Executive Summary:
Many of the current media stories about Franklin Forks (Dec 2013)
and also PA DEP statements and determination letters (April 2013)
all mirror statements made by WPX PR reps many months prior,
LONG BEFORE DEP completed their investigation.
LONG BEFORE DEP completed their investigation.
"Methane in water wells in Franklin Forks
matches naturally-occurring methane at Salt Springs Park".
matches naturally-occurring methane at Salt Springs Park".
We will here examine HOW WPX Public Relations people were able to achieve this,
and also examine the veracity of this statement.
How to run a successful Public Relations DISINFORMATION campaign:
So here's the sequence of a successful Public Relations campaign:
- WPX repeats again and again: (Town Boards, PA DEP, and to the Media)
"Methane in water wells in Franklin Forks matches naturally-occurring methane at Salt Springs Park". - Industry backed astroturf group "Franklin Citizens for Truth" begins producing lawn signs and tee-shirts
which support two contradictory industry positions:
a) The water here is fine. b) The water here always had methane. - One year later, the PR department of the PA DEP starts repeating this statement.
- The media starts repeating this via "press release", and this becomes the official narrative.
Turning Propaganda into Fact / Timeline:
Why did it take 16 months for the PA DEP to figure out how to say
exactly what WPX wanted them to say?
| 1: 5-7-2012 Here Susan Oliver (PR for WPX) says
"The footprint of the gas is same as Salt Springs Park",
presentation to Silver Lake Township, @25m:00s http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=p2CgSo7r2HE?t=24m#t=25m 2: 6-20-2012: EID announces creation of fake-community group ("astroturf")
Franklin Citizens for Truth:
http://energyindepth.org/marcellus/introducing-franklin-citizens-for-truth/
3: 7-25-12: And here again Susan Oliver (WPX PR)
5: 4-24-2013: The PA DEP in their determination letters to the Hadlicks and Mannings, say the same thing:
to the Susquehanna County Commissioners,
"the methane in these 3 homes is the same as at Salt Springs Park",@20m:30s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l4oGeZ5Q10&feature=youtu.be&t=19m40s 4: 8-27-2012: Both iconic memes from Franklin Citizens for Truth
on display at Heavenly Angels Restaurant, as well as the
PA DEP notice of water contamination.  Watch this short video, and watch for the sign out front, and the tee tee shirt hanging behind the counter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQMFrncktMY
Not well the assertion on the shirt, "Lighting our water on fire since 1795!" is nearly identical to the statement used by Susan Oliver back in May.
"The presence of dissolved methane in your water supply, and all other compounds exceeding primary MCLs and/or secondary MCLs, appear to be related to background conditions." http://www.scribd.com/doc/139278150/042413-Manning-Determination-Letter-PADEP-OCR 6: 5-2-2013: The PA DEP in their press release:
"The testing included water samples taken from three private water wells to compare
with samples taken from natural gas wells located nearby and with water samples taken from the spring and private water well at Salt Springs State Park, which historically contains naturally occurring methane. The spring is approximately one mile from the affected homes. The testing determined that the water samples taken from the private water wells contained gas of similar isotopic makeup to the gas in the water samples taken from Salt Springs State Park." http://www.damascuscitizensforsustainability.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DEP-STATEMENT-Franklin-Forks-Investigation.pdf |
PA DEP sampled the Mannings water wells in December 2010, and March 2011.
They did not release results until April 2013. (16 months investigation).
They did not release results until April 2013. (16 months investigation).
Why did it take 16 months for the PA DEP to figure out how to say
exactly what WPX wanted them to say?
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