Obama shuts down oil and gas leases on sacred Blackfeet land
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
As the Obama administration seeks to resolve outstanding issues, its Interior Department announced a settlement with Devon Energy to cancel its oil and gas leases in Montana on sacred Blackfeet Tribe lands.
According to Alaska Dispatch News, the exploration leases covered parts of the Badger-Two Medicine area of the Lewis and Clark National Forest in northwest Montana, an expanse that covers a 130,000 acres surrounded by Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the Blackfeet Indian reservation.
The terms of the cancelation entitle Devon to a refund for all bids and other payments for a $206,058 total. Half of the refund will come from the Treasury Department and the other half will come from the state of Montana.
Learn more: Alaska Dispatch News > Obama administration cancels oil and gas leases on Blackfeet tribe’s sacred grounds
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What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.