you feel timid, you can call after hours and speak into an answering machine.
For those of you who having been wanting to do more on the CBM issue but lack time, making these calls is one of the MOST IMPORTANT AND EFFECTIVE jobs there is on our rough road to protect our homes and communities. DON'T PUT THIS OFF. Get a friend, parent, child, or neighbor to call too.
According to legislative staff members, legislators pay the most attention to calls and faxes and, we are told, consider them much more meaningful and representative than emails or public opinion messages.
Here's who to call:
Representative Kohring (District : Phone: 800-468-2186 (toll-free): Regular office: 907-465-2186; Fax: 907-465-3818
Tell him that House Bill 364 (buy-back legislation) needs a hearing and that constituents want a buy-back bill to include the Mat-Su Valley.
Representative Harris : Phone:1-888-465-4859 (toll-free); Regular phone: 907-465-4859; Fax:907-465-3799
Representative Gatto: 1-800-565-3743 (toll-free); Regular phone: 907-465-3743: Fax:907-465-2381
Representative Heinze: 1-900-331-4930 (toll-free); Regular phone: 907-465-4930; Fax:907-465-3834
Representative Stoltze: 866-465-4958 (toll-free); Regular phone: 907-465-4958; Fax:465-4928
Representative McGuire: 800-365-2995 (toll-free); Regular phone: 907-465-2995; Fax:907-465-6592
Representative Rokeberg: 800-773-4968 (toll-free); Regular phone: 907-465-4968; Fax:907-465-2040
For more detailed information about the various bills, check out this very useful table put together by Randy Carter. Great job, Randy. http://www.alaska.net/~jrc/cbm.html
Here's the scoop on HB 395 - a few points to adddress in your comments to legislators:
* HB 395 "An Act relating to shallow natural gas leasing and the regulation of shallow natural gas operations" falls far short of full protection for property owners.
* The bill needs to insist that DNR develop regulations and standards to review and reject leases if the community situation and public comments warrant it.
* The bond amounts listed are insufficient to protect private property and community drinking water.
* There is insufficient protection for water supplies. The bill should include a requirement for use of non-toxic fracturing fluids and should require protection of water supplies.
* The suggested complaint process is too informal. A formal complaint process with Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission should be established.
* The pending bills do not help the private property owner. They don't provide for adequate notice before property is leased. Neither bill provides standards for regulating noise, setbacks, surface restoration and other qualities that would protect water resources, quality of life, and the environment for property owners.
* Property owners need more help and protection so that they could insist on these protective provisions to preserve their quality of life.
* The bill should require third party mediation to resolve disputes, paid by a fund established by the Legislature.
* The bill should require that Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission regulate the industry properly and require re-injection of produced water at the well-site.
* Public notice in the newspaper is not enough. Individual land owners need written actual notice before their land is leased.
* The bills should address the need for baseline studies, especially for surface and ground water, to help assess impacts resulting from any future development. Furthermore, companies should be required to establish a compensation fund to pay property owners whose water is impacted.
* HB 395 does eliminate the DNR Commissioner's capacity to waive local planning requirement. However, the bill should clearly spell out that local land use regulations can govern coal bed methane development.
* Let them know you are looking for checks and balances to protect private property owners and community water resources and provide a good, fair public process.
The House Oil and Gas committee will take testimony on HB 395 on Thursday, February 5, at 1 p.m. at the LIO in Wasilla.