ABSTRACT
Relatively little is known about how local industry actors seek or receive information about residents’ concerns regarding hydraulic fracturing activity, nor the degree to which industry is making efforts to communicate with residents in the communities it is actively drilling in and near. This case study focuses on perspectives of information transfer and transparency from the point of view of industry representatives and residents in two Eagle Ford Shale communities. The data come from interviews with community leaders and focus groups of residents in two of the most active oil- and gas-producing counties in the Eagle Ford Shale: Karnes and La Salle Counties, and industry representatives working in the area. The findings reveal industry has, for the most part, chosen not to participate in aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Social License to Operate (SLO), nor do industry representatives seem apologetic about this lack of engagement. Based on findings, it appears communication efforts by unconventional oil and gas development firms have been unsuccessful at engaging some of the most affected residents of communities in the Eagle Ford region. Residents want information that they are not getting, the information being put out by industry representatives is perceived as intentionally misleading at times; and there has been little attempt by industry to provide information, outreach, or even a sense that residents’ voices matter.
