Governor Takes Pride in Wyoming’s Leadership on #Fracking and Wants it Recognized

Wild horses are quickly being wiped out in Wyoming. Governor Mead encourages roundups and removals at federal taxpayer expense. Mead seems to be owned by the oil and gas industry so it’s no surprise he’s getting rid of their environmental obstacles. 

From Vote Smart

By: Matt Mead
Date: Aug. 23, 2013
Location: Cheyenne, WY

Governor Matt Mead expressed that he is proud of Wyoming’s record of effective regulation of the oil and gas industry in his comments on the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed rule for hydraulic fracturing. Governor Mead wrote to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell to say that the BLM should reject the duplicative regulation and defer to states like Wyoming.

“As a leading energy producer, Wyoming continues to set the standard for development and environmental stewardship,” Governor Mead wrote. He pointed to Wyoming’s first-in-the-nation hydraulic fracturing rules, updated well bore integrity standards, air standards for natural gas production and wells that are hydraulically fractured, and Wyoming’s recently released energy strategy. “Guided by this energy strategy, Wyoming is establishing baseline groundwater sampling, analysis and monitoring regulations.”

Given state leadership is already in place in Wyoming, Governor Mead expressed concern that the new BLM rule would add to existing delays and undercapitalization of federal permitting. Another area of concern is the BLM’s effort to grant variances to allow compliance with state or tribal requirements when those meet or exceed the federal rule or standard. What is troubling is that the ability to acquire variance is given to operators, not states or tribes. “Despite BLM’s contention that states will be afforded opportunity to work with the BLM to craft a variance, the mechanism in the rule only allows operators to pursue a variance,” Governor Mead wrote.

The Governor requests a reconsideration of this provision and that the BLM not expand its administrative footprint in Wyoming. “Wyoming has led the nation in regulating hydraulic fracturing, and the BLM should allow us to continue that leadership,” Governor Mead said.
Source: http://governor.wy.gov/media/pressReleases/Pages/GovernorTakesPrideinWyoming%E2%80%99sLeadershiponHydraulicFracturingandWantsitRecognized.aspx

Gary King Calls on the Governor to Have State Do the Right Thing on Horse Slaughter

Protect Mustangs.org

Protect Mustangs.org

January 8, 2014

(Albuquerque, NM) – Candidate for Governor Gary King today called on Governor Martinez to take immediate steps to block the proposed horse slaughterhouse in Roswell by directing her Secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to take into serious consideration the opinion of the state environmental hearing officer who yesterday recommended that the operational permits to the Valley Meat company be denied.

“By waiting to block the permits, Governor Martinez has not only endangered these majestic horses, she is wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars. She could end this highly controversial project now by instructing her cabinet Secretary in charge of granting or denying a permit to the Valley Meat company to consider the strong evidence against this project,” said King.

“Horse slaughter is wrong. Human consumption of horse meat that may contain drugs could be dangerous. Discharging thousands of gallons of waste every day from an industrial horse slaughter operation would harm the environment,” said King. “Governor Martinez could have taken action long ago to address this controversy. This isn’t about politics – it’s about the humane treatment of horses and good stewardship. The only question is whether she will finally make the right decision. ”

“I am grateful to the many thousands of people from within New Mexico and around the country who have signed my petition, asking Gov. Martinez to stop the horse slaughterhouse. While the state court will hopefully make the right decision, this has gone on too long,” King added.

###

Horse slaughterhouse wants to file lawsuit against hero

attorney-general-gary-king*304

From Gary King:

Right now I am doing everything I can to protect our majestic horses by blocking the horse slaughterhouse in New Mexico. Our latest victory was last Friday, when we won a 10-day temporary restraining order in court that keeps the horse slaughterhouse from opening in violation of our state laws.

Now, the same people who want to slaughter horses are coming after me.

It was reported today that they’re now going to sue me for slander and harassment.

Why? Because I’m leading a national fight to keep them from opening, a fight that has mobilized people both inside and outside of New Mexico who simply won’t give up on our horses. And I will not be intimidated.

I grew up in a ranching family. I love these animals and I know what’s at stake. I’m not going to stop fighting – and when I become Governor I will continue to stand up for our New Mexico values.

Thank you for joining me in support of this endeavor. If you live in New Mexico, I need your help to gather signatures for my nominating petition to appear on the ballot for governor in November, and ensure that I can keep working on this important issue. Please click here to download the petition, print it out and sign it, and please get any other New Mexico registered Democrats to sign as well. Then mail it to my campaign by January 20th at:

Gary King for Governor

PO Box 40
Moriarty, NM 87035

Thank you for all your kind notes and support of my campaign.

