Can the Shawnee National Forest survive regulated fracking?

After watching the state house overwhelmingly vote for a bill that will launch the fracking rush in Illinois, I spotted the cover of Illinois Times' latest issue. "A Guide to the Shawnee National Forest."



Go soon.

When I first heard someone claim that fracking would destroy the Shawnee, I scoffed. It can't be worse than coal mining, right? There are protections in national forests, and drilling has gone on in the region for years.

I didn't understand the massive scale of fracking proposed for downstate Illinois, and how much more damage fracking installations do than the small wells Illinois is used to seeing. Even fracking that complies with regulations supported by Pat Quinn, Lisa Madigan and several accommodating environmental groups can result in the destruction of the crown jewel of Illinois.



Fracking is allowed in national forests. Here's what that looks like in Allegheny National Forest, where drilling pads and roads are getting bigger and further fragmenting natural areas. Sites like this could be repeated hundreds or thousands of times all over the Shawnee, even if companies comply with state regulation.



Five rural southern Illinois counties asked for a moratorium on fracking, but the regulatory bill takes away their authority to ban the practice. Representative John Bradley said in debate that cities will be able to restrict fracking, but that defense is a cruel joke when discussing rural counties with large unincorporated areas.

The passage of the fracking bill left many worried and crying last night. Those tears were made bitter by hearing legislators avoid addressing weaknesses in the proposed regulations by repeatedly invoking the names of environmental allies supporting the bill.

But, there's more to be done. As Sandra Steingraber said to a member of the Attorney General's staff, if the fracking bill passes the movement will "use what's happening here in Illinois as a focal point in our work. We would plan to bring freedom rider buses here, civil disobedience is part of our strategies and tactics, because at the end of the day the regulations can't make fracking safe."

People are aware of Illinois' notoriously weak oversight of extraction industries. And the passage of the regulatory bill will make it more difficult to save the Shawnee. But, there's hope of getting more protection for national forests through federal action and grassroots efforts by local activists. That fight will continue and it can be won despite today's setback.

Do Illinois fracking regulations deserve a public process?

Citizens pushing for a moratorium on fracking in Illinois complain that the proposed regulations were negotiated in secret without scientific and public health experts, and with no representatives from environmental groups based in regions targeted for fracking.

Governor Quinn and Representative John Bradley have claimed the proposed fracking regulations involved a long public process. In fact, it involved the preferred legislative method of the General Assembly: a series of private negotiations among lobbyists for competing interest groups. The proposed regulations had their first public hearing in the legislature last week, and Governor Quinn is urging swift action.

But, I'll take them at their word about this being a long public process. If that's the case, then negotiations should be subject to a Freedom of Information Act request, which I just filed with the lead parties involved: Governor Quinn, Attorney General Madigan, and Representative Bradley.

Governor Quinn, Representative Bradley and others have spoken about a series of negotiations over fracking regulation in Illinois which included legislators and representatives of the fracking industry. They have also stated this has been a lengthy "public process." If the process has been public, then presumably it was done in compliance with the open meetings act. This is a Freedom of Information Act request for the meeting minutes and copies of public meeting notices for all negotiating sessions with industry representatives related to proposed fracking rules.
Thank you.

I'll post an update when I get a response but don't hold your breath. Most General Assembly members will see the way the regulatory bill was negotiated as standard operating procedure. But, something that may have disastrous long-term impacts on Illinois residents deserves extra time for scientific analysis and public participation before the bill is rushed through, barely a week after being introduced.