As we discussed during Tuesday’s Green News Report, Rex Tillerson, the CEO of ExxonMobil, the most profitable corporation in the history of civilization, doesn’t mind fracking — nor the health concerns and property devaluation that come with it — near your house.
But now he’s suing to stop it near his house…or, rather, suing to stop the construction of a 15-story water tower, to be used for fracking, near his $5 million, 83-acre mansion and ranch in Bartonville, Texas.
It will “create a constant and unbearable nuisance to those that live next to it,” the lawsuit contends, charging that water used for fracking will lead to “traffic with heavy trucks” that, Tillerson’s attorney says, “devalues his property.”
“Poor” fellow. Hope he wins the suit.
But, if not, as former Mobil Oil Corporation Executive Vice President Louis W. Allstadt points out in a scathing open letter to Tillerson sent on Tuesday, he can always afford to move away…unlike most of the less fortunate victims of fracking around the nation.
After more than 30 years at Mobil (and six months at ExxonMobil under Tillerson, after the two companies merged), Allstadt went on to become a foe of fracking and a vocal proponent of climate change action.
“No one should have to live near well pads, compression stations, incessant heavy truck traffic, or fracking water towers, nor should they have their water or air contaminated,” Alstadt writes in his letter to Tillerson, who is otherwise a champion of fracking when its not in his own backyard. “You and I love the places where we live, but in the end, if they are ruined by fracking or frack water tanks, we can afford to pack up and go someplace else. However, many people can’t afford to move away when they can no longer drink the water or breathe the air because they are too close to one of your well pads or compressor stations.”
Read Alstadt’s full letter to Tillerson below. Oh, and thank you for speaking up, Mr. Alstadt…
Chairman, ExxonMobil
From Lou Allstadt
Dear Rex,
We have never met, but I worked for your company for six months immediately after the ExxonMobil merger, the implementation of which I coordinated from the Mobil side. That was after thirty years with Mobil Oil Corporation, where just prior to the merger I had been an Executive Vice President and Operating Officer for Exploration and Producing in the U.S., Canada and Latin America. I now live in upstate New York.
For the past five years, I have been actively trying to keep your company and the rest of the industry from fracking here. I understand from several press articles that you have fracking issues of your own, with a fracking water tower and truck traffic possibly detracting from your view and the value of your home.
In response to the prospect of fracking ruining our communities, many New York towns have passed zoning laws that prohibit heavy industry, including any activities associated with drilling for oil and gas. Those laws, along with very little prospect for economic gas production in New York, mean that we probably will not have to look at fracking water towers, let alone live next to fracking well pads. I say probably, because your industry is still fighting those zoning laws in the courts.
Ironically, your reasoning at the Bartonville, Texas town council meetings is virtually identical to the reasoning that I and many other citizens used to convince our local town councils to pass laws that prohibit the very problem you have encountered, plus all of the other infrastructure and waste disposal issues associated with fracking.
No one should have to live near well pads, compression stations, incessant heavy truck traffic, or fracking water towers, nor should they have their water or air contaminated. You and I love the places where we live, but in the end, if they are ruined by fracking or frack water tanks, we can afford to pack up and go someplace else. However, many people can’t afford to move away when they can no longer drink the water or breathe the air because they are too close to one of your well pads or compressor stations.
My efforts to prevent fracking started over water — not the prospect of having to see a water tank from my home, but rather regulations that would allow gas wells near our sources of drinking water, in addition to well pads next to our homes, schools, hospitals and nursing homes. These issues are legitimate, but they are localized. I am now much more concerned with the greenhouse gas impacts of fossil fuels in general, and particularly the huge impact of methane emissions from natural gas production and transportation. These are global problems that local zoning cannot protect against. Only a major shift toward renewable energy sources can begin to mitigate their catastrophic climate impacts.
Before closing, I should explain why I have referred to ExxonMobil as “your company.”
For several years after retiring I thought of ExxonMobil as “my company.” I thought that the company’s rigor and discipline in investing in sound projects was as good as it gets, and ExxonMobil was my largest single investment. I no longer own any shares of ExxonMobil or any other fossil fuel company. I would prefer to be an early investor in alternative energy for the 21st century rather than hanging on to dwindling prospects for investments in 19th and 20th century fossil fuels.
It is time that ExxonMobil started shifting away from oil and gas, and toward alternatives — both for environmental reasons and to protect the long-term viability of the company. Many large energy producers and consumers, including ExxonMobil, are building a carbon fee into their long-term planning assumptions. Actively supporting the phase-in of a carbon fee would be one way to move the company into the 21st century. Recognizing that methane emissions disqualify natural gas as a “bridge fuel” is another.
Good luck with that fracking water tank. I hope you don’t have to move, and also that you will help a lot of other people stay in the homes they love.
Regards,
Lou Allstadt
“Oh, and thank you for speaking up, Mr. Alstadt…”
Seconded.
And thanks for bringing this to our attention Brad.
Allstadt is “a foe of fracking and a vocal climate change OPPONENT?” or is that a typo?
David Lasagna asked:
Not a typo. He, like me and you, are fighting against climate change. Is that unclear? Do you have a suggestion on how it should be more clearly worded??
Hey Brad,
Never heard that turn of phrase. Sounded like an opponent to climate change would be against the idea of climate change which didn’t sound consistent with Allstadt’s anti-fracking work. But now I’m seeing this new meaning you’ve introduced me to. I’m not familiar with Mr. Allstadt or his work(except for your post here) so I think I’d be talking out my ass to suggest something that would be clearer. Lemme think on it.
(Climate change mitigationist? That’s a mouthful of made up word.)
(Brad is that really you or is the NSA commenting on your behalf now? You sound different. Maybe ask Desi if there’s a giant seed pod or two out back?)
He, like me and you, IS fighting….
Brad: Like David, I have concern about the wording. Perhaps it is best to avoid a negative frame (“opponent”).
Would it not be the case that both you and Allstadt are outspoken proponents of climate safety, who are concerned with the very real dangers revealed by the science of climate change?
Rex Tillerson should have sold his beloved house and moved anywhere else, rather then expose his hypocrisy which should end up in the Smithsonian institute.
Yeah, I came up with something similar. How about–
Vocal advocate of immediate, comprehensive strategies regarding the worldwide effects of climate change?
Or–vocal proponent for addressing climate change as we enter this new era of extreme weather events?
Yeah, I know, it’s all long and clunky. Haven’t been able to think of any catchy silver bullet. Not sure something so complex lends itself to our popular reductionist memes.
I could do a whole-lotta charity, if I made five hundred times what I make.
David Lasagna said @ 5:
Really?…
…I’d have thought the bad grammar would have been a dead give away! 🙂
BTW, I had just been thinking a day or two ago, “Where is Lasagna? Haven’t seen from him for a while. Hope he’s okay!” — and, apparently, you are!
I have changed the controversial wording in the article above. Lemme know if I’ve succeeded, or have only succeeded in making the controversy worse! 🙂
Lead whiner (plaintiff) in Tillerson’s frack tower lawsuit: DICK ARMEY.
http://online.wsj.com/public/re...er20140220.pdf
Nicely done, Brad, I think you hit it.
And thanks for thinking of me.
Seeing Dick Armey kick and scream is just precious! It’s not like we haven’t seen it before though.