Watershed Energy Conservation – Maintaining the Balance in Pennsylvania

Posted by Brian on March 30, 2014 · 1 Comment

Community Connections to Our Watershed – Pennsylvania DCNR Program – “Working as a Community” presentation by Mr. Brian Oram, Professional Geologist, owner of B.F. Environmental Consultants Inc. and manager of the Keystone Clean Water Team.

The program brings “Real world experiences bridge the gap between classroom “knowing” and community “doing””. PA Land Choices has been developed to provide participants with a basic understanding of community government and the powerful role of citizens who work toward common goals. The engaging activities in the manual provide opportunities to work collectively in teams, gaining knowledge and skills that will be useful for a lifetime. Workshops involve professional planners and other experts to help participants create, sustain and protect the special character or their neighborhoods. It is a lesson on citizenship and the democratic process practiced at one of the most important levels…right in your home town. At this presentation, we had teachers and students from Crestwood, Meyers, GAR, Coughlin, Lake Lehman, Hazleton HS, Hazleton STEM School, Hazleton Career Center, Northwest.

The Keystone Clean Water Team (that is correct) – The name change is official with the IRS– was happy to assist this program with an education and outreach program related to energy use, types of energy sources, need for a national energy policy and community approach, and the facts about Marcellus Shale Development. We talked about baseline testing, pre-existing problems, how wells can be impacted, how to understand and manage risk, ALL Energy Sources, WORKING as a Community and much more – All Fact Based. After the education program, the students toured a natural gas drilling site. The tour guide was Mr. Bill Desrosier from Cabot Oil and Gas.

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. We look for people that can forward solid articles, help coordinate local education efforts, and more. Become part of the Keystone Clean Water Team!.

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. Get YOUR WATER Tested – Discounted Screening Tests !

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. Waiting on Official Name change to the Keystone Clean Water Team by the IRS. Unsolicited donations are appreciated (Helps us complete our mission).

Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organization).

Filed under Alternative Energy, Carbon Sequestering, Coal, Energy, Environmental Fear, Environmental Health, Fossil Fuels, Global Warming, Greenhouse Gas, Groundwater, marcellus shale, Methane Gas Migration, Nuclear Energy, Oil Spill, Recycling, Sourcewater Protection, Unconventional Gas, Water, Water Testing, Weather, Well water testing · Tagged with Cabot, Coughlin, Crestwood, DCNR, Energy, GAR, Hazleton Career Center, Hazleton HS, Hazleton STEM School, Lake Lehman, Marcellus, Meyers, National Energy Policy, Northwest

Community Connections to Our Watershed – Marcellus Shale

Posted by Brian on March 25, 2014 · 1 Comment

Community Connections to Our Watershed – Pennsylvania DCNR Program

The Keystone Clean Water Team (that is correct) – The name change is official with the IRS– was happy to assist this program with an education and outreach program related to energy use, types of energy sources, need for a national energy policy and community approach, and the facts about Marcellus Shale Development. We talked about baseline testing, pre-existing problems, how wells can be impacted, how to understand and manage risk and much more – All Fact Based. After the education program, the students toured a natural gas drilling site. The tour guide was Mr. Bill Desrosier from Cabot Oil and Gas.

Volunteer

Everything we do began with an idea.

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

Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organization).

Filed under "Beneficial Use", acid mine drainage, Children's Health, Coal, Energy, Environmental Fear, Environmental Health, Groundwater, Homeowner, Methane Gas Migration, Sourcewater Protection, Unconventional Gas, Water Testing, Well water testing · Tagged with Community Connections to Watershed, DCNR Program, marcellus shale, Pennsylvania

Careers In Energy Education Outreach

Posted by Brian on March 19, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Keystone Clean Water Team participated in the “Careers in Energy” Event at Tunkhannock High School in February 2014. The series of classes, titled “Careers in Energy: Learning from the Industry,” was coordinated by Northern Tier Industry & Education Consortium, a Susquehanna County-based group that helps prime college and high school students for job placement in growing industries. During the event, we meet over 200 students and discussed energy efficiency, alternative energy, the direct careers in Energy, and indirect careers in Energy. We also discussed changes that are needed and how they can be part of the solution to conserve energy and promote a national energy policy that includes renewable energy systems. During the education session, we showed working models of some wind turbine and solar energy kits.

