Senator Barrasso questions FERC Chair Nominee Binz (short video w/transcript)

Apologies for the cross-post.

A lot of lists and social media is buzzing about Ron Binz,
quoting him saying that w/o carbon sequestration,
Natural Gas is a "dead end", and that we should all
rush to support this guy.

I'm not so sure about him....
First, read this:

"President Obama’s nominee to head the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asked top officials at BP oil company to lobby on his behalf, further expanding the list of lobbyists and former lobbyists Ron Binz has worked with as he’s tried to win the chairmanship of the obscure but powerful panel, new emails released late Monday showed."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/17/top-obama-energy-nominee-ron-binz-asked-oil-compan/

Many of us are fighting pipelines coming into our area,

(e.g. the "Constitution") not just because of local impacts,
but because they will enable a rapid increase in the fracking in NE PA
which is been already having devastating environmental impacts
and elsewhere, but also that it will enable fracking in NY.

However the FERC permitting process is already badly
broken from a public participation perspective.

Prior to Dec 2011, the most intervenors in a FERC action was 39.
The Spectra Pipeline resistance set the record with 541 intervenors!!
Almost all were opposing the pipeline. (docket #CP11-56
... source: http://nogaspipeline.org/2012-01-12/ferc-eis-postponement )

  A supporter of HR1900 wants "More Permits! More Pipelines!
More fracking! Ha ha!!! Faster! Faster!"

But it didn't do any good!
The permit was still issued.

Constitution Pipeline has over 400 intervenors.
Will this have any effect?

(considering FERCs past record?)

Then there's HR1900 the "Faster! Faster!" (*)  bill which will EXPEDITE the permitting process!! (WHAT?!)

(* think Refer Madness :)

So now I want you to listen to this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zB8TzQf1cI&t=4m15s


Starting at ~4:15: 

Senator Barrasso (R-WY): "If confirmed, will you expand FERC's environmental review process for natural gas pipelines and LNG export terminals? Will you direct FERC to consider upstream  impacts [such as hydraulic fracturing], and downstream impacts such as Greenhouse Gas emissions?"

Nominee Ron Binz: "Senator, if I am confirmed to FERC, that is not something I would put on my agenda.

The notion that I will allow my guess as to what the future is going to look like, to affect
my approval of NG pipelines and LNG facilities, that is wrong.

These facilities are needed today.  The LNG export facilities, the gentlemen in Louisiana have contracts with Puerto Rico and Africa and lots of other places to deliver gas.
I absolutely support that. It will be up to this industry to decide what we do on a
carbon basis going forward. This is not a FERC decision. 

If I am confirmed to FERC, my authority will be to evaluate proposals brought to us on their merits. It will not be to substitute my judgment, or anyone else's judgement if any one of these pipelines will be used 25 years from now."

WOW!

Is it too much to expect that the Obama administration would put forward candidates
to FERC who will look out for the interests of THE PEOPLE of the US, and not
just the profits of Big Oil and Gas???

What's amazing is that the Koch Brothers' backed "America Energy Alliance" and their sister group the climate-change-denying "Institute for Energy Research" seems to be questioning the man too, publishing graphics like this on social media:

Woah... even the frackers don't trust this Flip-Flop Dude....

There are 2 other nominees to FERC going on simultaneously.

So you may want to check Youtube for these Senate Confirmation Hearings
which have been going on this week.

Here is a starting point for your searches:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ron+binz+hearing|ferc&filters=week&lclk=week

Use this information wisely,.

Please contact your Senators and Members of Congress!

BH

--
--
May you, and all beings
be happy and free from suffering :)
-- ancient Buddhist Prayer (Metta)