Water Wells in Proximity to Natural Gas Development

Not our work

“Home prices fell in some parts of the Marcellus Shale region of the country after drilling began, and rose in other parts, and the difference was whether the families’ drinking water came from wells or municipal water mains, a study by Resources for the Future (RFF) reported in late June.  (Note RFF-“RFF research on energy focuses on key sectors, including electric power, transportation, and unconventional fuels, and evaluates options to promote new, efficient technologies and the sustainable development of energy resources.”)

For homes within about 1 mile of a shale gas well, sale prices rose 10% from 2004 to 2009 if families were served by piped-in water, most likely due to expectations of increased value from gas drilling leases, RFF concluded.

Prices of homes dependent upon well water fell 16% in that period, which the RFF researchers said may be linked to fears of potential groundwater contamination from shale drilling operations.  (Note- Could be linked to economy, the owner did not own the mineral rights, the house was over leveraged, etc etc)

The survey covered homes in Washington County, Pennsylvania, south of Pittsburgh, where the number of gas wells jumped from five in 2005 to more than 490 wells by 2009.

The swing in home values was a significant 26%. “Even if shale gas operations do not contaminate groundwater in the short run, the stigma from the possibility of future groundwater contamination may negatively affect property values, resulting in important long-term consequences for homeowners,” the researchers said.

RFF released this study and others June 27 from its 18-month examination of risks and regulations surrounding shale gas development.
Note – I did not find the study on their website or a pres release about the study

A theme in several investigations is the lack of credible data on the impacts of drilling operations, members of the RFF research teams said.

“We have no data whatsoever on actual degradation of groundwater. We don’t know,” said RFF’s Lucija Muehlenbachs, commenting on the housing prices study. “This is just perceptions” by county residents, but perceptions matter in this case, she said.

NGWA has published an information brief on wells that are in proximity to natural gas/oil installations.Click here to read the information brief.”   For specific guidance on Pennsylvania – get this booklet – proceeds benefit groundwater education in Pennsylvania.

Othere Resources from RFF
Survey of Regulations in 31 states -The maps are available through a user-friendly, online interface: www.rff.org/shalemaps.

My personal comments (From the Desk of Mr. Brian Oram)

1. Please note the words – stigma, possibility, and  no data whatsoever on actual degradation of groundwater.
2. I think this article is more a statement about fear, unknown, and a climate or environment that promotes spin over facts.
3. The lease terms and conditions and the ownership of the subsurface rights impacts value.  Therefore a bad lease or incomplete lease will impact value.
4. Baseline testing is needed and the real estate industry is just really getting to understand risk as it relates to the housing market, but there are a lot of risk issues – gasoline stations, airports, dams, floodways, mining, industrial development, agricultural manure management, roadways, landfills, pipelines , etc.
5. Until recently the real estate industry only requested water testing for bacteria and maybe nitrates even though the other problems were known.
6. The article I think is more about no really knowing the risk and a past history of understanding the risk.  Also – this County has a long history of abandon oil and gas wells.
7. Oil and Gas Database PA How to Access
8. Expect More from the NGWA when they recommend articles.
9. Movies that promote SPIN on either side over FACTS – create unknown – creates fear and lack of trust.
10. Lets not forget the economy
11. We have always recommended getting a complete baseline test on the water quality of your well water, inspection of your home, and my business does conduct online database searchs of known harzardous as part of real estate transactions.
12. Make decisions based on facts not fear.  I know we are humans so this is difficult.
13. I finally found the publication  (pdf – March 2013)

Volunteer
We seek new people at all skill levels for a variety of programs. One thing that everyone can do is attend meetings to share ideas on improving CCGG, enabling us to better understand and address the concerns of well owners.

Everything we do began with an idea.

We realize your time is precious and the world is hectic. CCGG’s volunteers do only what they’re comfortable with. It can be a little or a lot.

For more information, please go to CCGG’s About Page or contact us.

