Oil and Gas at Your Door? (2005 Edition) - Earthworks

Tips for Landowners
Other Activities Landowners May Want to Consider
Organize
Organized opposition can play an important role in determining whether oil and gas permits are
issued, how closely government agencies oversee the project during its operating life, and what
sort of surface owner protections the laws and regulations offer.
Surface landowners can band together, and also work with other interested groups to exert
pressure on state legislatures, government agencies, and the oil and gas industry.
• In La Plata County, a number of groups of residents have banded together to negotiate
better deals for natural gas pipeline easements crossing their properties. In one case,
approximately 30 residents worked together and paid the legal fees needed to negotiate
the deal with the company. As a result of their negotiations, the landowers were offered
about $86 per rod (16.5 feet) of property used. Residents who were not part of the group
were offered anywhere from $1 to $20 per rod. 465
• The story Bellflower Well (Chapter IV) provides an example of how landowners worked with
a county government to pressure a company to implement better mitigation strategies.
• In Michigan, a state-wide coalition of 30 local government and public interest organizations
have formed the Michigan Energy Reform Coalition (MERC) seeking to strengthen
oversight of oil and gas development, reduce environmental damage from drilling, and
increase the authority of landowners and affected communities. MERC, while recognizing
that oil and gas development is an important part of the state’s economy, has taken the
position that: 466
1. Local governments and communities are entitled to be full participants in the planning
and oversight of oil and gas development.
2. Townships should have the clear legal right to enact ordinances to regulate oil and gas
processing facilities, truck traffic, and the hours of operation.
3. An impact fee should be levied on oil and gas production that returns a portion of the
revenues back to the counties where the development occurs.
See the story A Firsthand Account: Support for Bill Comes From Experience, for more information
on MERC and one of the townships involved in that coalition (Chapter IV).
There are numerous national, regional and local groups who are dedicated to improving oil and
gas regulations, protecting public and private lands, air and water, and supporting surface owners
in their efforts to get the industry to minimize the damages that are done to private property.
Some of these groups are listed in Chapter V.
Organizing efforts can target industry, federal and state governments, county or municipal governments,
and the public at large. Organizing strategies may include working with other surface
owners to pressure a company to improve its practices; using local, regional and national media
to highlight your issue; using litigation to force improvements; participating in public review
processes; attending public meetings; launching letter writing campaigns to support or oppose
bills; writing letters directly to government agencies and legislators; appearing before government
commissions or committees; holding mass protests and rallies; and educating the public
about your issues using media, door-to-door canvassing, or holding public meetings and events.
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