House Republicans arrest journalist at fracking hearing

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by: wade norris

a quick diary on a clear violation of the First Amendment. Josh Fox who made the documentary “Gasland” was ordered arrested by House Republicans for attempting to film and report on a hearing concerning fracking in natural gas drilling.

From Huffpo’s Zach Carter:

In a stunning break with First Amendment policy on Capitol Hill, House Republicans directed Capitol Hill police to detain a highly regarded documentary crew that was attempting to film a Wednesday hearing on a controversial natural gas procurement practice. Republicans also denied the entrance of a credentialed ABC News news team that was attempting to film the event….

Approximately 16 officers entered the hearing room and handcuffed Fox amid audible discussions of “disorderly conduct” charges, according to Democratic sources present at the arrest.

For those of you who may not be familiar with Gasland:

Here is some more on the 2005 ‘Haliburton’ loophole that allowed Fracking to start and the impact on residents in Colorado.

lastly, it appears that Josh Fox and his crew will not be able to return to the hearing.

The meeting of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment had been taking place in room 2318 of the Rayburn building. Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, is currently seeking to secure a procedural maneuver that would allow the detained film crew to re-enter the hearing, which is open to the public. Miller’s motion is not expected to succeed.

This is particularly upsetting, because this hearing is about revealing the secret ingredients in fracking fluids. President Obama made the statement that he wanted Oil and Gas companies to reveal these ingredients in the State of the Union, but it appears House Republicans are not ready to give up that golden goose.

I am starting to agree with Thom Hartmann on the reason for the delay to reveal these ingredients, by the Republicans and the Oil and Gas industry – not only are they dangerous to us, but these industries are used to having to pay huge sums of money to properly dispose of by-products from refineries – and this is a convenient way to get rid of these by products – just inject them 3000 feet underground which also happens to be where our aquifers are.

A sad day for the first amendment and for those of us who don’t want to see any more of this:

8 thoughts on “House Republicans arrest journalist at fracking hearing”

Phoenix Rising says:

February 2, 2012 at 5:52 am

What you said toward the end. We already know that some of those hazardous byproducts are in at least some fracking fluids. Just how much hazardous waste the O&G companies are flushing back in to the Earth while telling us they’ll never reach the aquifers we won’t know until and unless all of the ingredients are exposed to the light of oversight.

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Phoenix Rising says:

February 2, 2012 at 5:53 am

on making the dKos rec list on this topic.

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themonk77 says:

February 2, 2012 at 8:25 am

I thought that hearings were open to public? I don’t know the law on that well, so mostly just looking for input from someone that knows how they can arrest someone for that?

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1. Diogenesdemar says:
  
  February 2, 2012 at 8:23 pm
  
  it doesn’t appear that he was drunk, and there’s no report of his being armed . . . so, yeah, I’m thinking they could probably ship him off to Supermax.
  
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2. Phoenix Rising says:
  
  February 3, 2012 at 3:02 am
  
  (1st Amendment issue, especially with the ABC crew), but unless they actually press charges, I doubt the DC Court will want to take it.
  
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  1. wade norris says:
    
    February 3, 2012 at 9:13 pm
    
    http://www.dailykos.com/story/…
    
    In nearby Pavilion Wyoming – home of the Wind River Indian Reservation – but this is not just limited to people on the Res – here is what the EPA found after a year long study of the water table.
    
    “Drinking Water Well Sampling Results
    
    — A total of 42 private drinking water and 4 stock wells were sampled
    
    — Similar constituents/concentrations found in all phases:
    
    — Thermogenic methane in 10 of 28 wells from ~10 to ~800 ppb
    
    — Diesel and Gasoline Range Organics are widespread (10s to 100s ppb)
    
    — Specific petroleum-related compounds (e.g. adamantanes) found in some wells at ppb levels
    
    — 2-butoxyethanol phosphate (9 wells), phenols, naphthalene
    
    — High sodium and sulfate (characteristic of entire aquifer)
    
    — No significant nitrate or pesticides
    
    — Low levels of DRO in public wells but no exceedance of primary drinking water standard
    
    — ATSDR recommended that residents use alternate water for cooking and drinking. And ventilation of bathrooms for those wells with high methane
    
    […]”
    
    So the EPA has ruled for a second time where fracking has happened that people abandon using their water for drinking or cooking – so only shipped in water for those residents from now until????
    
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    1. Diogenesdemar says:
      
      February 4, 2012 at 4:11 am
      
      broken treaty promises of — for as long as the grass grows, and the rivers flow.
      
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3. nancycronk says:
  
  February 7, 2012 at 8:48 am
  
  (better access for sound/video, etc.) and they said he didn’t have the kind of proper press credentials the major networks have. He claimed he represented “independent media” but they weren’t buying. I suspect his presence was threatening to them, whether that feeling was warranted or not. It would be like Michael Moore getting a press pass to a bankster’s criminal hearing. Probably not going to happen without a fight of some kind.
  
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