The presentation can be found at Careers in Energy – Tunkhannock High School – Earth Sciences, Green Building, Renewable Energy, Energy Audit, Weatherization/ Efficiency, Sustainability and More (Presentation- Feb 2014)

We are participating in a similar event in April 2014 in Kingsley, PA and we are conducting a two day training session for young adults for the DCNR in March 2014 in Tunkhannock, PA.

Volunteer

Everything we do began with an idea.

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

Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organization).

Filed under Alternative Energy, Children's Health, Coal, Energy, Environmental Fear, Fossil Fuels, Unconventional Gas · Tagged with careers in energy, energy conservation, energy use conservation, pennsylvania national energy policy, renewable energy, susquehanna, tunkhannock, wyoming

Fourteenth Year of Being Recognized as a Groundwater Guardian Community

Posted by Brian on February 15, 2014 · 2 Comments

Pennsylvania GROUNDWATER GUARDIANS Recognized

The Carbon County Groundwater Guardians recently received national recognition from the Nebraska-based Groundwater Foundation, which designated the county as a “Groundwater Guardian Community.” This is the 14th (fourteenth) consecutive year the local group has received the award. To celebrate that recognition we announced our Free Well and Spring Testing and Screening Program and officially announcing the new name of the organization will be the Keystone Clean Water Team. The Team will maintain the goals of the Groundwater Guardian Program and will include an objective to provide information and technical support to aid in the formation of new local Groundwater Guardian Organizations throughout Pennsylvania.

We also announcing our official ROA’s for 2014. We have three primary ROA or objects for 2014. These include:

1. Providing fact based information without bias or spin. This information will be provided through our Web-Portal and Facebook Account or by joining the PA Groundwater Forum.
2. PA Groundwater Education, Private Well Owner Workshops, and assisting with the review of data being submitted to the PA Citizens Groundwater and Surfacewater Database in PA.
3. Groundwater and Surfacewater are connected. Therefore, we will highlight key issues related to watershed management, riparian zones, sourcewater protection, and more.

“The greatest threat to our groundwater and water supply is lack of awareness and misinformation,” said Brian Oram, manager of the Keystone Clean Water Team and Carbon County Groundwater Program. He explains that misinformation results in the support of efforts that ultimately do not solve the primary problems. The organization, Oram said, “is a non-profit group designed to encourage citizen involvement in groundwater protection at the local level and to provided fact-based information on multiple topics”.

With the receipt of the Groundwater Guardian Community national award, we are proud to be recognized and we hope to afford conducting a small celebration to promote this effort and the recent changes to the organization. We would also like to recognize the new members for the board. The members of the board include Mr. Rick Grant, Dr. Marleen Troy, Mrs. Susan Gallagher, Mr. Greg Sorber, and Mr. Brian Oram. We also like to thank the effort and leadership of Mr. Frank Waksmunski.

Volunteer

Everything we do began with an idea.

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

Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organization).

Filed under Children's Health, Energy, Environmental Fear, Environmental Health, Groundwater, marcellus shale, Methane Gas Migration, septic system, Sourcewater Protection, Unconventional Gas, Water, Water Testing, Well water testing · Tagged with Groundwater Foundation, Groundwater Guardian Community, groundwater guardians, keystone clean water team, marcellus shale education outreach, master well owner, Pennsylvania Groundwater Education, Pennsylvania watershed management

Shalefield Stories: Frontlines of Fracking Tell their Story to the Country

Posted by Brian on February 13, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Shalefield Stories: Residents on the Frontlines of Fracking Tell their story to the country

Philadelphia, PA — A newly released booklet, compiled by the citizen’s group Friends of the Harmed, is being released nationwide to make the case why fracking should not be expanded into other states. The booklet, called Shalefield Stories, which PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center is helping to present, recounts stories of families living with illness, water contamination and damage to their livelihood—even as the current administration advocates to carry-on, full steam ahead, with fracking.