Carbon County Groundwater Guardians is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.  Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organiazation).

A Water Quality Test Protects Against Contaminated Drinking Water

A Test on Water to Ensure Safety

Summary: Examining what you may be drinking in your water and why a water quality test on water is essential.

There is nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day than a cold glass of water. However, what if I told you that delicious glass of water could be making you sick? Yes, even water that tastes fine and looks clear may contain extremely harmful, dangerous microorganisms. While most people do not really think about having a water quality test completed for their water, it is most definitely an action you want to consider having done right away. Only information can protect you and your family, and if you know the data about the water you are drinking then you can take confidence in knowing whether your water is clean or poisoning you and your family.

Running a test on water is the best way to find out exactly what is in the water you and your loved ones are drinking. This can be done on any water source, even if you live in the city and water is provided through a water system. Although, there are some natural chemicals and minerals that are found in water that can be beneficial to us and are completely safe, there are also limits to the ingestible amounts found. If you drink the recommended water intake daily you need to be sure that you are drinking safe water.

A water quality test determines if there are any harmful bacteria in your water, such as total coliform, fecal coliform, E. coli.,  just to name a few. All of these harmful bacteria can cause you to become sick or make you susceptible to illness. There are some hazards in water that can even cause cancer and disease. While coliform bacteria is the least dangerous of the bacteria found in water, a large presence of it found in your water will lead to the need to test for other types of bacterium and contaminants. The others can cause sickness, including diarrhea, stomach cramps, low fever, vomiting, and more.

The last thing anybody wants is to end up getting sick from drinking water that they thought was completely safe. Running a test on water is important to guarantee you and your loved ones are drinking good, clean, safe drinking water. Have a professional come in and run the test for you. The reputable ones will be able to use a dependable, approved, trustworthy lab to run the test determining what is and is not in the water. It is recommended that you have your water tested routinely. Depending on the circumstances, yearly is advised, but some do test more often.

About the Author: AquaKnow.com is a trusted and affordable water quality testing service. Once you have had a test water sample taken, their laboratories will interpret those results for you. Contact them at 877-734-7661 to consult with one of their representatives.

Volunteer
We seek new people at all skill levels for a variety of programs. One thing that everyone can do is attend meetings to share ideas on improving CCGG, enabling us to better understand and address the concerns of well owners.

Everything we do began with an idea.

We realize your time is precious and the world is hectic. CCGG’s volunteers do only what they’re comfortable with. It can be a little or a lot.

For more information, please go to CCGG’s About Page or contact us.

Carbon County Groundwater Guardians is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.  Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organiazation).

Wellness and Water 2013 WV Wesleyan College Buckhannon West Virginia

Wellness and Water 2013

June 29 – 30, 3013 ~ WV Wesleyan College, Buckhannon, WV

 Plenary Speakers, Panelists & Workshop Leaders:

Yuri Gorby, Associate Professor, Blitman Chair in Environmental Engineering

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY

Yuri Gorby earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Bethany College, and his doctoral degree in microbiology from the University of New Hampshire. He served as a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow at the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, VA, and the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA. Prior to joining Rensselaer, he served as an assistant professor at the J. Craig Venter Institute, a nonprofit genomics institute in San Diego and Department of Marine and Environmental Biology at the University of Southern California. His interdisciplinary research is at the nexus of environmental engineering and biology. He is an accomplished microbial physiologist and bioprocess engineer who, in his work, embraces the use of controlled cultivation to understand the fundamental properties of bacteria for a range of applications. These include remediating contaminated water, developing alternative energy resources, and mitigating the impact of microbes on corrosion.  Contact: Yuri Gory, ygorby@gmail.com

Marc Glass, Principle, Downstream Strategies, Morgantown, WV

Mr. Glass has over twelve years of experience in environmental consulting and management. He is skilled in the evaluation and remediation of environmental contamination. His experience includes Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, petroleum and chlorinated solvent site investigations, design and installation of monitoring well networks, aquifer testing, asbestos and biological remediation and project supervision, preparation of facility Spill Prevention Plans for above-ground and underground storage tank facilities, and mold investigation and remediation.

