Social Justice Center provides forum for green groups sans rebuttal

BY: GERRY MINICK

 A recent article in the Laramie Boomerang lauded the Powder River Basin Resource Council/Wyoming Outdoor Council (http://www.laramieboomerang.com/articles/2010/04/09/news/doc4bbeb7e9a0832451532947.txt) presentation during a symposium on Environmental Social Justice at UW in late April.

The writer described how, according to the PRBRC and WOC, their members in the Powder River Basin are being forced to bear the burden of energy development.

Here’s an exerpt of the story:

“Environmental social justice is the theme of this year’s symposium, something University of Wyoming president Tom Buchanan said was “important, relevant and connected to all of us.”
During a panel discussion in the Wyoming Union, Steve Smutko, the Wyoming Excellence Spicer Distinguished Chair in Environment and Natural Resources, framed the symposium’s theme as a question:
“How is it that your decision to alter our environment for the benefits we receive… how does that affect those who are predominantly or repeatedly asked to bear the burdens of our comfort?” he said. The question becomes more difficult when trying to weigh moral or social consequences against economic development, or even environmental consequences.”
In the Powder River Basin, Jill Morrison has seen her neighbors bear the burden of energy development. A community organizer for the Powder River Basin Resource Council, Morrison talked during a panel discussion about ongoing issues there.
“We have to shovel a lot of excuses from energy developers and the state for why they can’t do a better job protecting our land, wildlife and air while we develop these important resources,” she said.
Richard Garrett, a legislative and outreach advocate for the Wyoming Outdoor Council, said the state should take a stand about the water that’s wasted and the damage it does in the process.
“We’re wasting a resource, and we are polluting the ground over which that resource flows, and we have an obligation to do better with that resource,” he said.

There are many facts missing from the symposium and from the story, none the least of which there was apparently no attempt by Mr. Smutko nor the Laramie Boomerang to fully frame the discussion by challenging PRBRC/WOC’s assertions; to offer opposing landowner viewpoints; or to explore the social and environmental injustices when special interest groups run rampant over public policy.

Incidentally, Mr. Smutko is facilitating a WDEQ working group that is supposed to be looking for consensus solutions on the Agricultural Use Protection Policy. 

The story prompted some rebuttals, and created some questions, like why did the symposium organizers assume that environmental injustice occurs only how and when the PRBRC/WOC says it does?  If the goal of the symposium is to stimulate thought and discussion, why weren’t those with other viewpoints invited to speak? Is there an agenda at work that may be counter to the mission of resolving differences on the WDEQ working group?      

Comments:

concerned citizen wrote on Apr 9, 2010 12:24 PM:

” What this story DOESN’T mention is that the PRBRC is BY FAR THE MINORITY in the PRB!!!! The MAJORITY of landowners (both surface and mineral owners) think CBNG development is a huge benefit to them that have changed their ranches for the BETTER!
They say development saved their ranches in the drought years and they will reap benefits from the methane years and year s after the development is gone. The reclaimed land looks better than it did in the first place. It is a win-win situation! The PRBRC is really just 4-5 landowners vs. 100’s that love it! ”

And, received from Monica Deromedi, executive director of the Coalbed Natural Gas Alliance:

More to Wyoming’s energy development

The Laramie Boomerang’s story, “Symposium focuses on education, energy” is missing many facts about Wyoming energy development. According to the article, it seems as if  the University of Wyoming unfortunately took part in delivering a less-than-the complete representation of the facts to our youth.

The first paragraph says the Shepard Symposium taught children about, “… the burden of energy development on rural Wyoming residents.”

It uses words to imply Wyomingites think energy development is a burden. The word ‘burden’ should have been ‘benefit’.

To the vast majority of state residents, the energy industry means jobs and tax revenue. In a recent poll (done by an outside polling agency), 89 percent of Wyoming residents supported oil and natural gas exploration and production activities in our state. See the survey at www.cbnga.com.

Development co-exists with our agricultural operations, our environment and our intrinsic way of life. Technology is ever-changing to allow energy development with the smallest footprint possible.

In the 2009 tax year, Wyoming received nearly 3 billion dollars only from coalbed natural gas development in the Powder River Basin.

A large percentage of this money goes directly to education and to improve our way of life in Wyoming — our roads, our facilities, hospitals and schools are thanks to energy development.

The Powder River Basin Resource Council speaks for only a handful of landowners in Wyoming. They have endless grants from out-of-state donors, allowing their ‘squeaky wheel’ to be heard.

Through kitchen table discussions, industry and landowners cooperate openly and honestly to create long term relationships and plans for ranches, plans that improve the ranch in ways that the most ranchers could never do on their own.

It is unfortunate UW allowed the PRBRC to use their forum to teach our children things that aren’t true about energy development. Without energy development, the children wouldn’t have schools to sit in, Hathaway Scholarships, top-notch infrastructure, renowned teachers and personal lap-tops for students.

UW should have forums that instead teach our children to be proud of how we manage our natural resources because it is something to be proud about in Wyoming.

Monica Deromedi