“Behind the alarming numbers that outline fracking’s environmental impacts, there are real people whose lives have been gravely impacted by these polluting practices,” said Kristen Cevoli, Fracking Program Director for PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. “These are their stories, and it is our responsibility to heed their words of warning on fracking.”

People recalling their experiences with fracking damage in Shalefield Stories include:

Judy Armstrong Stiles of Bradford County, Pa., who spoke of the barium and arsenic that was found in her drinking water, and then in her blood, after Chesapeake began drilling on her land;
June Chappel of Washington County, Pa., who lived with a 15 million gallon fracking waste pit just 200 feet from her house; and
Terry Greenwood of Washington County PA, who lost 11 head of cattle after fracking fluid contaminated a pond and field on his farm.

Shalefield Stories was compiled by individual residents in Pennsylvania and is being released in a number of events across the country to highlight the tragedies that have impacted people in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Ohio, Texas, and West Virginia from growing amounts of shale gas drilling.

“The natural gas industry has stolen our land, polluted our streams and air, made our family and animals ill, and destroyed our peaceful way of life,” said David and Linda Headley, residents of Fayette County, PA in the report. “We want safer extraction, more concern for the environment, and accountability for the industry.”

One of the common themes running through Shalefield Stories is how people have become sick living on the frontlines of fracking. In Bradford County, PA, shortly after drilling began in 2010, the Stiles family experienced a series of unexplained health problems, from extreme rashes that caused their skin to peel, stomach aches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and seizures. An independent water test revealed dangerous levels of lead, methane, barium, arsenic, and other toxic chemicals in family’s tap water. Blood tests revealed barium and arsenic. Further testing revealed radon in the air, and radium and uranium in the water.

The toxic substances used in fracking fluid and wastewater have been linked to a variety of negative and serious health effects, such as cancer, endocrine disruption, and neurological and immune system problems.

“The only transparent part of this industry is the toxic contamination that it’s doing to our environment and to our democracy” stated Briget Shields of Friends of the Harmed, “This one of the reasons we put Shalefield Stories together – to expose what these drilling companies are doing to our families and communities.”

PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center presented Shalefield Stories today, as further mounting evidence of the dangerous and dirty practice of fracking in the state of Pennsylvania.

“For anyone across the nation who doubts the damage of dirty drilling, all they have to do is look to the nightmare unfolding in Pennsylvania. We have known this truth for some time. But now we are hearing it from the source, from the very people living on the frontlines of fracking,” concluded Cevoli. “We urge our decision-makers in Harrisburg to heed the warnings of their own constituents who have had to live with the consequences of dirty drilling, and take swift action to close the door on this dangerous practice.”

On the federal level, last summer the Obama administration received more than a million comments urging for much stronger protections from fracking for national forests and national parks. In addition, Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA) has introduced CLEANER (H.R. 2825) — a bill to close the loophole exempting oil and gas waste from the nation’s hazardous waste law.

Reference/Comment- Characteristics of Wastes (I do agree that the states should be regulating under the Solid Waste Regulations- PA does due this already)!

“What experiences like these show is that states are not protecting people from this dirty drilling,” said Cevoli, of PennEnvironment. “It’s time for Washington to step in; ultimately they need to ban fracking in order to protect our environment and public health. They can start by barring fracking in and around our national parks and national forests, and closing the loopholes that exempts fracking from core provisions of our nation’s bedrock environmental and public health laws.”

For more information- Because of the size of the document (18 mb) and the unclear copyright provisions (18 mb) is appears the document may be available for free from Penn Environmental.

Personal Comments

1. I think it is a document that must be reviewed, please obtain a copy, review, and fact check.
2. I wish the authors provided more historic detail where predrilling testing was actually present and available. Many of the problems or unknowns created by the lack of proper baseline testing. A little more fact checking would have been nice.
3. I wish the authors went a little deeper that just listing cases, but did the follow through and remove claims that were later to be determined not to be related to natural gas development. This makes the larger document suspect and takes away from the individuals that had an impact from spill or disturbance during the drilling problem.
4.Again -the document does that same as all the other posts – takes about the stuff that was found in the water, but really does not go into the details on pre-drilling levels, post-drilling levels, and what the levels really mean. Please see the Well by Well Analysis for Dimock.
5. We have been working on groundwater and private well issues for a long time, it is not just about the documented presence, but the concentration and other information is critical.
6. PA residents can submit their data to the Citizens Database (In Development)
7. Impacts to private well and groundwater is NOT an issue that should be used as part of environmental spin. There are real problems that require real solutions. Many citizens need to understand what happened, how to fix, and how to protect their interest.