Contact: Marc Glass, mglass@downstreamstrategies.com, (304) 292-2450

Rob Goodwin, Coordinator, Citizens’ Enforcement Project

Coal River Mountain Watch, Whitesville, WV

Rob Goodwin grew up in the Adirondack Mountains of Northern New York State and received a B.S. in Surveying Engineering Technology from the University of Maine in 2009. He then moved to WV as a volunteer with Coal River Mountain Watch, a WV Non-profit that has a mission to stop the destruction of WV communities and environment by mountaintop removal mining, to improve the quality of life in WV and to help rebuild sustainable communities. Early in 2010, Rob started the citizens’ enforcement project with Coal River Mountain Watch with a goal of connecting with citizens adversely affected by the impacts of coal mining in Southern, WV. Since 2010, the work of the citizen enforcement project has consulted with dozens of citizens across the state to help them navigate the frustrating processes that citizens have at their disposal to address mining impacts. Frequent Black water spills, dust, blasting and a looming threat of flooding in the area are all issues that citizens are using the tools at their disposal in efforts to have their concerns addressed. Contact: Rob Goodwin, rob@crmw.net, (304)-854-2182

Brian Oram, BF Environmental Consultants, Dallas, PA and Carbon County Groundwater Guardians

Brian Oram is a licensed professional geologist and soil scientist with over 20 years experience in applied earth and environmental sciences.  He has conducted research and consulting projects related to acid mine drainage ( AMD ), mine drainage, lake and stream monitoring programs, wetland creation and monitoring, filtration plant performance evaluations, testing new point of use water treatment devices and systems, hydrogeological evaluations, geological investigations, soils testing, soil morphological evaluations, water well drilling and construction, drinking water testing, mail order water testing kit program, private well water testing programs, and land reclamation. He has also been involved with Citizen Monitoring and other Environmental Training Programs for groups within the United States, Europe, and the former Soviet Union.  Brian also works with a private well owner education outreach group and a regional RC&D Council. Contact: Brian Oram, bfenviro@ptd.net, (570)-335-1947

Panel Discussion (pdf)

Presentation

Leslie Fields, Program Director

Sierra Club Environmental Justice & Community Partnerships, Washington, DC

Leslie Fields has worked extensively on natural resource extraction issues on an international level, as well as on climate change and water privatization. In addition to her work with the Sierra Club she is also an adjunct professor at Howard University School of Law, co-teaching international environmental law. She formerly served as International Director of Friends of the Earth-U.S., and has worked with community groups, nonprofits, the private sector and all levels of government.

Contact: Office: Leslie Fields, leslie.fields@sierraclub.org, (202)-548-4586

Elisa Young, Founder, Meigs Citizens Action Now, Racine, OH

Elisa Young is an environmental activist from Racine, OH. She lives on farmland that has been her family for 7 generations. She originally dreamed of starting a sustainable living and teaching center and farming organically, but found herself embroiled in coalfield struggles.  With four power plants visible from their farm, her community has the highest asthma and lung cancer death rate in the state, the shortest life expectancy, and are in the top 3rd percentile for the worst air quality in the nation.  When five more plants were proposed, threatening to make her community the largest concentration of coal-fired power plants in the nation (nine within an 11.5-mile radius) she founded the grassroots community group, Meigs Citizens Action Now!  More recently she has been concerned with the potential impacts associated with horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in Ohio, particularly the issues and risks associated with waste injection wells.  Contact: Elisa Young, elisayoung1@yahoo.com

