Monday, February 24, 2014

"Oil men and Republicans Hate Fracking Consequences" - A Guest Post from Charles and Rebecca Reier

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Guess who hates fracking consequences? Would you believe the former US House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) and his wife and the Chairman and CEO of Exxon-Mobil Corp Rex Tillerson and his wife all hate fracking consequences? Fracking, in case you are unfamiliar with the term, is the process of pumping water and an endless array of proprietary substances under the ground to miraculously release its bounty of natural gas.

Surprisingly then, fracking is causing a ruckus in the little town of Bartonville, Texas (pop. 1600). Furthermore the Tillersons and Armeys are right at the center as they trudge down a long, windowless hall to the city council meeting.

The concerns of the Tillersons, Armeys and some of their affluent neighbors seem to center around four major issues. First the tower would create a noise nuisance and traffic hazards. Secondly, in their eyes anything that would rise above 2 stories would destroy the bucolic nature of the community. Third, an increased water supply might lead to the expansion of the community of 1600 souls. Fourth and last, it could lead to the depreciation of their property values.


Their angst is directed toward the construction of an attractive white 15 story water tower by the non-profit Cross Timbers Water Supply Corp. Cross Timbers maintains that this mandated expansion is necessary for community development – and hydraulic fracturing by XTOEnergy Inc. (now an Exxon- Mobil subsidiary) within their service area. Cross Timbers President Patrick McDonald states “People have large lots, lawns, horses, cattle, goats, swimming pools and gardens. After serving these community needs, leftover supplies of water go to the energy companies during months when overall demand is low.”

Before anyone sheds tears over these victims of “big government”, note that Mr. Tillerson, whose Exxon Mobile total compensation exceeds 40 million per year, threatened the city council that if expansion of the water tower continued, they might simply leave town. He further stated, “I cannot stay in a place where I do not know who to count on and who not to count on”.

After having struggled with the fraudulent concept of Carbon Capture and Sequestration, the overburdening of the community with felons, addicts and sex offenders by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, and now more recently, the potential threat of “toxic fracking waste” from the northeast spilling into our community and wells - we cannot do anything but marvel at the luxury of the wealthy being able to say “I will just pack my bags and move somewhere else.” Instead, we have the feeling of a soldier whose only choice is to “do or die”.

Listen to Exxon’s CEO at a town meeting on the water tower and see court papers at WSJ.com/Business.

Charles E. Reier, MD
Rebecca A. Reier
Greenville OH

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