Volunteer

Everything we do began with an idea.

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. Unsolicited donations are appreciated.

Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organization).

Filed under Children's Health, Environmental Fear, Environmental Health, Fossil Fuels, Groundwater, Homeowner, marcellus shale, Uncategorized, Unconventional Gas, Water, Water Testing, Well water testing · Tagged with congress closing the loophole, fracking, fracking damage, HB 1285, Kristen Cevoli, Penn Environmental, shalefield stories, your story matters

Energy a potential career for teens- We Talk About How We All Use Energy and are Part of the Solution

Posted by Brian on October 31, 2013 · Leave a Comment

We Talk About How We All Use Energy and are Part of the Solution

“PRINGLE – Brian Oram quizzed a group of students at the West Side Career and Technology.

“What percentage of energy do we waste?” Oram asked.

“Too much” and “a lot” were some responses. Oram pushed for a number.

“Fifty eight percent of the energy we produce, we waste,” Oram disclosed.

Oram was one of a dozen speakers at the school Wednesday talking about careers in or tied to the energy field. He is a licensed professional geologist and soil scientist and owns a private environmental consulting business, B.F. Environmental Consultants Inc.

Cabot Oil & Gas and Junior Achievement of NEPA Inc. helped organize the sessions at the school. The purpose of the sessions was exposing students to career options, Administrative Director Nancy P. Tkatch said.

The energy field has jobs and careers “in our own backyard” for students, such as welders, petroleum engineers and computer-technology specialists, Tkatch said.

Bill desRosiers, external affairs coordinator for Cabot Oil, said he talked to students about job opportunities resulting from Marcellus Shale production in Susquehanna County. He said some of the jobs are not even at drilling sites, where natural gas is released through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Those jobs involve repairing drill bits and computer technologies, desRosiers said.

Fracking opponents object to potential environmental impacts, including contamination of ground water, depletion of fresh water and the migration of gases and hydraulic fracturing chemicals to the surface.

mbuffer@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2073″

Note my writing – story by MICHAEL P. BUFFER (STAFF WRITER) –

Comments

1. Great Event
2. We need to talk more about the energy we generate and how we waste.
3. Need to come up with a solution that includes all stakeholders and is an integrated solution. All energy sources should be on the table
4. I was not interviewed for the story.
5. But I really like these events – we are part of the problem and we must be part of the solution.

Message

1. Conservation First
2. Educate and Use Energy Wisely
3. Make Good Long-Term Decisions as a Community
4. Need for a National Energy Policy – not picking winners, but getting us (citizens and business) to work together.
5. Importance and role for Groundsource, Geothermal, and biomass options.

Filed under Alternative Energy, Environmental Fear, Groundwater, Homeowner, Unconventional Gas · Tagged with alternative and renewable energy, energy conservation, luzerne county, West Side Career and Technology

Catholic Social Teaching and Energy Policy: Fracking, Tar Sands, Climate Justice

Posted by Brian on September 21, 2013 · 3 Comments

The McGowan Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility was established to be a visible, dynamic expression of the commitment of King’s College to offer students intellectual, moral, and spiritual preparation for satisfying and purposeful lives. That commitment has its origins in the understanding of education distinctive to the tradition of the Congregation of Holy Cross. In the words of the College’s founding president, King’s teaches students “not only how to make a living, but how to live” (Father James Connerton, C.S.C., 1946). Education is accordingly a work of both instructing minds and cultivating hearts.

2013 Feast of Saint Francis Lecture

Catholic Social Teaching and Energy Policy,” Dave Andrews, C.S.C.David Andrews, C.S.C., Senior Representative, Food and Water Watch, and former Executive Director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference

Thursday, October 3, 7:00 pm, Burke Auditorium, McGowan School of Business

Most recent articles by the speaker:

In global fight against fracking, faith community should lead

“Given those dangers, there is good cause for caution and responsible oversight before further fracking proceeds (currently, more than 30 states permit fracking). The Catholic Rural Life Conference has pushed for an infusion of ethical analysis into the fracking debate, like what has occurred in other issues, from agriculture and labor, to energy, water and other natural resources.”