Grant Smith, Energy Policy Analyst, Civil Society Institute, Newton, MA

Grant Smith has been an energy policy analyst with the Civil Society Institute since June 2011.  Prior to joining CSI, he was employed by the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana (CAC).  At CAC, he served as ED from 2004 to 2011, as energy and utilities director from 1998 to 2004, and as environmental coordinator from 1986 to 1998.  His responsibilities at CAC included organizing, research and writing, lobbying and media work.  He began at CAC as a canvasser.  From 2006 to 2011, he advised CSI on energy policy issues. Contact: Grant Smith, gssmith5123@gmail.com, (317)-442-8802

Dave Hanna, Onsite Training Director, New Visions Renewable Energy, Philippi, WV

Dave Hanna is Onsite Training Director for New Visions Renewable Energy. He is also a member of their technical team, which helps community members become knowledgeable with the concepts and principles of renewable energy systems and provided assistance on how to build and install electrical and/or hot water solar systems for their home or community facility. New Visions is a growing grassroots, community-based organization working to ReEnergize communities to implement renewable energy solutions. New Vision is an educational and innovation movement focusing on applicable technologies within the emerging “green” economy and serving as a hub of collaborative discussion, training and invention bringing together green innovators, community leaders, youth, companies, organizations as well as public and private partners.

Contact: New Visions Renewable Energy, info@NVRE.org, (304) 457 2971

Sam Malone, Manager of Science & Communications, FracTracker, Pittsburgh, PA

Sam Malone has worked with FracTracker since its inception in 2010 as a project of CHEC at the University of Pittsburgh. With FracTracker, she provides user and partner support, coordinates internal and external communications, and conducts and translates environmental health research for the website. She also manages FracTracker’s student internship program. Sam obtained a master of public health degree from Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health and is currently working on a doctorate of public health from the school’s Environmental and Occupational Health department. In July 2011, she was awarded a U.S. State Department and Duquesne University travel grant, where she spent a month in Ghana participating in the Emerging Leaders’ Extraction and Environment Program. Recently, Sam was appointed to the City of Pittsburgh’s Propel Pittsburgh Commission and serves on its Environment committee. Contact: Sam Malone, malone@fractracker.org, (412)-802-0273

Aaron Sutch, Energy Program Manager

The Mountain Institute (Appalachian Program), Morgantown, WV

Aaron Sutch is based in Morgantown and specializes in energy and resource management.  He started out as a classroom teacher and zoological education specialist. Prior to joining The Mountain Institute he worked for the Alliance to Save Energy in the Green Schools and Green Campus programs.  He also served as an Energy Storage Fellow at Technology Transition Corporation and interned at Solar Costa Rica, S.A. in San José Costa Rica.  He completed his undergraduate work in Languages and Linguistics at Florida Atlantic University and received dual M.A.’s in International Affairs and Natural Resources, and Sustainable Development-Energy Policy from the American University School of International Service and United Nations University for Peace.   Contact:  Aaron Sutch, asutch@mountain.org

Laura Rigell, Swarthmore Divestment Campaign, Swarthmore, PA

Laura Rigell just finished her first year at Swarthmore College, where she is a member of Swarthmore Mountain Justice.  This student group is campaigning for divestment from fossil fuels.  In 2011, Swarthmore students launched the first such campaign in the county.  Before starting at Swarthmore, Laura took a gap year to co-found the Tennessee Youth Environmental Network, a coalition of high school environmental clubs, in her home state.  This summer, she is working as an intern with Coal River Mountain Watch to make conservation easements more accessible in southern West Virginia.  At Swarthmore, Laura is designing a major titled “Sustainable Land Use,” and hopes to work on land reform in the future. Contact:  Laura Rigell, laura.rigell@gmail.com, (865) 254-3289

