Posts #157 & 158 - Sounds kind of like what happened in Pa. under Corbett. State Forest and State Game land leased or mineral rights sold for natural gas drilling. Many, many acres of formerly wild areas now " developed " with roads, gas pads, storage areas for supplies & equipment, buildings, etc. The funny ( ? o_O ) part of the whole Marcellus shale gas " benefit" sold to the American public was that it had enough natural gas to supply the whole U.S. with gas for over 100 years. So most citizens started thinking " we solved a lot of our energy problems for the future. Gas will get cheaper and we'll have it for us and our kids, and their kids ! " Now we know that a pipeline is to be built from the gas fields to Baltimore Md. to a facility there to liquefy the gas so it can be shipped OVERSEAS. They want to sell it NOW - not save it for the use of U.S. citizens !! Quick profit BEFORE energy independence. ( not quite what politicians told the public when pushing the need for more oil & gas drilling here in the U.S. - IS IT ??? ) What a shock.
The Pa. gas situation sounds similar to your mining probs. in the Upper Midwest. Government selling one story when the REAL story is corporate paybacks for huge contributions to the politicians. Current citizens and future citizens get land ruined, natural habitats destroyed, end products sold for quick profit and NOT for wise, long-term use. Energy independence ???? Get REAL !!! Frac sand, oil & gas........... it's gonna be sold as quick as they can get it to market - not stored for the use of U.S. citizens - now OR later.
I know some will jump on here & say " that's capitalism ". But as far as the future energy strategy for the country goes ........ is it SMART ???