Another article

http://ncronline.org/blogs/eco-catholic/br-david-andrews-morality-fracking

Just providing notice – it is important to attend events of this nature.

Holy Cross Br. David Andrews is a senior representative at Food and Water Watch, a consumer group based in Washington. He is former director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. The Rural Life Council -http://www.ncrlc.com/

Article from their website – a little more balanced than Dave Andrews- – http://catholicrurallife.org/news/understanding-fracking-catholic-news-service-series/

Important Note who is the
Brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross Valatie, New York

The Brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross owned 450 acres of land in Valatie, New York, when Brother David Andrews arrived in 1976 to create a Retreat and Conference Center. Brother David developed a local board of directors including people from the Diocese of Albany. Contacts within the New York State Assembly Committee on Food, Farm and Nutrition Policy, especially Mabel Gil, encouraged the Brothers to develop programs on “alternative agriculture”. http://www.crystalspring.org/html/religlandsstoriessvalat.html

Overall-

1. Hope that this talk is more than just suspected impacts and what ifs about natural gas development.

2. I do not remember ever having an ethical debate about nuclear power, hydroelectric dams, use of fossil fuels, biofuels (ethanol), getting energy from countries that are unstable and have worse social justice than use, counties with zero tolerance to womens’ rights/ religious freedoms/ etc or even renewable energy – did i miss something?

3. Renewable energy is not without is dangers and environmental impacts.

4. We must admit we are the problem not the fuel source.

5. We waste over 50% of the energy we produce.

6. Social Teaching could be a great approach to make the change we need to make as a society – but one sided augments that are NOT fact based will no help at all. We need to move forward as a Community.

6. If Business will not invest in biomass, renewable, energy efficiency etc – I would then suggest the Church become the investor. Invest in the people to make a positive change in the community.

Training and More Education

Energy Related Topics and Training
Hydraulic Fracturing and Natural Gas Development

Energy Conservation and Energy Audit Programs/Certification

Filed under Children's Health, Environmental Fear, Environmental Health, Unconventional Gas · Tagged with catholic religion, energy jobs, energy policy, energy soft power, energy storage production generation, energy waste, ethics, faith based community, faith based environmental movement, food and water watch, fracking, high volume hydraulic fracturing, hydraulic fracturing, Kings College, social responsibility natural gas development

Webinars Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water by the Environmental Protection Agency

Posted by Brian on September 1, 2013 · 3 Comments

CLU-IN’s ongoing series of Internet Seminars are free, web-based slide presentations with a companion audio portion. We provide two options for accessing the audio portion of the seminar: by phone line or streaming audio simulcast. Past summaries and presentations are also available. To register for any Webinar.

Case Studies to Assess Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources

On July 30, 2013, EPA hosted a Hydraulic Fracturing Study Technical Workshop on Case Studies to Assess Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources. This one-hour webinar will provide a summary of the workshop and cover workshop themes.

Sep 12, 2013
11:00AM-12:00PM EDT
15:00-16:00 GMT

Hazard System Labeling System – 6 Modules
The Hazard Ranking System (HRS) webinar series is an intermediate-level course designed for personnel who are required to compile, draft and review preliminary assessments (PA), site inspections (SI), and HRS documentation records/packages submitted for proposal to the National Priorities List (NPL). The course is intended for EPA Regional, state, tribal and contractor personnel, who support EPA in the Superfund site assessment/NPL listing process.

This course assumes a basic understanding of the HRS and its context within the site assessment process. The training course is intended to enable staff to prepare HRS packages for the NPL and to plan PAs and SIs to address future HRS scoring issues. This training course provides details of the structure and application of the revised HRS and information related to the preparation of HRS packages, including HRS scoresheets, documentation records and site summaries. The course will incorporate an interactive case study to provide practical application of the HRS.