Saturday Evening Entertainment

East Run Bluegrass Band, Doddridge County, WV

East Run started in 1997 and is based in Doddridge County, West Virginia. They have been playing fairs, festivals, parties, bars and halls all over West Virginia and beyond for the past ten years. Over the years an eclectic mix of bluegrass based music has emerged. In the past, all the members have performed in bands spanning many genres of music, such as blues, rock, country, heavy metal, jam bands, punk and swing. Jeff Powell (Guitar) has played with many notable bands, and has written many of East Run’s original tunes. Wayne Woods (Banjo) is originally from Taylor County, WV and got started in music playing bluegrass with his father, Neil Woods. Wayne sings lead vocal on many tunes. Chris Rossi is a talented mandolin player from Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Chris is a disciplined player with a style drawing from New Grass, Swing and Southern Rock. With the addition of WV music veteran Rus Reppert on bass, the music is evolving into new sounds and dimensions.

Contact: Wayne Woods, wcwoods0000@aol.com, (304) 782-3054

Contact Information for Conference Sponsors

Doddridge County Watershed AssociationChristina Woods, mchrisw40@aol.com, (304) 782-3054

Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (www.ohvec.org)
Robin Blakeman, robin@ohvec.org, (304)-840-4877

Sierra Club (westvirginia.sierraclub.org) Bill Price, bill.price@sierraclub.org, (304)-389-8822

West Virginia Highlands Conservancy (www.wvhighlands.org)

Cindy Rank, clrank2@gmail.com, (304)-924-5802

WV Surface Owners’ Right Organization (www.wvsoro.org)
Julie Archer, julie@wvsoro.org, (304)-346-5891

Additional Resources

frackcheckwv.net/ ~ FrackCheckWV.net was created as a platform for educating citizens about the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing and providing tools and guidance for effective citizen action and advocacy. The editors of this site are volunteers with watershed and conservation groups in both West Virginia and neighboring states.

One of our Presentations For West Virginia
Education Booklet for Private Well Owners (Proceeds Support Groundwater Education in Pennsylvania)

Pennsylvania Private Well Survey Watershed Monitoring Marcellus Shale Issues Sourcewater Protection

This survey is part of the efforts of the Carbon County Groundwater Guardians and the Water Research Center, to help educate and inform the community. The survey will not be published and all information is confidential.   This survey covers topics related to Marcellus and Utica Shale Development in Pennsylvania, private well construction, role of source water protection, and how to help the rural private well owner.

Part of this survey will be used to create a new booklet that helps educate private well owners and policy makers in our community and a summary of the survey will be used to properly inform policy makers and to guide the direction of this organization.

This survey is not funded by any outside company or organization and solely funded by Mr. Brian Oram the current manager for the Groundwater Guardian Organization and Director of the Research Center. If you have questions about this survey please email – bfenviro@ptd.net or call (570) 335-1947.

 

For contributing to this survey, you will recieve the new education outreach 53 page booklet on water quality in Pennsylvania.  This booklet was written by three professional geologists and will help you understand water quality in PA, describe the proper care for your wells, and much more.     Go to the Survey – Get your Free Gift.

Recent Presentation in Wayne County, PA

Volunteer
We seek new people at all skill levels for a variety of programs. One thing that everyone can do is attend meetings to share ideas on improving CCGG, enabling us to better understand and address the concerns of well owners.

Everything we do began with an idea.

We realize your time is precious and the world is hectic. CCGG’s volunteers do only what they’re comfortable with. It can be a little or a lot.

For more information, please go to CCGG’s About Page or contact us.

Carbon County Groundwater Guardians is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Wellness and Water 2013 WV Wesleyan College, Buckhannon,WV

Wellness and Water 2013

June 29 – 30, 3013 ~ WV Wesleyan College, Buckhannon,WV

 

Saturday Morning: Bringing concerned citizens and facts together

8:00 – 9:00 am ~ Registration ~ Continental Breakfast, Coffee & Tea available

9:00- 9:15 am ~ Welcome and Introductions

9:15 – 10:00 am ~ Plenary: Dr. Tom Darrah, Duke University

10:00 – 10:20 am ~ Q & A

For More Information

10:20 – 10:30 am ~ Break

10:30 – 11:30 am ~ Panelists:

• Marc Glass, Downstream Strategies
• Rob Goodwin, Coal River Mountain Watch
• Yuri Gorby, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY)
• Brian Oram, B.F. Environmental Consultants and the Carbon County
  Groundwater Educators

Each panelist will have 10-15 minutes for an initial presentation of their work related to monitoring impacts of MTR and gas drilling. Q & A will follow entire panel presentations, until noon.

 noon – 1pm ~ Lunch

****************************************************************************

Saturday Afternoon: To whom does all this matter?

