Drilling lobbying group antes up freebies to get folks to public meeting
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How's this for a package: a night in Pittsburgh with free airfare, free lodging and free food. All you need to do is spend two minutes telling the Department of Energy how much you love the natural gas industry.
That's the deal struck up by Energy in Depth, a lobbying firm that's paying for pro-drilling landowners to travel from northeastern Pennsylvania to Washington & Jefferson College on Monday night for a public meeting on the industry.
It's all laid out in an email that was sent Thursday to gas industry supporters by Thomas Shepstone, a consultant for Energy in Depth, which represents independent oil and gas producers. The email offers all-expense-paid accommodations for landowners and industry supporters willing to travel to Washington County from Scranton and Williamsport to tell the federal board how natural gas drilling has improved their lives.
Energy in Depth will even have a bus pickup in Binghamton, N.Y., where legislators have issued a moratorium on the controversial hydraulic fracturing process under debate at Monday's meeting in Washington.
The Department of Energy is looking to hear "directly from community members," according to the event description.
About 25 people had expressed interest in traveling, said Mr. Shepstone, who on Friday afternoon was still trying to find flights out of the Binghamton airport. Most will travel the seven hours by bus, he said, but his email offers flights "for older folks, especially ... and for heads of landowner groups."
He refuted allegations that the perks were an attempt to choreograph an open public meeting.
"We're going to do what it takes to have our voices heard," said Mr. Shepstone. And his goal is to make sure northeastern Pennsylvania isn't left out of the debate, even if the meeting is held across the state.
First Published June 11, 2011 12:00 am