The webinar series consists of six two-hour sessions over three weeks. In order to receive credit for taking the course, participants must participate in each session. If you are unable to make one of the sessions, archived versions will be made available at www.clu-in.org that you can take to receive credit for the missed live session. In order to receive credit for a missed session, you must complete the missed session within 2 months of the originally scheduled date and submit an evaluation form from that archived module.

This introductory module will provide an overview of the regulatory context of the HRS, the site assessment process and the HRS structure. It will also include a presentation of documentation requirements under the HRS and a discussion of preparing HRS packages.

Oct 15, 2013
1:00PM-3:00PM EDT
17:00-19:00 GMT

CEC Training for OSCs…Pipeline Emergencies

Approximately 327,000 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines, 1.8 million miles of natural gas distribution pipelines and 161,000 miles of liquid pipelines safely transport natural gas and a range of liquid petroleum products daily. Like any industry that deals with hazardous materials, there are potential risks in the manufacturing and transportation processes. Pipeline Emergencies is a 3-hour webinar training course that provides practical information on how to respond safely and effectively to pipeline incidents and emergencies.

The purpose of the course is to provide participants with the knowledge and understanding of the EPA’s regulatory authority regarding pipeline emergency planning and response operations, how pipelines operate, the common products that may be transported through both transmission and distribution pipeline systems, the various roles and responsibilities among emergency responders and government and industry when responding to an incident and pipeline emergency response operations.

The target audience for this webinar course is new and mid-career On-Scene Coordinators (OSC) with an interest in learning about pipeline emergencies. This webinar does not address tactics and field methodology as that information is better suited for face-to-face or field demonstration training.

Oct 2, 2013
1:00PM-4:00PM EDT
17:00-20:00 GMT

Volunteer

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.. Unsolicited donations are appreciated.

Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organization).

Hydraulic Fracturing https://www.online-training-courses.info/search-courses-geology

Filed under Environmental Fear, Environmental Health, marcellus shale, Methane Gas Migration, Water Testing, Well water testing · Tagged with EPA agency presentations, groundwater contamination, hydraulic fracturing webinar, natural gas development

Citizen Science and the Citizen Groundwater/ Surfacewater Database The Concept- The Need- The Purpose The Private Well Owner Outreach Program in Pennsylvania by Mr. Brian Oram, PG

Posted by Brian on August 19, 2013 · 3 Comments

The Carbon County Groundwater Guardians – Support the Citizen Groundwater and Surfacewater Database. Here is a quick summary.

We are working with Mr. Brian Oram, Dr. Brian Redmond and Dr. Sid Halsor on the development, formation, and creation of this community tool. This regional water quality database is an unbiased warehouse of water quality data that is supported by fellow “Citizens” of this Commonwealth. The database will provide information about the current state of groundwater and surface water quality and serve as a basis for monitoring impacts related to Marcellus gas drilling and other activity in our region. The database initiative is the first of its kind in northeast Pennsylvania and the initial database targeted private wells in Luzerne and Columbia Counties, but we are reaching out to build partnerships throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania so the database can include other counties in the area, i.e., Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Sullivan, Wayne, and Wyoming.

The purpose of our database is twofold.

1) We will use it to help us better understand the current and future groundwater and surface water quality for the region. The database will also be used to generate educational materials relating to regional water quality.

2) The database is for research and education purposes, and will not be sold or used for any commercial purpose. The database is managed by Mr. Brian Oram, Dr. Brian Redmond and Dr. Sid Halsor.

To protect your privacy, the research database file will only include the testing results, zip code, general information on well or water source, and the latitude and longitude of the sampling site. Your name, address, or other contact information will NOT be included within the database.

After reviewing this information, we would hope you will take action and support the PA Citizens Groundwater and Surfacewater Database.

To Contribute – Send NO MONEY – JUST Certified Data !

In order to participate in this process, please do the following:

1. Information Document about the Program (Download a copy – fill it out -Please Keep for Your Reference).
2. Download a copy of the Consent Form to release to the Database and Sign and Return.
3. Send a copy of your certified laboratory testing results with Chain-of-Custody Documents.
4. Mail this information to:

Mr. Brian Oram, PG
Citizen Outreach Program
15 Hillcrest Drive
Dallas, PA 18612
Questions – call (570) 335-1947
or send a pdf version by email to bfenviro@ptd.net.

