UDRBC Seminar Next Week; Water Quality and Legislative Update

Next Thursday, May 2, the Upper Delaware River Basin Citizens or UDRBC will be holding a seminar in Lookout, Pennsylvania to talk landowner rights and more.


Be there! The UDRBC, lead by Ned Lang and a large group of Upper Delaware River citizens will be conducting an in-depth discussion of natural gas exploration and development.  The Upper Delaware River Basin Citizens (‘UDRBC’) has announced the topic of its Spring Seminar scheduled for Thursday, May2, 2019 at the Lookout Fire Hall, 2625 Hancock Highway, Equinunk, Pennsylvania.

The seminar will be held from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM, with lunch provided and will feature numerous speakers. Registration is online at https://udrbc.com under “EVENTS” and space is limited.

UDRBC Seminar Speakers- May 2, 2019

Major speakers will include:

BRIAN ORAM: Brian is a Professional Geologist and Soil Scientist for B.F Environmental Consultants. He is also a Private Well Owner Educator at PACleanwater and Managing the Keystone Clean Water Team. Water quality education is both and expertise with this entertaining expert. He knows Northeastern Pennsylvania water and geology like no one else.Brian’s specialties include well migration issues, natural gas, hydrogeology, carbon sequestering, brine water treatment and water reuse. He will address the relationship between natural gas development and water quality.
During this presentation, we will discuss water quality, groundwater, environmental issues with natural gas development, and activities that landowners/royalty owners can do to protect themselves, their community, and the environment.  We will announce the free phone App that is available from the Keystone Clean Water Team on Baseline Water Testing and encourage citizens to participate in a citizen based groundwater assessment using their baseline data.  (Slide Presentation – pdf version baselinetestingwaynecounty2019slide )

NOTE:  Please consider supporting the Keystone Clean Water Team (501C3) in PA – some of our PSAs.

PAT HENDERSON: Pat has over 20 years experience in legislative and executive branches of government, and with leading nationally-recognized energy advocacy trade organizations.  Pat is currently employed at the Marcellus Shale Foundation. He is an expert on Marcellus Shale development policy and knows government inside and outside.  Pat will address the latest shale gas issues from the perspectives of both industry and policymakers.

JEFF BELARDI: Attorney Jeffrey Belardi practices out of Scranton, PA and has been licensed for 25 years. He attended Widener University and handles cases in Corporate & Incorporation, Criminal Defense, State, Local And Municipal Law, Litigation.  Jeff is also one of three attorneys handling the Wayne Land and Mineral Group lawsuit against the DRBC and in defense of landowner rights.

It is important to Learn, Diagnose, and Test.  Public outreach is part of the Mission of the Keystone Clean Water Team. To learn more about this Organization and support their efforts, please go to http://www.pacleanwater.org

Other Items:

  1. Training  Programs:
    Modern Shale Gas Development
    Mud Logging Sensors
    Shale Gas and the Global Market
    Introduction to Groundwater Contamination
    Groundwater Hydrology
    Petrochemical Training for Engineers
  2. Learn about the facts and not the fear – Scare Pollution (must read):

  3. A book on climate and climate change – a must read:

Please Get Your Water Tested – At a minimum, an comprehensive Informational Water Quality Test to at least determine your general well water quality and learn about the hazards in your community.  This is not certified baseline testing, but it is a low cost means of evaluating your drinking water source. It is important to KNOW Your H20!   Get Your Water Tested and order a Neighboorhood Hazard Reports for your Home.

PASPGP-5 Training Marcellus Shale Coalition General Permit 5 Stream and Wetlands Encroachments

PASPGP-5 Training
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
4.5 Professional Development Hours (PDH) available!

The Marcellus Shale Coalition is pleased to offer to all oil and gas industry stakeholders the opportunity to attend a training session on the recently released Pennsylvania State Programmatic General Permit 5 (PASPGP-5).

