Chesapeake Energy Attacks Texas Blogger

For the last few months, one of our blogger friends has been exposing the shenanigans of Chesapeake Energy and others as they drill the Barnett Shale. TxSharon of the excellent blog Bluedaze, has written posts and posted pictures of gas drilling companies who have left unsightly messes, and poisoned the land and groundwater in violation of state rules (even though the Republicans on the Railroad Commission choose to ignore the transgressions).

I have been very proud of TxSharon's actions in exposing these egregious violations. But it looks like she's getting to the company, because in their latest newsletter, Powell Barnett Shale Newsletter, they attack her by calling her a "radical" and saying she has no right to be doing what she is doing.

If exposing illegal and unethical behavior by a corporation is "radical", then we need a lot more radicals here in Texas. I was particularly offended by the following:

"...we find it disturbing that outsiders who have no stake whatsoever and are often ill-informed somehow think that they have the right to influence public policy. These policies could result in the minerals owned by law-abiding citizens not being developed, in clear violation of the law of the State of Texas.

In these United States of America we are granted freedom of speech and freedom to assemble. However, in our opinion outsiders who have no legal stake in an area and often don’t have all the facts have no right to try to influence public policy that only impacts someone else. Not in My Backyard is everyone’s right. Not in Someone Else’s Backyard however, is absurd and cannot be tolerated."

Frankly, this sounds like intimidation to me. They are trying to make it sound like TxSharon is breaking the law by exercising her right of free speech. Poisoning groundwater is illegal (or at least should be), but informing the public about it is definitely not.

And since when do citizens not have the right to try to influence public opinion, regardless of who's property is being discussed? When was our free speech restricted to matters only relating to our own property? Can we not also try to warn our neighbors and fellow citizens when we see wrong being done? Of course we can!

I applaud the excellent blogging on Bluedaze. I urge everyone to go over there and read it. This is information everyone needs to know. As for the gas company, maybe they'd better re-read our Constitution.

(Above picture is of sludgepond - courtesy of Bluedaze)