September 16, 2009 04:26 PM UTC

Penry Doesn't Like This Fracking Poll

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• by: Duke Cox

(All about “public opinion,” except when they’re not – promoted by Colorado Pols)

A new poll mentioned in a Grand Junction Daily Sentinel story (by Gary Harmon) this morning  has Senator Penry and the folks over at COGA in a tizzy.

http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/c…

Shortly after Kathy Hall presented her now famous “Fracking fluid is as safe as Coca Cola” speech to the Garfield County Commissioners, this just released poll has Nate Strauch and the rest of the industry faithful scrambling to find a meaningful reply.

The poll of 504 registered voters conducted by Harstad Strategic Research of Boulder showed 67 percent of respondents favoring the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act and 22 percent opposing it, pollster Chris Keating said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday.  

As one would expect, Mr. Strauch had this carefully worded disclaimer about how meaningless the poll is, mostly because the company that did the poll is from Boulder (Well, of course, Nate):

A push-poll conducted nearly two months ago by a fringe, Boulder-based firm that telephoned 500 of the district’s 360,000 registered voters can hardly be called an accurate representation of attitudes toward the safe and essential process of hydraulic fracturing,” Colorado Oil and Gas Association spokesman Nate Strauch said.

But the best response was from my favorite industry water carrier, State Senator Josh Penry, who gets my vote for issuing the most irrelevant comment I can recall seeing in a long time.

I’ll bet 95 percent of voters also wish unemployment wasn’t at a 65-year high, Penry said.

On the other hand, long suffering residents of Garfield county are delighted to have a clear statement of the public desire for increased protection from the nasty crap the O&G boys have been pumping into the ground.

Lisa Bracken, a member of the Western Colorado Congress, said the poll highlighted the need for federal involvement.

“The energy industry desperately needs federal oversight because the state is not interested, Bracken said

There was no mention of a response from the Fracking Queen, Kathy hall, but I think it is a safe bet that her panties are in a significant wad this morning. Stay tuned.