Section 404(e) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. §1344) provides for the issuance of Department of the Army (DA) general permits (GP) on a statewide basis, which operate in conjunction with a State regulatory program that protects the aquatic environment in a manner equivalent to the DA regulatory program, provided that the activities permitted under each category of such GPs are similar in nature and result in no more than minimal individual or cumulative adverse effects on the aquatic environment.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Dam Safety and Waterway Management Rules and Regulations establish a statewide permit program for protecting the waters of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth’s procedures for the granting of permits require the PA DEP to apply evaluation criteria consisting of alternatives analysis (for non-water dependent activities), avoidance techniques, the minimization of impacts, and if a permit is to be granted, compensatory mitigation. The evaluative criteria within the Commonwealth’s program are similar to Federal criteria under Section 404(b)(1) of the Federal Clean Water Act.

The PASPGP-5, effective on July 1, 2016, authorizes impacts to stream and wetland encroachments and crossings in Pennsylvania. During this training, attendees will be educated on the requirements within PASPGP-5. Additionally, an update on the proposed wetland and stream assessment protocols that were released for public comment in 2014 and are approaching finalization will be discussed. Lastly, industry experts will present case studies that will demonstrate five methods for pipeline stream crossings and review lessons learned.
To download the training flier, click here.
PRESENTERS
Adam D. Beck, P.E.
General Manager – Gathering Construction, CONSOL Energy
Colonel Edward P. Chamberlayne
Commander, Baltimore District, USACE
Wade Chandler
Chief, Pennsylvania Section, Baltimore District, USACE
Sid Freyermuth
Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands, PA DEP
Dave Goerman Jr.
Water Program Specialist, Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands, PA DEP
Ramez Ziadeh, P.E.
Director, Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands, PA DEP

Other online training programs (CEUs and PDHs) and Resources for Professionals.

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AAPG American Association of Petroleum Geologists Training Courses

 

Training Courses Offered by the AAPG – AAPG Education Program
The American Association of Petroleum Geologists is an international organization with over 38,000 members in 100-plus countries

Fluvial Sedimentology and Geomorphology
John Holbrook, Ph.D. | 14 January 2016 | 2 p.m. CST

This short webinar will focus mainly on “source-to-sink,” and will detail methods used to quantify and qualify the sediment mass transported from the hinterland to the depocenter and the storage sites in route. This segment will train in the “fulcrum” approach for quantitatively approximating the sediment budget for ancient source-to-sink systems.

Ambient Seismic Imaging Throughout the Life Cycles of Unconventional Fields
Alfred Lacazette
| 21 January | 2 p.m. CDT

This e-symposium provides an overview of a new ambient seismic imaging method and applications of the method throughout the lifecycles (exploration through refracing) of unconventional oil and/or gas fields. These applications include: direct imaging of hydraulic fractures, hydraulically stimulated natural fractures, stimulated reservoir volumes, and producing volumes; stress mapping in three dimensions before, during and after fracing; and Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) frac and reservoir simulation.

Petroleum Geology Fundamentals
Susan Nash
| 1st of Each Month | 2 p.m. CDT

This course provides an overview of petroleum geology, from exploration to development. It provides foundational information required to work in the current industry environment, with content that ranges from a historical overview to methods of exploration, new technologies, subsurface geology, petroleum generation, reservoirs, traps, seals, petroleum systems, unconventional reservoirs, shale plays, geophysics, geochemistry, and more.

Courses are typically excellent – but can exceed most budgets.  For other training courses that are for basic continuing education – you may want to visit Training Professionals.

5th Annual 2016 Shale Gas Innovation Contest Launched Ben Franklin

5th Annual 2016 Shale Gas Innovation Contest Launched by Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation and Commercialization Center!

 STATE COLLEGE, PAThe Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation and Commercialization Center www.sgicc.org is announcing today their 5th Annual Shale Gas Innovation Contest, offering a total of $80,000 in cash prizes for the four best shale energy oriented innovations, new product ideas, or service concepts that are either in the development stage or recently launched.  Researchers, entrepreneurs, or small businesses in Pennsylvania or West Virginia focused on developing a new product or service for the shale energy space can apply.  A simple online application can be found at http://www.sgicc.org/2016-shale-gas-innovation-contest.html.

