Phoebe wrote on Sep 20, 2010 9:06 PM:

" Communities need to provide for the people who won't be getting rich in the oilfield. Rent controls or subsidies need to protect the elderly, disabled, minimum wage earners and students who aren't employed in the oil industry. These people will be in the community boom or bust. "




Glad for Oil Activity wrote on Sep 9, 2010 3:23 PM:

" Gee, I didn't know it was "harmful" for an industry to provide jobs and inject revenue into a local economy! I guess I always thought of those things as helpful to a community. "




... wrote on Sep 9, 2010 9:59 AM:

" this oil boom is causing more harm than good. this community will never be the same again. "




So Many Whiners wrote on Sep 6, 2010 8:47 PM:

" Sweety, obviously you are pretty worried about the $$$$ or you wouldn't be whining about the minimal increase in your wages over the years. Maybe you should move to one of the other 47 states that are losing money and see if you have better luck. Don't blame the oil industry because your wages haven't increased. Be thankful that the oil industry has kept our beloved community from drying up and blowing away. Because that is a real possibility in these hard national economic times. "




Principles wrote on Sep 6, 2010 12:52 PM:

" The bottom line is that oil activity in this area has helped our local economy by providing jobs and injecting revenue into our county and state budgets. How do you think all the new building projects in Richland County have been funded. Now you and I may not agree on the importance or necessity of some of these projects (I think some of the oil revenue could be better spent) but the county and state and its residents are benefiting from those revenues. And although I don't receive any type of direct benefit from the oil activity in the area, I still believe the revenues being generated by local oil activity benefit every resident in some way, if only by strengthening our state and local economies.

As to your statement that your "employment is secure regardless", I'm sure that many if not most of the 10% of unemployed Americans probably thought the same. I don't think that any American these days can say with certainty that their job is "secure" unless their state and local economies are strong. Which is what the oil activity in this area is doing for you and me. "




Sweety wrote on Sep 6, 2010 10:56 AM:

" My employment is secure regardless of the oil industry or the state of the nation Mr. Principles. This oil activity is causing a cost of living increase that is unfair for the little guy. I try to stick up for the little person and you are only concerned with $$$$. What will be left when the oil companies go away? "




Principles wrote on Sep 5, 2010 10:49 PM:

" To Sweety - The benefit is that you still have a job in a nation with almost 10% unemployment and you live in one of only three states in the nation that isn't running in the red. I'd say oil development in Montana is a big benefit for its citizens. "




Sweety wrote on Sep 5, 2010 8:39 AM:

" Wish I had some oil money. My income has not changed much from 10 years ago. It would be nice if someone could take the time to explain to me how this oil boom is doing me any good. All that happens here is more of my money goes out and not enough is comeing in. Where's the benefit? "




Watching the Pavement Crumble wrote on Sep 2, 2010 6:32 AM:

" I have to take to task one of the points made by Robyn. Our roads are taking a terrible beating. Highway 201 is a state road, and is becoming rutted, not to mention almost too narrow for the truck traffic it is seeing. Roads can be fixed, but when we in eastern Montana are ignored by our state government, how will this ever happen? "




Old Timer wrote on Sep 1, 2010 11:00 AM:

" As someone who came here during the boom of the 70's, I have a couple of words of advice:
1. Back then the same issues with high cost of living and finding any housing existed. I remember that Paul Harvey stated on one of his programs that "the most expensive places to live in the US were Anchorage, Alaska and Sidney, MT - where is that?"
2. Rent prices are somewhat driven by the owners of the properties, insurance costs and the taxable value. My property taxes for 2010 doubled from the 2008 as did my insurance and this is without any improvements.
3. In the 70's we were all referred to as "oil field trash" regardless of who we were. Seems to me that some of those commenting about this should have gone to the Rachel's Challenge presentation! Seriously, we may have been 'trash' but each and every business in this area never turned their nose up at our money! Remember, this was before internet shopping when Sidney actually had several places, albeit expensive, to shop! "




