Microsoft Office Outlook - Memo Style - Montana Board of Oil and Gas

Richmond, Tom
From: Christopher Eckhoff [upland@midrivers.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 5:31 PM
To: DNR FracComments
Subject: comments on the 15 June meeting in Sidney MT
My name is Christopher Eckhoff, I live in Savage, MT, and I attended the Board of Oil and Gas Conservation
public meeting in Sidney, MT on 15 June. I listened with an open mind in an attempt to try to understand this issue of
fracking which is becoming so prevalent in my community. I came away from this meeting more concerned about this
activity than I did when I arrived. My concerns are two‐fold.
My first concern has to do with the principle of “trade secret”. I discussed this concern directly with the attorney
who is a member of the board. I told him that we aren’t discussing some new widget which can perform some task
twice as quickly as any other widget, and this new widget must be protected as a “trade secret”. Rather we are talking
about a chemical compound whose composition is being protected as a “trade secret” and being balanced against public
health. It is unconscionable and immoral for any individual or company to use in their industry any item which may
cause harm to the general public, covering their tracks by saying such item is a “trade secret”. For God sake people, a
person who owns a demolition company could put together a nuclear bomb by shielding his activity as a “trade secret”.
The second item which concerned me was the secretive nature of the oil field representatives at this meeting
(and don’t even get me started about the remarkably defensive attitude of the gentleman on your board who spoke of
his 50 years dealing with this industry and what a wonderful job they have been doing for all of us). This secretiveness
was best illustrated by the three gentleman from three different oil companies who each stood up and told the board
what a wonderful job you were doing, that maybe a little tweaking might be in order and that, by the way, our company
will be submitting our suggestions next week. The very idea that these companies don’t want their influences on this
rule revealed in a public forum suggests strongly they are trying to work in secret, behind the scenes.
One more thing – Mrs. Nelson, I’ll buy you dinner at the restaurant of your choice (as long as it is in our great
state of Montana) if the gentleman representing the Devon company ever gets back to you with further information
about your concerns in regard to an incident in North Dakota which resulted in ground water contamination.
The Board of Oil and Gas Conservation is presented with a golden opportunity to draft rules which will further
the oil drilling activities in the state but do it in a responsible and even more to the point, ACCOUNTABLE manner. It
seems obvious to me the industry does not want to go on record about what they are pumping into our substrata
because they don’t want to be held accountable when something goes wrong. It’s that simple.
Finally, please remember that the oil and gas belong to the people of this state (except for non‐resident
landowners of course), that we have the resource and the oil companies want it, indeed must have it to continue
operating. We are doing them a favor by letting them take it; they aren’t doing us a favor. These oil industry companies
continuously propagandize us with the notion that we should be thankful they are in our communities. Personally, I
don’t care one way or the other that they are here. If they can make some money here, more power to them. Just
don’t trash our community in the process.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Christopher Eckhoff
11463 Hwy 16
Savage, MT 59262
798‐3457
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