The SGICC also wants to recognize the generous support of the Benedum Foundation that once again extends the contest to include West Virginia, as well as Pennsylvania.

In addition to the cash prizes, successful applicants will gain exposure to investors, potential partners, and industry sponsors. Additionally at this year’s Finals Event, already scheduled to take place on May 18th, 2016 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Southpointe, PA, there will be a poster session included to highlight some of the most promising technologies under development at regional universities and research centers.

This 5th Annual Shale Gas Innovation Contest’s GOLD Sponsor is the Ben Franklin Technology Partners (http://www.benfranklin.org). Industry sponsors include: AquaTech (www.aquatech.com), Chevron Technology Ventures (http://www.chevron.com/ctv/ctvi/), EQT Corporation (https://www.eqt.com/ ), First National Bank (www.fnb-online.com ), GE Oil & Gas (http://www.ge-energy.com), Inflection Energy (http://www.inflectionenergy.com/),  LPR Energy (http://www.lprenergy.com/), LPR Land Services (http://www.lprls.com/), the Marcellus Shale Coalition (http://marcelluscoalition.org), PPG Industries (http://corporate.ppg.com/), Praxair (www.praxair.com), Steptoe & Johnson PLLC (http://www.steptoe-johnson.com/ ), and Williams (www.williamsinthenortheast.com). Non-Profit sponsors include: Carnegie Mellon University Scott Institute for Energy Innovation (http://www.cmu.edu/energy/), and Penn State University’s Institute for Natural Gas Research (http://www.ems.psu.edu/INGaR).

Bill Hall, Director of the SGICC commented, “The challenging pricing environment that the industry is facing, coupled with the ever increasing emphasis on environmental compliance, and gaining the social license to operate across the Marcellus and Utica Shale Region continues to make new innovations all the more important. The rapid pace of innovation adoption across the shale energy plays in this region has been amazing! Through the contest SGICC shines a light on the best new innovations being developed in our region.”

Entering the competition is easy, requiring the completion of the online application. Any idea or already commercialized product or service related to the shale energy space is eligible. Examples include well pad EH&S products or services, novel materials or chemicals to enhance performance, or for instance prevent corrosion or improve product yield, remote site monitoring technologies, natural gas or NGL conversion technologies, and water management or remediation technologies.

Finalists will be chosen by a panel of industry experts. To download an application, visit www.sgicc.org and click on the 2016 Shale Gas Innovation Contest tab.  Deadline to enter is 11:59PM on February 1st, 2016.

For details regarding eligibility or other questions, contact Bill Hall at either 814-933-8203 or billhall@psu.edu.

New Tools and Courses

Know Your H20 Phone App and Database Search
Citizen Scientists – The Online Water Quality Index Calculator is Available.
Training Courses on Natural Gas Development and Environmental Concerns
Stream Restoration, Wetlands, Energy, and Water Resources Management 

Actions:

  1. 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.
  2. 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
  3. Drinking Water Guide for Pennsylvania.

Marcellus Shale Royalty Owners Recovery Proposed Class Action

First – The organization is not pro or con on any issues.  We do not pick sides – we provide fact based information for citizens and landowners.  This came across the desk as part of an education program and we ware providing a post.   If you are a royalty owner in PA I would suggest you read.  The following is not our work.

“Have you been paid all of the royalties you are owed by Chesapeake, Anadarko, Statoil, Mitsui, Chief and other gas companies that hold working interests in your oil and gas lease? Have you been subjected to deductions for post-production costs, such as gathering, transportation or compression, which are either not allowed under the terms of your lease or are arbitrary, excessive, or unreasonable in amount? Are your royalties being calculated based on appropriate gas prices? How have the transactions in which Chesapeake sold its interests in its midstream gathering entity, Access Midstream, for nearly $5 Billion, affected your royalties? What can you do to ensure that your rights and interests are protected and enforced?

