The bill that makes fracking legal in NC, SB820, created an
NC Energy and Mining Commission. The law specified how each of the 15 members
of the commission was to be appointed.
One of the members was to be appointed by the legislature
upon recommendation of the Speaker of the House and to be “a member of a
nongovernmental conservation interest”[1]. For this position, House Speaker
Thom Tillis appointed Mr. Ray Covington[2]. Mr. Covington does not fit the
description specified by the law. He is co-founder of North Carolina Oil and
Gas, a business that represents land owners who want their land drilled. On its
website, NCOG lists as one of its goals “We want this land drilled”[3].
There is certainly a conflict of interest in this
appointment. The commission is supposed to make regulations concerning
drilling, and ensure that drilling will not take place unless it can be done
safely. Mr. Covington’s business wants land to be drilled and only makes money
if land is drilled.
According to Jane Pinsky, director of the North Carolina
Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform, "The first rule of ethics
and being part of government is that you shouldn't be in a position to benefit
personally financially from what you do”.
References
Press Coverage:
Critics: Sanford
businessman doesn't belong on fracking board, WRAL – TV, 7/25/12 www.wral.com/news/local/wral_investigates/story/11355352
Calls
grow to replace Tillis appointee to drilling board, WRAL TV 7/25/12 www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/blogpost/11356113
Editorial: Conserved for Fracking? Raleigh News &
Observer 7/17/12 www.newsobserver.com/2012/07/17/2204332/conserved-for-fracking.html
Environment advocates: Fracking panel has drill bias, WRAL
TV 7/11/12 www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/story/11303939/
State's new fracking board leans toward drillers, Raleigh
News & Observer 7/13/12 www.newsobserver.com/2012/07/13/2197747/fracking-board-leans-toward-drillers.html
No comments:
Post a Comment