B.F. Environmental Partners with Keystone Clean Water Team to Share Environmental Data
WILKES-BARRE, PA—September 25, 2015—B.F. Environmental Consultants, an environmental consulting firm providing a range of services throughout the Northeast, announced today that it will begin making detailed environmental risk reports available to consumers through its partnership with Keystone Clean Water Team, a Pennsylvania-based non-profit. The new program has been launched. The program provides detailed information regarding existing and historic environmental hazards in communities across the country.
“A great deal of environmental risk data is available today but little if any of it is being made available to consumers,” said Brian Oram, a professional geologist and soil scientist and founder of B.F. Environmental Consultants. “By working with the Keystone Clean Water Team, we’re able to share this information with homeowners so that they will know what dangers are lurking in their neighborhoods and have some idea about what they can do about them.”
As part of the program, B.F. Environmental works with a national environmental database search company to identify possible sources of environmental contamination and then augments that data with information from its proprietary information sources, including its Know Your H2O? app and its online Water Research Center. The reports available to consumers provide a snapshot of the current and historic environmental concerns and hazards that might impact a property as well as a review of select criminal activity.
“The combination of the mobile app, customized reports, research reports, and water testing services will help citizens identify the environmental hazards present in their communities and help them address concerns they have about their city water, well water, or local stream water quality,” Oram said. “We are very proud to link these programs to help identify the little known hazards that affect consumers, identify the possible causes for water quality issues and provide assistance in diagnosing problems.” “If you act quickly you can request a free report- We are offering 500+ free reports – Learn More Here“.
About B.F. Environmental Consultants, Inc.
B.F. Environmental Consultants, based in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Poconos, has been providing professional geological, soils, hydrogeological, and environmental consulting services since 1985. The company specializes in the following areas: hydrogeological and wastewater evaluations for siting land-based wastewater disposal systems; soils consulting (soil scientists), environmental monitoring, overseeing the siting, exploration, and development of community/ commercial water supply sources; environmental training/ professional training courses, and other environmental services. For more information about B.F. Environmental Consultants, visit www.bfenvironmental.com and www.water-research.net.
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Know Your H20? Drinking Water Diagnostic
Baseline Water Testing App – Pennsylvania
JKLM ENERGY, LLC Surfactant Release Potter County Chemical Spill
Initial Press Release (Partial) – Chemical Spill – Potter County, PA (Please like and share with others)
“JKLM ENERGY, LLC INITIATES RESPONSE TO RELEASE OF SURFACTANT AT REESE HOLLOW DRILLING LOCATION IN SWEDEN TOWNSHIP, POTTER COUNTY WEXFORD, Pa (Sept.24) – JKLM Energy, LLC (JKLM) today released information on the company’s ongoing efforts to respond to an incident in which a surfactant solution used in the drilling and completion of natural gas wells is believed to have migrated into shallow subsurface and ground water during initial drilling activities at the Reese Hollow 118 Pad located off Burrows Road in Sweden Township, Potter County, Pa. Surfactants are also referred to as “foaming agents” or “soap.” The migration was discovered following the use of the surfactant to free a broken drill bit piece in the well at 570 feet below ground on September 18th.“
“Local residents with questions may contact Dean Boorum, JKLM’s community liaison, at (814) 598-3960. The company is also establishing a website (www.northhollowresponse.com) to provide regular updates as the groundwater investigation and response process continues.”
Link to Information Portal
Link to Press Release –
“JKLM ENERGY, LLC TO PROVIDE DAILY UPDATES TO COMMUNITY ON PROJECT WEBSITE No Isopropanol Present in Five of Six Initial Well Water Samples Closest to Drilling Location WEXFORD, Pa (Sept.25) – JKLM Energy, LLC today announced plans to issue daily updates to the public regarding the release of drilling chemicals at its Sweden Township, Potter County wellpad. These updates, along with previous press releases and related information will be available at www.northhollowresponse.com, beginning at 4:00 PM today. As of September 24, 2015 JKLM Energy, LLC received lab results from six water sources that had potential groundwater contamination. These results included four of the five private water wells with foamy characteristics for the presence of isopropanol, the chemical of principal concern in the incident, which was not detected in those four wells. The material was also not detected in a sample collected from a spring located in the area of the investigation. The private well with foam closest to the drill site contained 15 ppm (parts per million) isopropanol, which is at the Act 2 standard for aquifers serving residential uses, the threshold for state drinking water standards. These sampling results are consistent with the belief that the aquifer would continue to disperse and degrade the isopropanol as it is transported through the aquifer by means of normal water flow.”
