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

Richmond, Tom
From: Robert Elliott [relliott@midrivers.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2011 8:07 PM
To: DNR FracComments
Subject: Fracing
To Whom This May Concern:
Many individuals outside of the oil and gas business do not understand the fracing process. These chemicals are injected
9,500 to 10,500 feet underground. It is impossible for these chemicals to leach into the underground water supply once
they have been injected into the ground. Companies spend millions of dollars on research to determine the best way to
frac these wells. Some of the more bigger successful companies would rather move their drilling operations to North
Dakota than disclose these methods. Smaller and mid-sized companies, who do not generate as much tax revenue or
jobs for the state, are more than willing to share in this information. They spend almost no money in research and
development and will be rewarded by getting the R & D generated by other companies. Montana needs the revenue for
our state and schools. Instead of looking for reasons to drive oil companies out of our state, we should be helping to
develop housing in eastern Montana to accomodate the thousands of employees this industry will bring into the state.
There are millions of tax dollars to be generated in Richland and Roosevelt Counties alone, if we don't pass a lot of taxes
and unnecessary new regulations that drive the larger oil companies to North Dakota and Wyoming.
Robert Elliott
Sidney, MT
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