 |
| Three Women - A Baker, A Forester, and A City Councilperson - Alone Stand Up to Industry |
Three Women - A Baker, A Forester, and A City Councilperson - Alone Stand Up to Industry (Angry Mothers Have Yet To Arrive Upon Scene...)
Testimony from Michele M. Papai, Athens City Councilperson, 3rd Ward can be read here: http://naturalresources.house.gov/UploadedFiles/PapaiTestimony2.27.12.pdf while she delivered it the committees refused to meet her gaze. Testimony from Christine T. Hughes, owner of Village Bakery, Della Zona, and Catalyst Café can be read here: http://naturalresources.house.gov/UploadedFiles/HughesTestimony2.27.12.pdf Testimony for Faye Krueger can be read here: http://naturalresources.house.gov/UploadedFiles/KruegerTestimony2.27.12.pdf
Minutes earlier the floor had trembled, shifted and caved under the wrenching calls for justice by a dozen outraged citizens. Proceedings continued on a decidedly uneasy bent with integrity of the committee members and their ability to make any decision called into complete question now. OhioFraction covers the daylight shedding moment in their post which we are re-posting with permission below:
Concerned Residents Mic-Check Rigged Congressional Hearing on Fracking [original post can be read on their blog (click here) ]
Show $3M Connection Between Campaign Contributions and Favors to Big Oil STEUBENVILLE, OH – A dozen anti-fracking Ohio and Pennsylvania residents were escorted from today’s congressional field hearing on natural gas after interrupting the proceedings and attempting to present members of the committee with a $3 million check representing the money spent by industry just on members of one congressional subcommittee.
Held by the Congressional Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, today’s event was the latest in a series of field hearings designed to promote hydraulic fracturing (a.k.a. “fracking”) as a solution to the economic and energy crises. Also in Steubenville only weeks ago Ohio Governor John Kasich held his State of the State address where he lauded the fracking industry and was met with protests and a ‘mic-check’ that disrupted the speech.
Residents pointed out that Chairman Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Glenn Thompson (R-PA), and Bill Johnson (R-OH), have collectively received a total of at least $267,084 in campaign contributions from oil and gas corporations and therefore clearly have a conflict of interest that makes them unfit for reviewing the human health, environmental, and economic impacts of fracking.[1]
Although not invited to testify, residents handed out pamphlets containing testimony regarding fracking’s environmental devastation, as well as the Subcommittee’s history of taking donations from the oil and gas industry, amounting to a sum of approximately $3 million split between 18 members of the Subcommittee. This is part of the $747 million spent by the industry for fracking as part of a 10-year lobbying campaign to persuade federal authorities to ignore the dangers of fracking as reported by Common Cause in their report “Deep Drilling, Deep Pockets.“
Lamborn, Thompson, and Johnson repeatedly claimed that fracking has never been linked to a proven case of groundwater contamination, each time eliciting laughter from audience members who replied by shouting: “tell that to Dimock,” referring to the Pennsylvania town notorious for its fracking-contaminated water.
During Ohio Oil and Gas Association executive vice president Tom Stewart’s testimony, a resident of Youngstown, OH and professor of geology Susie Beiersdorfer led the dissidents in a mic-check: “Members of the Subcommittee have received $3 million from the oil and gas industry. That is why Congress lets fracking poison our water and land.”
The protesters then attempted to present a giant check for $3 million from the “Ohio Water Drinkers Association” and were forcibly removed by security, shouting “We can’t drink money” and “We will not be bought” as they left the room. Afterward, protesters held an impromptu press conference immediately outside of the building.
Diana Ludwig of Youngstown, OH, told reporters: “What we witnessed today was the best Congressional field hearing that oil and gas money can buy. They say fracking is safe, but the benzene is in the ground and they can’t take it out.”
[1] Citations for all campaign contribution data found at
http://ohiofracktion.wordpress.com/2012/02/26/frackmoney/
http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=7868571
Other coverage:
"House Republicans went to eastern Ohio touting hydraulic fracturing to add U.S. jobs and cut fuel costs. Instead, lawmakers met skeptical residents, highlighting the divide over environmental concerns about fracking", Bloomberg News Read more.....
"Fracking Opponents Clash With Republicans in Ohio, Urge U.S. Ban", Business Week Read more.......
Coverage from Youngstown WYTV 33, Read more....
Residents Mic-Check Congressional Hearing on Fracking, ohiofracktion: to save the land and people Blog , Video here, 1 1/2 min....
Congressional Field Hearing on Fracking Called "Dog and Pony Show" by Residents, ohiofracktion: to save the land and people, Video here...
Mic check Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, Video here...
PUBLIC INPUT ACCEPTED UNTIL March 8. The public record will be held open for comment for 10 days after the hearing - meaning they will post your comments if you send them and request they be posted to the public record at naturalresources@mail.hous
or send them by fax to: (202)-225-5255
A list of the energy and natural resources subcommittee members is posted here:
http://
You can contact them individually here:
https://
or collectively here ( they will only see your message collectively if you request that it be copied and delivered to each subcommittee member):
https://
Feb. 27 hearing coverage reports can be read (click here).
Webcast of the hearing can be watched here, click here [OR look for the link entitled >Watch the Archived Hearing Webcast< near the top of this page] Mic check process begins at 1:05 - :07 (1 hour, 7 min) (NOTE HOW LONG the People of the United States were allowed to speak!)
Five hours later concerned citizens met with legal teams for advice on how to proceed in securing human rights for Americans, specifically those living in Ohio.
 |
| Public meeting with legal advisers, Youngstown, Ohio |
NEXT EVENT March 11 Please SHARE the inspiring #frackfree video - Share the Events - More information available at http://ohiofracktion.com/m-14-occupy-ooga/
>>Ohio Oil & Gas Association 65th Annual Winter Meeting Columbus MARCH 14-16
http://www.facebook.com/events/384270101584626/
>>Occupy The Ohio Statehouse - Occupy The Rust Belt-OHIO- Regional Occupies Action#1 MARCH 13-14
https://www.facebook.com/events/104924389636895/
>>OhioFracktion Training Workshop to learn Non-violent Direct Action MARCH 11 SUNDAY
http://www.facebook.com/events/399412633405704/
No comments:
Post a Comment