Local Bradford County News Report
Another News Report
Another Report
JKLM ENERGY PROJECT UPDATE, OCTOBER 1
Total number of water samples (water wells, springs and surface water sources) analyzed to date (93), and those found with the presence of methylene blue activated substances (MBAS), isopropanol (IPA) and acetone, a constituent that is expected to be found as isopropanol breaks down in the environment. In a correction from yesterday’s update, a total of five samples have been returned with levels of MBAS above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s non-health secondary standard of 0.5 parts per million (ppm). 5 samples above MBAS standard and 1 above isopropanol standard.
Learn More about Foaming Agents in Well Water
Video –Potter County’s water sources contaminated (9/25/2015) – Must Watch – Solid Information. (53 gallons of chemical used – final concentration or 0.25 % or 2500 mg/L after initial dilution). (Clarity requested- did it say it moved 8000 feet in 1 day?)
dep-notice-of-violation-jklm-energy (9/30/2015)
Our Comments
Testing Should include general water quality, MBAS, isopropanol, and acetone. When isopropanol breaks down in the environment, this is a possible daughter. This would suggest running a full VOC can with TICs to pick up daughters. Therefore, the equivalent of a Tier II may be advisable. The breakdown of isopropanol to acetone was based on feedback and expert information from B.F. Environmental Consultants and Quantum Laboratories.
Drinking Water Standard for foaming agents or MBAS – methyl blue activated substances or surfactants is 0.5 mg/L – potential aesthetic problems.
“Methylene blue active substances (MBAS) are anionic surfactants that can be detected by colorometric or color reaction methods. An MBAS assay is a type of analysis that makes use of a substance called methylene blue in order to detect the existence of foaming agents, detergents as well as other anionic substances in water under testing. With the MBAS assay method, undesirable components in water samples can be detected appropriately. This prevents water corrosion or contamination.”
Acetone – Drinking Water Standard – No formal Standard, but there is a clean up standard of 33 mg/L, but New Jersey has a standard of 6 mg/L. (Also Acetone can be naturally occurring). If evaluating acetone, it would be advisable to collect preserved and unpreserved samples and analyze samples as soon as possible. In some cases, the preservation method may create some acetone.
MSDS Sheet – sec-PROPYL ALCOHOL, ISOPROPANOL, PROPAN-2-OL, IPA – ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL
Another MSDS Sheet (another source)
More MSDS Sheets – F-485 and Rock Drill Oil 150 (We could not determine the specific one so we are using the “Gulf” as an example)
National Drinking Water Database – Forming Agents
Recommended Baseline Testing – Get The App (FREE)
Informational Course On Fracking and other Energy Courses – The Process
Actions:
- If you have any testing done as part of this action, please consider releasing this data to the Citizen Groundwater and Surface Water Database. Fill out the attached form and mail the data to the following address:
Mr. Brian Oram, PG
Keystone Clean Water Team
15 Hillcrest Drive
Dallas, PA 18612
Please note- if you have baseline testing done already you may have some information on the level of surfactants in the water if you had a MBAS test done. - Informational Screening Testing – Get your water screened for water contamination including isopropanol – Informational Screening Water Kit (Not Certified) Covers about 200 parameters, plus a review of any predrilling data – Only $ 275.00. Email
- Drinking Water Guide for Pennsylvania.
Ben Franklin’s SGICC Releases Updated Study Summarizing Shale Gas Wastewater Treatment and Disposal
Ben Franklin’s SGICC Releases Updated Study Summarizing Shale Gas Wastewater Treatment and Disposal in Pennsylvania in 2014
STATE COLLEGE, PA – In 2012 the Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation & Commercialization Center (www.sgicc.org) commissioned a study on the status of wastewater being produced in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Now, three years later, SGICC is updating the report, not only because of the slowdown in the drilling process across the Commonwealth, but also due to the rapid change the shale industry has made in management techniques for the wastewater from shale gas and NGL extraction. See the new 2015 report, as well as the 2012 version, on the SGICC web site at http://www.sgicc.org/research–reports.html.
SGICC hired Wunz Associates, LLC to undertake the study as a follow up to their 2012 effort. An exhaustive search of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) wastewater reporting records was undertaken, coupled with discussions with leading companies treating the wastewater for the industry. In addition to posting the Wunz Associate report at the link above, a second report generated by Eureka Resources, LLC regarding their Standing Stone treatment facility operations in Bradford County, PA and published in SPE International in 2015 is also available.
The most significant finding in the 2015 Wunz report is that volumes classified as “produced water” exceeded those classified as “frac fluid” in 2014. Bill Hall, SGICC Director notes, “This has occurred largely due to the slowdown in drilling and fracturing of wells by the industry and could reverse again in the future when natural gas and NGL prices rebound and drilling picks up again. Additionally, the amount of produced water is likely to decline over time since it is generated in proportion to the amount of gas or NGLs a well is producing, and that tends to drop off fairly rapidly after the initial years of production.”