Gary King

Democratic Candidate For Governor
Gary King for Governor

Top climate scientists call for fracking ban in letter to Gov. Jerry Brown

Photo © Karen McLain Evening Light | Design by Anne Novak for ProtectMustangs.org

Photo © Karen McLain Evening Light | Design by Anne Novak for ProtectMustangs.org

By Paul Rogers

Posted:   11/12/2013 04:07:39 PM PST in the Mercury News

Twenty of the nation’s top climate scientists have sent a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown, telling him that his plans supporting increased use of the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” will increase pollution and run counter to his efforts to cut California’s global warming emissions.

The letter is the latest example of the increased pressure that environmentalists and others concerned about climate change have been putting on Brown in recent months. Their argument: the governor can’t say he wants to reduce global warming while expanding fossil fuel development in California.

“If what we’re trying to do is stop using the sky as a waste dump for our carbon pollution, and if we’re trying to transform our energy system, the way to do that is not by expanding our fossil fuel infrastructure,” said Ken Caldeira, an atmospheric scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University.

Caldeira signed the letter along with other prominent climate scientists, including James Hansen, the former head of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies; Richard Houghton, acting president of Woods Hole Research Center in Massachusetts; and physicist Michael Mann, a professor of meteorology at Penn State University.

The letter called for Brown to place a moratorium on fracking, as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has done.

“Shale gas and tight oil development is likely to worsen climate disruption, which would harm California’s efforts to be a leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” it notes.

Brown did not respond Tuesday afternoon to a request for comment on the scientists’ letter. But last month he said in response to question from this newspaper, “As you know, I signed legislation that will create the most comprehensive environmental analysis of fracking to date. It will take a year, year and a half, maybe a little longer. And I hope that all the people, critics and supporters alike, will participate and offer their best thoughts.”

The oil industry criticized the scientists’ letter.

“The authors of this letter, while clearly very respected in their fields, do not present an accurate or realistic picture of our energy needs and our energy future,” said Tupper Hull, a spokesman for the Western States Petroleum Association in Sacramento.

“California is going to need petroleum-based energy for a long time, even as it transitions to a lower carbon future.”

Brown has generally won high marks from environmental groups over his 40-year political career. He signed legislation requiring California utilities to generate 33 percent of their electricity from solar, wind and other renewable resources by 2020, for example. Last month, he appeared at an event in San Francisco to announce a pact with the governors of Washington state, Oregon and the premier of British Columbia to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But he has come under increasing criticism — and public protests — this fall from opponents of fracking, the practice in which oil and gas companies inject water, sand and chemicals into the ground to fracture underground rock formations and release huge amounts of fossil fuels.

In September, Brown signed SB 4, a bill by state Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, that requires companies that conduct fracking operations in California to notify all nearby property owners, obtain a permit from the state, conduct groundwater testing and disclose the chemicals they are using. The law takes effect in 2015. Opponents say that water pollution and increased air and climate emissions from fracking require a moratorium, particularly in the Monterey Shale, an area that stretches from Bakersfield to Monterey and holds billions of dollars of shale oil that could be recovered from increased fracking.

 

Link to the original article: http://www.mercurynews.com/science-environment/ci_24509392/top-climate-scientists-call-fracking-ban-letter-gov

Posted for educational purposes

Call, Write & Tweet @GOVSandoval #Nevada Governor Sandoval is allowing #wildhorses to be sold at auction ~ Kill buyers attend

PM HV Rambo's band

Rambo’s band in freedom in Reno (Photo © Ellen Holcomb)

Beloved wild horses at auction against the public’s wishes

Right now 41 wild horses from the Reno area including Rambo’s band are at the Fallon Auction where kill buyers come to buy horses for slaughter.

Governor Sandoval refused to step in and stop the auction despite protests. Read his response here: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/jan/08/despite-activist-pleas-sandoval-permit-wild-horse-/

Advocates and concerned citizens are hoping to save these iconic mustangs from being sold into the slaughter pipeline.

We have been in touch with Shannon Windle, President of the Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund who has arrived at the scene and is working on saving horses. She said there are a lot of horses.

Contact Governor Sandoval to tell him you don’t want native wild horses sold at auctions where kill buyers shop. Ask him to give the horses to local advocacy groups rather than sell them into the slaughter pipeline.