YA RIGHT wrote on Aug 31, 2010 5:34 PM:

" I don't think that people are against drilling. One of the big things that people are against is the lack of houseing and out of control rent. It's nuts!! "




principles wrote on Aug 29, 2010 5:50 PM:

" Everyone has a right to their opinion regarding the issues related to oil drilling. But to those who are against it, for whatever reason, please stand by your principles and stop using every single product made from crude oil. Only then will you look like something other than a hypocrite. You can't have it both ways. If you are against drilling for oil, then you must be against using products made from that oil. And likewise, if you are not against using products produced from crude oil, then you really can't be against drilling for that oil. Feel free to take a stand, but when you take that stand, make sure you take that stand completely and without hypocracy. "




TRS wrote on Aug 29, 2010 5:08 PM:

" Well, Oil, I didn't realize what we had. I'll sell you 30,000 barrels a day + of "Cretaceous aquifer" water if you would just pay for the trucking. Would be cheaper than drilling a million dollar well... "




Oil wrote on Aug 29, 2010 9:29 AM:

" The general movement of water in the lower Cretaceous aquifers is northeastward from aquifer recharge areas at high altitudes to discharge areas in eastern North Dakota and South Dakota (fig. 58). The closely spaced contours near the structural uplifts in the western parts of the aquifer represent steep hydraulic gradients. As indicated by the widely spaced contours, the hydraulic gradient is much flatter in the Williston Basin where the aquifers are deeply buried and are as much as 10,000 feet below the land surface. "




Mixed Feelings wrote on Aug 29, 2010 5:33 AM:

" I wish Sidney would take Williston's example. We need housing and not just a set of new over-priced townhouses. There should be no reason houses cost twice as much in Sidney versus towns like Glasgow. "




Agree with Williston wrote on Aug 28, 2010 7:30 PM:

" I agree with Williston. They've got some good things going on over there and even had US HUD Secretary visit Williston with their US Senator, Representative, & Governor to discuss the local housing shortage. Why is Sidney sitting still and letting opportunity pass us by? I commend the Millers for stepping up to the plate to build housing. There was an article about a possible motel being built by Prewitts - haven't heard more, but hope it's still in the works. If our town grows, all the businesses prosper. "




Sarah wrote on Aug 28, 2010 3:28 PM:

" Tom E...please take that last tank of gas and drive away...Please!!! "




My View wrote on Aug 28, 2010 12:34 PM:

" This oil activity maybe great for many folks and the township in many different ways, but for me on a personal level it has created a higher cost of living. One that my income doesn't keep up with. My place of employment continues on just fine with zero oil activity yet an increase in oil jobs makes it harder to keep people on staff. All of my friends are experiencing the same thing. When there is very little oil activity we have a lower cost of living and I have more disposable income and that makes life better. That's how it is for myself and many folks that I know. "




Tom E wrote on Aug 28, 2010 9:39 AM:

" On it's best day to date, The Bakken has produced less than 1% of our daily intake.
Time to think beyond my next tank of gas. "




Williston here wrote on Aug 27, 2010 9:37 PM:

" I am from Williston, and by no means do I think the people that have come to town with the oil boom are obnoxious, loud or rude. We welcome the influx and growth taking place in our town. It is exciting times with 1 new hotel completed, 2nd being built, 3 more ready to start building. Housing developments and apartments comlpexes spring up all over. We are just waiting on new retail and restaraunts, but that will come with more people. I don't care who complains, nearly 99% of everyone in this area is benefiting in one way or another from this boom, whether it be a wife or spouse who is working at a business that is busy because of it, teachers, business owners, restaraunts, service stations, radio and newspapers (advertising revenue)...you name it, people are making a good living because of it. "




Mike wrote on Aug 27, 2010 9:32 PM:

" wrong...you tell me WHERE in this area someone has spent money on a 2 mile deep fresh water well used for themselves or even their livestock!! 100 feet or LESS is not uncommon for this area. Give me a break! "




