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Friday, June 7, 2013

Breaking: Protests against Fracking permit designed for the Payette Area to take place at 3:00 PM in Boise

Mark Reinhardt-Boise Idaho

Environmental Group, "Idaho Wild Rising Tide" has announced that it would be protesting outside of the Idaho Department of Lands in Boise.
https://www.facebook.com/events/298064556995801/

The group itself is worried about environmental impacts that the Fracking Lease could have on the area, in which, the equipment for Fracking would be set up. According to the groups event page:

"A dangerous method of oil and gas well stimulation, fracking forces millions of gallons of pressurized water and toxic substances down wells to crack subsurface rocks and release small, substandard pockets of oil and natural gas. In dozens of states across the country, this process has produced hazardous, radioactive wastewater, contaminated air and water, generated cancer-causing pollution, compromised human and environmental health and safety, and released greenhouses gases causing climate change. Earthquakes triggered by fracking’s explosive charges and wastewater well injections could exacerbate Idaho’s fifth greatest amount of seismic activity in the nation and consequently shatter the mechanical integrity of such inherently toxic oil and gas wells."

The American Natural Gas Alliance had previously issued on a video on this topic in response to a documentary film titled, "Gasland."


In speaking on the effected areas, "Idaho Wild Rising Tide" had this to say about the potential impact of the lease on the surrounding areas,

"The proposed Smoke Ranch well would drill and potentially frack Birding Island, within the extensive wetlands and floodplain confluence of the Payette River and Big Willow Creek, only a few miles upriver from the City of Fruitland drinking water intake and the Payette/Snake River convergence [2]. Under the surrounding landscape full of farms, ranches, livestock, and wildlife dependent on clean surface streams and irrigation canals, aquifers only 660 feet deep perch, without much distance or barriers, over gas-bearing zones in porous layers punctured by drilling activities."

In a report issued by the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation Blog, in 2010. The blog had quoted a gas explorations officer about the Payette Gas Discovery,

The operations manager for the gas exploration company says it's too early to categorize this as a major discovery. "We have had some encouragement there," said Jeff Kirn. "We have wells that look promising, and we plan to do more.”

According to the Blog, the last attempt at Gasoline Exploration in the Payette area was in 1988. With attempts at setting up a well going back to 1900

Up until this year there has been no oil or gas production in Idaho, despite the fact that oil companies have been drilling test sites in the Gem State since 1900, the last test well was drilled back in 1988 in Payette, but it didn’t pan out.
http://idahofarmbureau.blogspot.com/2010/09/home-grown-energy.html

Addressing the issue of Idaho Agriculture, Idaho Wild Rising tide had stated this on their event page:

" They have neglected to demand studies to ascertain possible drilling and fracking impacts to surface, ground, and irrigation waters, harm of human and wildlife health, damages to property values and public infrastructure, and costs to agricultural, recreation, and tourism sectors."

The group later went on to state that the only way that damage to the state economy can be stopped. Is for Idaho Residents to resist. 

Now, a subject that has largely stuck to the Idaho Statehouse, now finds it way to the City Streets of Boise.

More updates to come, as this story develops











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