Darin & Beatie Published in Environmental Law Reporter

An article by WOC attorneys Tom Darin and Amy Beatie appears in the May issue of The Environmental Law Reporter, a respected national journal published by the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C. (Volume XXXI, No. 5, pp. 10,566-10,602.)

Titled, "Debunking the Natural Gas 'Clean Energy' Myth: Coalbed Methane in Wyoming's Powder River Basin," the 36-page article documents in detail the environmental damage caused by conventional natural gas and coalbed methane drilling activities.

"Natural gas development - which includes coalbed methane - is a far, far cry from clean energy," write Darin and Beatie. "True, it burns cleaner than coal, but when you consider the production-end impacts such as roads, pipelines, compressor stations, power lines, and, in the case of CBM, millions of gallons of poor-quality water, this fossil-fuel energy is as dirty as the rest."

The article notes that "All of the environmental hazards associated with CBM development, and the resulting public outcry, including administrative and legal filings, demonstrate the dirty side of this energy development that industry and Wyoming's government are reluctant to even admit exists."

In conclusion, write the authors, "As long as industry and the government continue to fuel the myth that natural gas is 'clean energy,' states like Wyoming will continue to feel the brunt of misguided energy policies."

The article appears on WOC's web site (www.wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org) and copies are also available at the WOC office for $5.00 each.