ALEC's RadioActive Legislation - Really!!

Oh, myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

ANOTHER

Pennsylvania ALEC free market experiment HARMS human subjects.

Another Pennsylvania ALEC relationship is Randy Smith, Exxon Mobil Government Affairs Manager. He represents Exxon Mobil on ALEC's corporate ("Private Enterprise") board as of 2011. Smith also sits on Governor Tom Corbett's Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission that considers the impact of natural gas drilling through the practice known as "fracking." [ http://paindependent.com/2011/03/marcellus-shale-commission-will-not-consider-severance-tax/ ]
 

 And it goes even further than that with ALEC

As Common Cause discovered, that model bill was proposed by Randy Smith of ExxonMobil, and the vote to approve the loophole was unanimous among the legislators and there was only one dissenting vote among the corporate members (although the dissenter is not known).

What the "Disclosure of Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Composition Act" has done is pave the way to further the spotty disclosure that the industry has grown accustomed to, where companies can still guard the names and quantities of toxic chemicals as "trade secrets

Soooooooo
We have Randy Smith (Exxon)  connected to ALEC "toxic chemical" fracking model legislation.
We have ALECer Randy Smith connected to PA Governor Tom Corbett's - Pennsylvania Shale Fracking Commission
NOW we have the reason why ALEC passed that Exxon "toxic chemical" fracking model legislation for ALEC legislators to take back to their states and introduce - and it stems from Pennsylvania - more below.

(my emphasis)

More Threats From Fracking: Radioactive Waste

- Andrea Germanos, staff writer

The controversial drilling practice known as fracking is under renewed scrutiny, this time for producing radioactive waste.

Pennsylvania resident Randy Moyer, who is suffering from a flurry of health problems he believes are the result of radiation exposure from his work transporting fracking wastefluids  …  He suffered from dizziness, blurred vision, headaches, difficulty breathing, swollen lips and appendages, and a fiery red rash that covered about 50 percent of his body.

A recent study out of Penn State looking at wastewater, also called flowback, from fracking in the Marcellus shale found high levels of radioactive radium and barium.

“Improper disposal of the flowback can lead to unsafe levels of these and other constituents in water, biota and sediment from wells and streams,” the researchers said.

A 2011 study from the U.S. Geological Survey also found that fracking wastewater can be highly radioactive.

Despite numerous studies on fracking's dangers, the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), in a release on its May 2012 report that looked at how Pennsylvania gas companies dealt with the waste from fracking, stated:

All currently available options for dealing with contaminated wastewater from fracking inadequate to protect human health and the environment.

The ultraconservative, extremist, right wing policy experiment of the American Legislative Exchange of bringing together corporations and state legislators to govern our nation – fails - and the victims are the citizens of Pennsylvania.

UPDATE - January 31st

 

Drawing from more than 27,000 oil industry reports that were issued between January 2011 and August 2012, SkyTruth revealed 11,586 separate cases of classified carcinogens used in 24 states — and it compiled it into the Fracking Chemical Database, available to the public.

Among the reported carcinogens found in the sea of data, three chemicals were reported as most regularly used by oil companies: naphthalene, benzyl chloride and formaldehyde, all of which are known carcinogens.

Naphthalene was the most common chemical, used more than 6,690 times. In terms of its health impacts, it’s classified as a cardiovascular, developmental, liver and respiratory toxicant, as well as a neurotoxicant.

 

Just because we "can do something" - doesn't mean we "should do it".

Fracking and the support of fracking is a big deal for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) Corporate Sector / Private Enterprise members.  They have written "model legislation" and given that legislation to state legislators to implement -  that promotes fracking.

Regulations and specifically, getting rid of regulations is a big deal for the American Legislative Exchange Council Corporate Sector / Private Enterprise members.  They have written resolutions - and given those resolutions to state and federal ALEC  legislators to implement to get rid of Federal regulatory agencies.

Now ALEC’s target will probably be de-regulation of radio-active materials.

Oh, myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Never thought I’d be writing about that.