1 – 1:15 pm ~ Gathering time

Please be in your seats by 1:15 pm. Announcements may be made between 1 and 1:15 pm.

1:15 – 2:00 pm ~ Plenary: Leslie Fields, Sierra Club
2:00 – 2:15 pm ~ Q & A

2:15 – 3:15 pm ~ Affected Resident Panelists:
Coal mining affected:

• Nada White, Boone and Kanawha counties, WV
• Danny Cook, Boone County, WV
• Lorelei Scarbro, Raleigh County, WV

Gas drilling affected:

• Leann Kiner, Harrison County, WV
• Donna Herd, Doddridge County, WV
• Jeanne Moten, Washington County, PA

3:15 – 3:30 pm ~ Q & A

3:30 – 3:45 pm ~ Break and workshop set-up

3:45 – 5:15 pm ~ Workshops:

• Rob Goodwin, Coal River Mountain Watch ~ Mapping of slurry impoundments and coal mine sites
• Elisa Young ~ Problems of waste disposal and water extraction affecting the Ohio River
• Brian Oram, B.F. Environmental Consultants ~ “Working as a Community – We ALL Live Downstream” on the need for proper baseline testing and the most likely types of influence or adverse impacts associated with natural gas development
• New Visions Solar ~ Solar powered water filtration system and “homemade” solar power

5:30 pm ~ Dinner

Saturday Evening: Music & Socializing – Main Meeting Room, Student Center

7 pm – ??? ~ Featuring music by East Run (Bluegrass band)

****************************************************************************

Sunday Morning: What can we do about the problems created by extreme fossil fuel extraction in our region?

 8:00 – 9:00 am ~ Registration ~ Continental Breakfast, Coffee & Tea available

9:00 – 9:15 am ~ Welcome and Announcements

9:15 – 10:00 am ~ Plenary: Grant Smith, Civil Society Institute

10:00 – 10:15 am ~ Q & A

10:15 – 11:15 am ~ Solution Focused Panelists:

• Pam O’Brien, New Visions Solar, Solar power and solar powered water filtration devices
• Sam Malone, FracTracker: Exploring data, sharing perspectives, mapping impacts of the gas industry
• Aaron Sutch, Energy Program Manager for the Mountain Institute
• Laura Rigell, Swathmore College Divestment Campaign

Each panelist will have 10-15 minutes for an initial presentation of their work. Q & A will follow entire panel presentations, until 11:30 am.

11:30 – 11:40 am ~ Break

11:40 am – 12:30 pm ~ Roundtable Discussions (facilitated by Bill Price, Sierra Club)

12:30 – 12:45 pm ~ Wrap Up & Evaluations

12:45 – 1:45 pm ~ Lunch

For More Information

If you are in Pennsylvania, you can contribute to the Citizen Groundwater Database and help track change for FREE and if you would like to learn about our Natural Gas Related Information, please visit us at http://www.private-well-owner.org. 

Volunteer
We seek new people at all skill levels for a variety of programs. One thing that everyone can do is attend meetings to share ideas on improving CCGG, enabling us to better understand and address the concerns of well owners.

Everything we do began with an idea.

We realize your time is precious and the world is hectic. CCGG’s volunteers do only what they’re comfortable with. It can be a little or a lot.

For more information, please go to CCGG’s About Page or contact us.

Carbon County Groundwater Guardians is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.