Update from the Gem County Tea Party
COMMUNITY GAS FORUM Tuesday, June 9, at Carberry School Gym 1950 E. 12th St
At Substation, Emmett, 6:30 PM. Learn about your property rights.
There has been a lot going on here in Gem County. The Gas & Oil Ordinance has moved out of the public committee and into Gem County Planning & Zoning. Public meetings are being held monthly as P&Z goes through the ordinance line by line. After they are done the ordinance will go to the Gem County Commissioners for them to read and hold public hearings.
A local group of concerned citizens are putting on a Community Gas Forum here in Emmett on Tuesday June 9, at Carberry School Gym, 1950 East 12th St, at Substation, Emmett, 6:30. The Forum will cover what can happen to your mortgage, homeowners insurance, property rights and values when you lease to the gas company. Please note that the location was changed from Calvary Chapel to Carberry School because of an increased interest in this issue.
Two speakers will talk about their interaction with the gas industry: Louis Meeks from Pavillion Wyoming and Ron Gulla from Pennsylvania. The Forum will be moderated by KDIO’s Kevin Miller.
The local paper printed a notice that the Idaho Department of Lands will hold an auction on July 1, for state oil and gas leases in Cassia, Owyhee and Twin Falls Counties. This will not just be a Gem County issue in the very near future as drilling will come to other counties in Idaho.
We would recommend in these counties, for those concerned about what the effects of the industry in your area could mean, to contact your local officials to see if base line water testing can be done before the industry starts to drill in your county. We helped do this in Gem County and baseline water testing here will take place later this summer. If anyone needs help on who to contact let us know.
Idaho’s water is its most precious asset. If ground water is contaminated by drilling who will pay for clean up? If it can be cleaned up. If infrastructure is damaged who will pay for the repairs? The taxpayer should not be on the hook. Protect your county and its citizens.