Hall also stressed that the majority of the wastewater generated as both “produced” and “frac fluid” are recycled by the industry. In fact, the PADEP records indicate that over 91% of the water is recycled by being used in a future completions project. Recycling is typically done after the water is partially treated to remove solids and other unneeded constituents.
“There may be a point in the future where total frac flowback fluid and produced water volumes do exceed the total volume of water used to fracture wells in the state. But that point has not been reached yet,” noted Hall. “The industry continues to look for innovations in the area of shale wastewater treatment and disposal to address future challenges.”
Online Training Courses
Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) – Environmental Issues
Hydraulic Fracturing – The Process
Industrial Water Treatment and Underground Injection Control
Comprehensive – Petrochemical – Shale Gas Course
Carbon County Pennsylvania Groundwater Help to Hometown
The Keystone Clean Water Team has its roots in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. The organization is attempting to educate and inform private well owners about issues related to water quality. We were just recently contacted by someone in the Hometown Area that was having a problem. He called and discussed the issues which appeared series. we asked the person to email us with the details = but we have not received the information.
So – We decided to post this message !
1. If you called the Keystone Clean Water Team looking for help and spoke with Brian – please email us a cleanwater@carbonwaters.org. Please provide a full description of the problem and type of information you have available and your street mailing address.
2. If you are having a problem with your well water in Carbon County, PA- please provide us a description of the problem and your mailing address.
3. We do not have the funds to fix any problems, but we do have the opportunity to compile the problems and attempt to compare the problems to known historic environmental hazards in the area.
4. If you are outside of Carbon County, PA and are having a problem – we would be happy to review any data, but we would also suggest running a Neighborhood Environmental Hazard Report.
Everything we do began with an idea.
Keystone Clean Water Team 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 (Helps us complete our mission), but we also do local educational workshops and local cellphone/small electronic recycling programs. If you would like to set up a program to help recycle cellphones at an event, business, or other organization. Through our program we can recycle cell phones, iPods, game systems, and small digital cameras. If your interested, please contact us. Our new PSAs.
Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organization). Water Science Basics!
For more information, please go to KCWT’s About Page or contact us. Follow us on Twitter
Wastewater Used to Map Illegal Drug Use
Environment News Service
CORVALLIS, Oregon, July 15, 2009 (ENS) – For the first time, patterns of illegal drug use across a state have been mapped using a method of sampling municipal wastewater before it is treated.
Applying analytical methods developed at Oregon State University, researchers from OSU, the University of Washington, and McGill University collected single-day samples from 96 municipalities across Oregon, representing 65 percent of the state’s population.
They tested the samples for evidence of methamphetamine, cocaine, and MDMA, commonly called ecstasy.
Municipal water treatment facilities across Oregon volunteered for the study to help further the development of this methodology as a proactive tool for health officials.
Their findings provide a snapshot of drug excretion that can be used to better understand patterns of drug use in multiple municipalities over time.
The study, published this week in the journal “Addiction,” reports a demonstration of this method conducted by UW drug epidemiologist Caleb Banta-Green, OSU chemist Jennifer Field, OSU toxicologist Daniel Sudakin, McGill spatial epidemiologist Luc de Montigny and others.
“This work is the first to demonstrate the use of wastewater samples for spatial analyses, a relatively simple and cost-effective approach to measuring community drug use,” said lead author Banta-Green.
Meth user (Photo courtesy Eyes of the World Media Group)
“Current measures of the true prevalence of drug use are severely limited both by cost and methodological issues,” he said. “We believe these data have great utility as a population measure of drug use and provide further evidence of the validity of this methodology.”
“Municipalities across the state generously volunteered to help us test our methods by collecting samples more or less simultaneously, providing us with 24-hour composite influent samples from one day – March 4, 2008,” said Field, who led the laboratory analyses of the samples.
Lab tests of the samples showed that the index loads of a cocaine metabolite were significantly higher in urban areas and below the level of detection in some rural areas.
Methamphetamine was present in all municipalities, rural and urban.
Ecstacy was at quantifiable levels in less than half of the communities, with a significant trend toward higher index loads in more urban areas.
The researchers said their study validates wastewater drug testing methodology that could serve as a tool for public health officials to identify patterns of drug abuse across multiple municipalities over time.
“We believe this methodology can dramatically improve measurement of the true level and distribution of a range of illicit drugs,” said Banta-Green. “By measuring a community’s drug index load, public health officials will have information applicable to a much larger proportion of the total population than existing measures can provide.”
The research team recognized that the data used for this study are inadequate as a complete measure of drug excretion for a community or entire state. The team looked at a single day, mid-week sample, for instance. Results might be altered depending on the day or time of year the sample was gathered.
Currently, Field and Banta-Green are working on a project funded by the National Institutes of Health to determine the best method for collecting data in order to get a reliable annual estimate of drug excretion for a community.
NKeystone Clean Water Team Available – Hazards in Community and Drug Labs.