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“Don’t Smoke in Your Shower,” Ridge Jokes on Colbert (With Video)

By Keegan Gibson, Managing Editor

Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge got the Colbert treatment last night when he appeared on the Comedy Central news program to discuss Marcellus shale natural gas.

The interview focused largely on allegations that hydraulic fracturing, aka “fracking,” is responsible for methane contamination in well waters. Colbert showed the now famous footage of a man lighting his water faucet from the film ‘Gasland.’

“In September of 2010, the EPA warned residents of a Wyoming town where fracking was taking place to use fans while showering to avoid the risk of explosions,” Colbert noted. “So that proves there’s a work-around. Just install a fan in your showers and…”

“Don’t smoke,” Ridge interjected. “Don’t smoke in your shower.”

The former Governor went on to explain that while methane has turned up in well water, there has been no conclusive evidence to suggest that hydraulic fracturing is to blame.

“Yes it is happening to some water supplies, and it has absolutely nothing to do with hydraulic fracturing,” Ridge said. “Methane gas is naturally occurring. They’ve had methane gas, speaking as a Governor, in some of our water wells in Pennsylvania long before any frack wells were located next to them.”

The Governor also disputed that he was a lobbyist for the gas industry, clarifying that he was an consultant to the Marcellus Shale Coalition.

“Since it’s my first time on your show, I hate to correct your first question, but I’m not a lobbyist,” said Ridge. “Pennsylvania is sitting on top of something I think could lead a Renaissance in America with regard to energy, not only in terms of creating jobs, but making us more secure and less dependent on foreign sources.”

“I actually understand what you’re saying, and I now agree with everything you’re saying, and I would say you did a very good job of lobbying me just now,” Colbert replied.

3 Responses

  1. I have two words for our former governor: Dunkard Creek. Flowback water illegally injected into a borehole at Consol Energy’s abandoned Blacksville, West Virginia mine exterminated all aquatic life in Dunkard Creek, at least in the section upstream of Bobtown that Big Coal hadn’t already killed. Dunkard Creek is still dead. Whitely Creek and the Monongahela River (the drinking water supply for Southwestern Pennsylvania) are endangered by the same practice. Water haulers contracted to gas drillers have been known to pump tributary streams dry.

  2. Governor Ridge knowingly nominated and allowed a (non indicted)perjurer to serve in his cabinet.* No one can believe a word Mr. Ridge says. He is bought and paid for by the gas companies, at least Marcrellus Shale as he acknowledged.
    The doctor was a “name” in Pa. and the nomination came 3 weeks after the forced settlement of a malpractice case against the nominee, for negligible amount, after 14 years in the court system.
    Ridge then went with what was against public interest and has no trouble doing so now as well.

    * “We have little difficulty in concluding that Dr. Jannetta’s testimony at deposition was different than, or inconsistent with, the testimony at trial.” Levy v Jannetta, CCP Allegheny County, GD 81-7689; appeal -J. A370017/92 Levy v Jannetta et al, No. 00150 Pittsburgh, 1992. settled, 1995

    Peter J. Jannetta, secretary of health, Pa. 1995-1996

  3. Slickwater horizontal hydrofracturing has only been used for the past couple of years is still considered an expermetnal technology. when he states that hydrofracking has been used for 50 years this also includes fracking of water wells and not gas. Also this is all vertical drilling and not what is being used in shale gas.

    ‎”there has never been a documented case of water being affected by fracking.”
    and smoking does not have a direct link to cancer!

    I guess these cases don’t count?
    http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/amall/incidents_where_hydraulic_frac.html

    Also one needs to understand the difference between biogenic and thermogenic methane. thermogenic is from shale and biogenic is naturally occurring. There have been numerous accounts showing the gas migration is from THERMOGENIC methane this is proved by isotope analysis and is undisputed fact!

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