We are attempting to schedule Educational Outreach Programs about the database and private well owner training/monitoring programs. To schedule a training event, please use our contact us form.

Other Programs

1. PA Private Well Owner Survey
2. Private Well Owner Survey – US (All other states)

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.

Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organization).

Filed under Environmental Fear, Environmental Health, Groundwater, Homeowner, marcellus shale, Nonprofits, septic system, Sourcewater Protection, Water Testing, Well water testing · Tagged with baseline testing, citizen monitoring, drinking water quality, Pennsylvania Groundwater Surfacewater Database, private well water, water quality

Act 13 Grant Application Baseline Tesitng Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Columbia County Pennsylvania

Posted by Brian on August 19, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Notice of Grant Application

The Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation & Development Council has submitted a grant application to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development that could allow our organization and its partners to use financial resources from the Marcellus Legacy Fund to implement a Baseline Water Quality Testing Program in the Council’s service area. Through this grant, we hope to complete testing in Columbia, Lackawanna, and Luzerne Counties. As it is a requirement for this grant, we are notifying you that if we are successful in obtaining the funds, we could be working within your jurisdiction.

The Marcellus Shale underlies eight of the ten counties in the Council’s service area. Most of the residents we serve are either directly or indirectly impacted by unconventional shale gas development. In addition, approximately 60% of the residents rely on private wells for their drinking water needs, putting them at increased risk. Monitoring and documenting baseline conditions is critical to not only protecting rural water sources and the environment, but also to safeguard the larger community water supply water sources.

The main elements of the project will include:

1. Educate private well owners on baseline water quality issues;

2. Provide free baseline water testing, conducted by a certified testing laboratory and collected by trained samplers, for approximately 200 private well owners, giving priority to those over the age of 65 or families that have a median income of less than 2 times the poverty level in our project area;

3. Offer free assistance to review baseline testing conducted by this project or conducted by the individual private well owner or given to the private well owner within our service area;

4. Implement a training program for samplers conducting baseline analysis to ensure the use of proper chain-of-custody, field collection, testing, and documentation, and reporting of the data;

5. Provide assistance to all private well owners that participated in this project by providing a “non-

technical” review of the testing results explained in plain language, a free copy of Pennsylvania Groundwater Quality: Your Private Well: What Do the Results Mean?, and conducting regional education outreach events; and

6. The data, excluding confidential contact information, will be maintained by the certified laboratory and the Council in a spreadsheet format that can be then added to the Citizen Groundwater and Surface Water Database or other state and regional databases.

The Pocono Northeast R C & D Council appreciates your interest and support for this project. It will provide valuable data on the status of rural wells, as well as ensure that the participants in the study will be better off with its completion. Please contact us with any questions you may have at 570-234-3577.

http://www.pnercd.org

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.

Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organization).

Filed under "Beneficial Use", Children's Health, Environmental Fear, Environmental Health, marcellus shale, Methane Gas Migration, Sourcewater Protection, Unconventional Gas, Water, Water Testing, Well, Well water testing · Tagged with Act 13 funding private well testing, baseline well water testing, certified baseline testing, columbia county, lackawanna, luzerne, marcellus legacy fund, marcellus shale development, Pennsylvania

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Watershed Energy Conservation – Maintaining the Balance in Pennsylvania

Community Connections to Our Watershed – Marcellus Shale

Careers In Energy Education Outreach

Fourteenth Year of Being Recognized as a Groundwater Guardian Community

Pennsylvania GROUNDWATER GUARDIANS Recognized

Shalefield Stories: Frontlines of Fracking Tell their Story to the Country

Energy a potential career for teens- We Talk About How We All Use Energy and are Part of the Solution

Webinars Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water by the Environmental Protection Agency

Citizen Science and the Citizen Groundwater/ Surfacewater Database The Concept- The Need- The Purpose The Private Well Owner Outreach Program in Pennsylvania by Mr. Brian Oram, PG

Act 13 Grant Application Baseline Tesitng Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Columbia County Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania GROUNDWATER GUARDIANS Recognized

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