Sidney Resident wrote on Aug 27, 2010 8:56 PM:

" To all those who are so outraged about the oil activity in this area, are you willing to quit driving your car or using natural gas to heat your homes? If not, then it pretty hypocritical to bad mouth our oil activity. Also, I bet our service and hotel businesses are pretty darn happy about this activity as well. How good would their businesses be doing without this activity. Unless we are going to be completely reliant on foreign oil, then we have to drill somewhere. And personally, I am greatful that they are drilling here so that our businesses can reap some benefit. Even though I don't own mineral acres, I still think the oil activity in the area is a positive thing. Also, I have seen the oil well sites that have been reclaimed after a well is drilled and other than the pumping unit itself, it is very hard to even tell that the land was disturbed. Therefore, I doubt that the area's wildlife is affected to any noticeable degree.

If it weren't for the current oil activity, our small community could be like so many others in the nation that are on the brink of becoming ghost towns. Less complaining and more appreciation would be refreshing. "




FS wrote on Aug 27, 2010 4:06 PM:

" TRS is right on the mark. Some of you locals don't have a clue how it is elsewhere. I am so grateful to have moved to this area even though I have to travel sometimes hours to get decent (and cheaper) services. The only thing I would change is the 7-8 months of winter. "




TRS wrote on Aug 27, 2010 10:45 AM:

" 10,000 foot freshwater well? That is interesting. We find 10 pound salt water down there. I don't know if you've ever seen what it looks like, but I sure wouldn't drink it. How is everyone being as busy as they can be a bad thing? The motels doesn't have half of their rooms sitting empty every night, just on the off chance you might need one, this makes them money. The waitress has customers through out out her shift. At least she has a job. I believe money generated by the oil industry is paving county roads at this time. (326, 321, 314...) I believe it bought the county several new blades to maintain county roads. I believe it has helped build a community services building, a justice center, numerous things at the high school, and a building at the fair grounds. Now you want to sit here and say that nothing good has came from it? I encourage you to take a trip to anyplace but here, where people can't find jobs, and it actually does cost money to live. In New York city it is not uncommon for a one bedroom, borderline livable house to cost a half a million dollars. How many people in this county bought their house for half a million or more? This town has made it very clear that they refuse to let the positive in, which is why you only see the negative. Look at improvements in Williston compared to Sidney. "




frustrated wrote on Aug 27, 2010 8:52 AM:

" The oil activity around here is hurting the community and will continue to degrade and destroy it. Few benefit from the oil activity. The people that come to the area have no respect or common courtesy for anyone else. They have been loud and obnoxious and will continue destroy a good community. This holds true whether you are here or Williston or somewhere in between. "




wrong wrote on Aug 27, 2010 8:31 AM:

" Jay, there are many wells around that reach 10,000 feet depths. We have drilled several in the past 2 years. Majority of the wells in this area are far deeper than 100 feet. "




Jay wrote on Aug 27, 2010 6:51 AM:

" Tom E... the frac'ing process in the Bakken is completed about 2 miles under the earths surface. You show me any waterwell in the Montana or North Dakota that draws their water from 2 miles down. Most aquifiers or wells are barely 100 feet down. "




Nice wrote on Aug 26, 2010 9:20 PM:

" What about our nesting grounds? It's getting to the point that if you don't work in the oil field then you won't be able to afford to live in Sidney. Williston is already there.
willistonherald.com/articles/2010/08/25/news/doc4c73ed6670721437707461.txt "




shishoveler wrote on Aug 26, 2010 5:45 PM:

" 95% of the people in the community do not actually benefit from this raping of the land. A waitress may get more tips, but she has to work 10x times harder than in the past. The surface owners, get their measly $7k and are in no way sufficiently compensated, after their land is destroyed. The roads are shot to he!!. The service industries are maxed out. No one can get a room, an appointment with the doctor or dentist. Nothing is working right at all! NOTHING!! This is Gomorrah! Sodom is soon to follow. "




