Coal bed methane drilling: Not just a western issue

Alabama's Bankhead forest next?

Posted by Erik Hoffner (Guest Contributor) at 9:18 AM on 13 Apr 2007

Read more about: energy | coal | mining | Alabama

Until today I was ignorant of the spread of this nasty sort of mining. Its impact is well documented in the antelope and sage grouse country of the intermountain West, leaving a trail of ruined land and poisoned wells. But companies are also drilling and fracturing this stuff out of the ground in the East, too.

Some communities have succeeded in beating it back, like in northern New Mexico, where the very diverse and effective Coalition for the Valle Vidal recently prevailed, but most other places are not so fortunate.

And now it's making advances in places like Maryland, Kentucky, Florida, and New York. Alabama's Bankhead National Forest, home to lots of great things including some rare Southeastern U.S. old growth, may well be next. But another great grassroots group, WildSouth, is taking this issue head-on.

Is coal bed methane drilling coming to your state? Check the maps here and find out ...

For story: Coal bed methane drilling: Not just a western issue
2 Comments | Post a Comment

Forget "Peak Coal"

Yup. As I wrote on another string, good underground coal seams that are relatively cheap to mine using people may be running out, but there is a pile of coal left in the ground from which methane can be extracted or which is amenable to in-situ gasification. And unless carbon missions are capped, it's going to be.

These are only my personal opinions.

by Ron Steenblik at 10:05 AM on 13 Apr 2007

Anything to make a buck

Aw shucks ... that's nothin. If you want to see some ground water pollution with a punch check this out. If you live close to one of these operations in Texas and drink well water you don't have to worry about buying halloween costumes for your kids because they'll glow in the dark.
Just stick a couple of antennae on their head and give them a ray gun so they'll resemble aliens. But to their credit the TCEQ is working on a solution. An exemption for the polluters. Ain't that grand? Even the thieves in Texas are the biggest in and state sponsored to boot.
The sad thing is that the Texas TCEQ is just like the Oklahoma Mafia and won't warn the surrounding citizens about this problem.
Why? Simple. This is oil country folks. Protect your local economy from law suits at all costs even if it means sacrificing a few kids.
But really .... the Texas negligence with the in situ uranium mining pales in comparison to what Oklahoma ...Texas ..... Kansas .... and most of the other oil producing states have done and continue to do to our aquifers today .... As we speak ..... and when I show the world about it and the damaged lives and property they will be like David Duncan says ....."Heart Broken for Life" it's incredible beyond belief. Far more devastating than Bush's bombing of the Iraqi water plants. And it's right here at home folks.

by jetflash at 6:19 AM on 16 Apr 2007

ADVERTISING POLICY

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