Dot Earth Blog: University of Texas Compounds Conflict Question in Review of Gas Report

As I wrote recently, the University of Texas, Austin, appropriately initiated an independent review of the report from its Energy Institute on gas drilling using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, methods. The review was ordered after the Public Accountability Initiative, a nonprofit research group, pointed out previously undisclosed financial ties between a leader of the report, Charles Groat, and a drilling company.

Last week, however, the same watchdog group pointed out that the announced leader of the independent review, Norman Augustine, a past presidential science and technology adviser and leader of important technical assessments for NASA and Congress, is receiving substantial payments from ConocoPhilips for past service on the board of directors.

The university has defended the choice, noting Augustine?s record of achievement as an analyst of tough technical and scientific questions. The editorial board of the San Antonio Express newspaper said Augustine?s ?ties to the energy industry clearly disqualify him from leading an independent review.? I think it?s a close call given his clear record of public service, but agree with the paper?s view that the school could have chosen more carefully.

And, if it still had settled on Augustine, the university could have been more completely forthcoming about his substantial income from ConocoPhillips, a company that ? as the NPR regional news project State Impact reported last week ? calls itself ?one of the nation?s largest natural gas producers.?

Click here for more background on this issue, and the importance of disclosing potential conflicts of interest ahead of time if credibility and impact are goals.

Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=c197f408b076b5bdc4c273d57611be83

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