... wrote on Aug 26, 2010 5:38 PM:

" Equalizer lines are utilized frequently, and many facilities transfer fluid directly into pipeline, whether through a lact or a pipeline operator's shipping pumps. If you were an oil buyer, would you rather buy a full tank or a quarter full tank? It would be the equivalent of stopping at a gas station daily and buying $3 worth of gas instead of filling it up and not having to stop again for two weeks. My point is, people always want more regulation, but don't always understand the potential consequences of regulation. A fail safe system should never be defeated for any reason. If it is, the purpose for having it is also defeated. We have had incidents where severe weather has kept operators from getting to locations to manage tank levels or shut a well down. Take this scenario to a well that produces 400 barrels a day, one standard tank, and the system is defeated because the government is worried about loosing a few dollars. For every hour that passes, 16 barrels of oil spill on the ground instead of going into another tank. This alone could affect ground water far more than hydraulic fracturing. This situation would be completely avoidable, but the government sees it a a necessary risk to make sure they get their money. My question is, is it just the "evil" oil companies who are greedy, or will even the government sacrifice the environment if it means they might make a little more money. "




Just a guy wrote on Aug 26, 2010 2:46 PM:

" Tom E, your blowing smoke . yeah they have equalizer lines most do but not all off them. And how do you think the oil is shipped its thru pipelines . And most oil tanks and water tanks never get that high to go thru the equalizer lines The oil is Transported to Laquer tanks then shipped thru pipe lines "




Tom E wrote on Aug 26, 2010 10:11 AM:

" Those who work in the oil industry will generally debate in favor of hydraulic fracturing as well as those who benefit directly from it. Any environmental concerns will be reduced or eliminated when the money starts rolling in, no doubt. Money changes a lot. The economic benefits for most of us are temporary. For a few, they're long term. Most of the people that stand a chance of knowing can't tell us with any certainty what the long term effect of fracturing the Bakken will be. So once again, because we can, wins out, over whether we should. "




... wrote on Aug 25, 2010 7:00 PM:

" First, nobody has any credible evidence of hydraulic fracturing affecting surface water formations. Laws mandate that wells be cased below any surface water formation before the rest of the well is even drilled. The bakken formation is closer to 10,000 feet deep than surface. The only water in this formation, or any adjacent, is salt water. It is also the only technology that makes production in most areas of the United States economical. We can't reduce foreign oil dependence, but not develop what we have here. Second, the the groups that people use to protect the land have regulations in place that could potentially cause a major spill. The BLM requires equalizer line valves to be closed, darted, and sealed prior to selling oil. For those that don't know, equalizer lines are lines connecting one tank to the next at the top of the tank, so that if one was to overfill, it would begin to fill the adjacent tanks, rather than running out the top onto the ground. They have been used by oil companies for years as a fail safe device to prevent spills. There is great potential for human error to cause this safety to be defeated. Their logic is, they know that no fluid can enter or exit the tank during custody transfer. So obviously, it all comes down to money for them as well. Personally, I'd rather keep the fluid contained in the tanks and sort out a problem there than have a spill. "




Sidney Resident wrote on Aug 25, 2010 11:41 AM:

" Robyn - thank you for your informative letter. Whether you live in Sidney or not, it is evident that you still care about the community.

Tom - to me, your comments sound like sour grapes. I have a feeling that you would not be nearly as concerned about the environment if you were directly benefiting from the recent oil activity in this area. However, you are benefitting if you live here, because our economy here is much better due to the oil activity than in most other areas of the nation. "




Tom E wrote on Aug 25, 2010 9:56 AM:

" I have one question. Why did you move to Billings? Since you own mineral rights you stand to benefit from continued activity. You dance around real enviornmental issues. How about Hydralic Fracture Drilling having the potential to destroy the water aquifer with no liability for the drillers? Of course, how would they fix it if they did destroy it? They can't!
But that's alright! You live in Billings! "

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