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Evening of awareness raising and action against irresponsible gas drilling

Fort Worth — On May 12th, 2010, the Texas Oil & Gas Accountability Project (OGAP) of EARTHWORKS will host a special Fort Worth screening of Josh Fox's award-winning documentary GASLAND at an exclusive engagement at the Museum of Modern Art of Forth Worth prior to its June 21st HBO broadcast premiere. The event is co-hosted by community members who, along with Mr. Fox, Texas State Representative Lon Burnam, and Oil & Gas Accountability Program Director Gwen Lachelt will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice to audience members who are confronting natural gas drilling in their communities.

GASLAND tells the story of the effects of the largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history that is sweeping across the United States today. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of “fracking” or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a “Saudi Arabia of natural gas” just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. Mr. Fox meets landowners whose properties have been converted into drilling pads, ranchers who can light their tap water on fire and many other absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND.

I traveled to Fort Worth to document the natural gas boom in the Barnett Shale region just one year ago to gather footage and testimonials for Gasland. I am honored and proud to be back in Fort Worth to share this film and to support Texas OGAP s important work to protect our clean air and healthy drinking water, said Josh Fox, director of GASLAND and winner of this year s Sundance Special Jury Prize.

It's time for the natural gas industry to stop trampling over our property rights, ruining our air, polluting our water, and destroying our wild places, said Texas OGAP coordinator Sharon Wilson. Gasland tells a national story that we are experiencing right here in Texas. The more that people know about what this industry is doing to our communities; the better opportunity we have to reform it. If they can t drill right in Texas, then we don t want them to drill at all.

The event begins with a pre-party at 5:30 PM on Wednesday May 12th before the 6:30 screening. This event is open to the public: the screening costs $15, and the after party costs $100. All proceeds will benefit Texas OGAP.

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EARTHWORKS' Texas Oil & Gas Accountability Project works with communities statewide to prevent and minimize the negative impacts of energy development. The TXOGAP approach is embodied by DRILL-RIGHT TEXAS, a best practices guide that would ensure that Texas' burgeoning Barnett shale gas industry operates while respecting the environment and the rights of its neighbors.

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