The state Office of Conservation is distributing a video and lesson plan to middle schools across the state, beginning this week. The video and ready-to-use lesson plan is about science, safety, and preventing youngsters from playing around well sites.

“What’s the Risk?” is an educational video and lesson plan now being provided to middle school teachers as a public service from the Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation. Commissioner of Conservation Jim Welsh said teachers should consider it as a curriculum aid in health, science, chemistry or physical education classes. Welsh said that a $25,000 grant from the U. S. Department of Energy to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) was the primary funding for the production of the awareness-building video. “IOGCC and the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board provided 300 post-card mailers and the video tapes to us. DNR, in turn, incurred no costs but was responsible for coordinating the effort, selecting the schools, and mailing and distribution,” Welsh reported.

Along with Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana are the key states participating in the “What’s the Risk?”public service project. The video uses teenagers and a skateboarding theme while the lesson plan suggest discussion on the dangers of petroleum sites, the science of drilling a well, and oil and natural gas production and consumption in America. It also points out that knowledge of the subject makes a difference in behavior. Some of the things found at a well site include tankers, ladders, pumping units, high voltage boxes, pipelines and oilfield chemicals.

Welsh said, “the goal is to let our youngsters know that messing around well sites is a bad idea.” He said the distribution of the packaged lesson plan and video was done by first selecting the parishes in the state with the most oilfield sites. Although the office was limited to 300 copies, the State Library and the Louisiana Resource Center for Educators were also provided copies.

IOGCC promotes conservation and efficient recovery of domestic oil and gas resources through its member states.

Questions and inquires on Louisiana’s What’s the Risk project, can be directed toinfo@dnr.state.la.us or contact 225-342-0556 for more information.

Editors: For more information on this topic, contact the DNR Public Information Office at 225-342-8955.