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

Richmond, Tom
From: Bernard Quetchenbach [bquetchenbach@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2011 3:33 PM
To: DNR FracComments
Subject: Fracking rules
To the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation,
I am writing to support regulations on fracking that would result in strong environmental protection and the
right of landowners in areas where fracking is permitted. Landowners within a mile of a fracking site should
have the right to know that fracking is occurring and the chemicals involved. Since they are injected into natural
systems where people and wildlife live, the fluids being used should be public knowledge. In all cases, the
chemicals used should be disclosed to the Board of Oil and Gas Conservation and easily accessed by the public
using the Board's website. This information needs to be provided in advance, so that landowners and local
communities can establish baseline information. It is not appropriate that these chemicals should be considered
trade secrets, as such a policy clearly values the corporate right to competitive advantage over the public's rights
in matters potentially affecting health, water quality, and land values. The government should remain the
servant of the people, not of monied interests. If trade secret exemptions are to maintained at all, then a
compelling reason for such exemptions should be provided by the company and easily accessed by the public,
and such exemptions should be strictly limited to cases in which necessity can be clearly established. The
identity of the chemicals should in all cases be revealed to the Board, which should then assume responsibility
for potential damages if the exemption is provided and the data unpublished.
Thank you,
Bernard Quetchenbach
933 Yale Avenue
Billings, MT 59102
bquetchenbach@gmail.com
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