Clarion Content

Since the Clarion Content broke the story that Mineral Deeds were being signed in Durham County granting national builders like D.R. Horton fracking rights, there has been much hue and cry.



The Assistant Attorney General of North Carolina, M. Lynne Weaver, wrote D.R. Horton asking them for further information about how they disclosed to potential homebuyers that they were reserving such rights. (See below.)

That they reserved the rights, and have been reserving them in certain property agreements as far back as 2010, is not in dispute.

What does that mean? What can you as a Durham resident and/or homeowner do?

One place to start getting answers to some of those questions is a public meeting tomorrow night. Durham County Agricultural Cooperative Extension Services and Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA have organized an informational session at the Durham Agricultural Extension Center, #721 Foster Street, at 7pm.

Some of the topics on the table include: Understanding the hydraulic fracking process, the potential impacts of drilling on crops, livestock, forest land, and water resources, how to understand oil and gas rights lease terminology, how to fairly negotiate a mineral rights lease and landowner protections,¹ and adequate compensation for mineral resources.

We hear that the organizers of the No Frack PAC might be in attendance.

For more information contact: Jordan Treakle at Jordan@rafiusa.org or 919-444-1321


Notes
¹Remember these agreements are fairly common in some of the Western and Rocky Mountain states.

²Letter from the Attorney General's office.

Labels: Durham, ecology, energy policy, Politics, public protest