Environmental justice alarms sounded when an oil industry executive made public remarks about how drilling sites get selected.
"Two environmental organizations will ask the state’s Office of Environmental Justice to review Range Resources’ past and future shale gas development practices to determine if the company has avoided drilling in wealthier neighborhoods and targeted poorer areas of the state," reports Don Hopey.
The concern arises after remarks by Terry Bossert, vice president for legislative and regulatory affairs for Range Resources. Bossert "told a Pennsylvania Bar Institute gathering in Harrisburg earlier this month, that the company tries to avoid siting its shale gas wells near 'big houses' where residents might have the financial resources to challenge the industrial-type developments."
The article includes more discussion about the implications and seriousness of Bossert's remarks, but Hopey also examines the work of the state Office of Environmental Justice, part of the state Department of Environmental Protection, to analyze and regulate issues of environmental justice.
Read the full story: Range Resources exec's well-site remarks drawing sharp criticism
In Historic Move, L.A. County to Phase Out Oil Wells
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Gov. Newsom's Phase-out of Oil Production Prompts Backlash in Kern County
Almost 80% of oil extraction in the nation's sixth largest oil-producing state occurs in Kern County. Supervisors see the California governor's climate plan to reduce oil production as a threat to the county's economic well-being.
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
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Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
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