Call, email and/or fax Nevada’s Governor Brian Sandoval,
http://gov.nv.gov/contact/governor/

Office Phone: (775) 684-5670

Office Fax: (775) 684-5683

Tweet ©GOVSandoval  Use #NEVADA to let the Governor.

Let the Nevada Bureau of Tourism know you don’t like this! @TravelNevada on Twitter and

Mailing Address

Nevada Commission on Tourism
401 North Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701


Call Us

  • Direct: (775) 687-4322
  • Toll-free: 1-800-NEVADA-8
  • Fax: (775) 687-6779
Protect native wild horses! © Protect Mustangs.org

Protect native wild horses! © Protect Mustangs.org

 

Breaking News: Horse lovers from around the world unite to save Nevada’s wild horses from kill-buyers

Advocates were bidding against auction house staff who kept raising the bids

Virginia Range Wild Horses @ Peace (Photo ©Anne Novak, all rights reserved.)

For immediate release:

RENO, Nevada (September 20, 2012) –Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund spearheaded and saved 23 historic Virginia Range wild horses from going to the kill-buyers last night. The herculean effort lead by Shannon Windle, president of Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund. Country singer Lacy Dalton’s non-profit, Let ‘Em Run Foundation, also raised funds for the rescue.

“We are very grateful everyone joined together to save the horses from Wild Horse Annie’s herd,” says Shannon Windle, president of Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund.

Last night many wild horse advocates and groups from the greater Reno area joined forces to help with transportation and foster care to make this rescue effort a success. The list includes the Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund, Let ‘Em Run Foundation, Least Resistance Training Concepts (LRTC) Horse Power and The Starlight Sanctuary with support from many other groups in the West. The efforts were coordinated through the Alliance of Wild Horse Advocates.

California-based Protect Mustangs joined in to help with outreach, raise awareness about the issue and contact Nevada’s Governor Brian Sandoval to stop the sale.

Donors contributed from across the USA and abroad to save Nevada’s indigenous wild horses from being sold to kill-buyers who sell the horses to slaughter plants for human consumption in foreign countries.

A staff member of the auction house was bidding as well as a kill-buyer against the wild horse advocates. Is it legal for the house to drive up the bids?

“How much did the auction house make with the owner driving the price up? ” asks Windle “Is this illegal?”

During the auction, a thin Virginia Range wild horse mare sold for over $500. while a stocky domestic buckskin sold for $200. A wild mare and foal sold for $1000 which is grossly abnormal at a livestock auction frequented by kill-buyers.

Advocates paid more than $11K to save the 23 wild horses–more than three times above market value.

31 additional wild horses will arrive at the auction house next week. More than 60 wild horses have been rounded up and face a horrific end if more foster homes, adopters and donors are not found quickly.

Essential donations are also needed to feed the wild horses rescued last night who will live in foster care until they are adopted or accepted into a sanctuary.

Send donations to the Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund here: http://hiddenvalleyhorses.com/main.php?c=donate

Governor Brian Sandoval ignored public outcry and took no action to save America’s iconic wild horses from going to an auction frequented by kill-buyers tonight.

“We hope Governor Sandoval realizes that outside of Nevada 80% of Americans are against horse slaughter,” explains Anne Novak, executive director of California-based Protect Mustangs. “This could be a pivotal point in his political career–the point where he tarnishes himself to the extent that he will never win the hearts of the 80%. He still has time to take action and become a hero and we hope he does.”

# # #

Follow Protect Mustangs on Facebook for updates

Media Contacts:

Anne Novak, 415-531-8454, Anne@ProtectMustangs.org

Kerry Becklund, 510-502-1913, Kerry@ProtectMustangs.org

Links of interest:

News 4 reported on the story last night: http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/default.aspx

News 4 reporting continues: http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/story/Wild-Horse-Advocacy-groups-go-through-bidding-war/k57ef-ffOkq2QbDJKkhPEg.cspx

Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund: http://hiddenvalleyhorses.com/main.php

Let ‘Em Run Foundation: http://www.letemrun.com/index.html

Lacy Dalton bio, president of Let ‘Em Run Foundation: http://www.letemrun.com/Lacy-Bio.htm

Least Resistance Training Concepts: http://www.whmentors.org/

Starlight Sanctuary http://thestarlightsanctuary.webs.com/

Governor Brian Sandoval: http://gov.nv.gov/

Plea to Governor Sandoval to stop Nevada from selling wild horses to killer-buyers at auctions: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=2459

Information on the Virginia Range wild horses: http://www.aowha.org/war/virginia_range0901.html

Protect Mustangs: http://www.ProtectMustangs.org