Three Pennsylvania law firms — the Law Office of Taunya Knolles Rosenbloom, based in Athens, Bradford County, Griffin, Dawsey, DePaola & Jones, P.C., based in Towanda, Bradford County,  and Indik & McNamara, P.C., based in Philadelphia  —  are pleased to announce that they have joined forces to act as co-counsel in representing Pennsylvania landowners in bringing direct, individual claims, on a group basis, seeking to recover the royalties they are owed under the terms of their oil & gas leases, as well as compensation from the entities responsible for causing them financial harm.

NOTICE OF PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF CLASS SETTLEMENT IN DEMCHAK PARTNERS CLASS ACTION AND OF DECEMBER 17, 2015 DEADLINE TO OPT-OUT OF PROPOSED CLASS SETTLEMENT

​If you receive royalties in connection with a lease in which Chesapeake holds, or previously held, an interest,  and the lease contains a Market Enhancement Clause, you should be aware that the Court entered an Order on October 2, 2015 certifying a Settlement Class and preliminarily approving the proposed Class Settlement in the Demchak Partners class action case, and establishing December 17, 2015 as the deadline to exclude yourself from the Class Settlement. For more information, see our FAQ page titled How Does the Proposed Class Settlement in the Demchak Partners Class Action Affect Me?

The Bradford County Commissioners have just announced that they will be holding a public forum about the proposed class settlement in the Demchak Partners case on December 2, 2015 at 7 p.m., at theTowanda High School auditorium. We have been invited to make a presentation at the forum, and will be there to field questions and provide information.”

Get More Information at http://www.marcellusroyaltyaction.com

New Tools and Courses

Know Your H20 Phone App and Database Search
Citizen Scientists – The Online Water Quality Index Calculator is Available.
Training Courses on Natural Gas Development and Environmental Concerns
Stream Restoration, Wetlands, and Water Resources Management 

Actions:

  1. 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.
  2. 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
  3. Drinking Water Guide for Pennsylvania.

PADEP pipeline task force gives 184 recommendations

Note Our Work – Email blast  from PIOGA

A state task force on natural gas pipelines is making 184 recommendations touching on everything from location of pipelines to emergency response plans, all designed to promote “responsible” pipeline development in Pennsylvania. The 335-page document, crafted by the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force, has been posted online for public review.

“It is important to remember that the report is not meant to be the final word,” said DEP Secretary John Quigley, who chaired the task force. “When we present our report to the governor in February 2016, I anticipate that the next step will be to determine the feasibility and implementation strategies for each recommendation.”

The 48-member task force was created in May by Governor Tom Wolf to develop policies, guidelines and tools to assist in pipeline development, operation and maintenance.

Recommendations in the draft were assembled by delegates from sectors affected by pipeline development, Quigley noted, including agriculture, communities, environmentalists, cultural resource advocates, industry officials, government agencies and emergency responders.

That lengthy list of recommendations starts with “educate landowners on pipeline development issues.” Other recommendations:

  • Implement full-time environmental inspections during pipeline construction.
  • Monitor water quality during construction.
  • Establish planning coordination between county agencies and pipeline developers.
  • Require pipeline abandonment plans.
  • Standardize emergency response plans and provide 911 addresses for pipeline-related facilities.
  • Do not locate pipelines parallel to waterways within their 100-year floodways.
  • Conduct early outreach with affected communities.
  • Minimize impact on local roads.
  • Create various statewide bodies and processes, including an all-region DEP pipeline review committee, a statewide pipeline information center for the public, and a DEP design manual for pipeline construction.

A 30-day public comment period on the draft report will run through December 14. [Read more]

Please note – there is no assumed responsibility associated with Pipeline Construction for Private Well Impacts – therefore it is important to document baseline conditions for your existing water sources and water wells.  Primary items of concern are aesthetic water quality issues, future methane and other gas releases, spills, local disturbances, discolored water, and related contaminants. The Know Your H20? App for Baseline Testing in PA should help.

New Tools and Courses

Know Your H20 Phone App and Database Search
Citizen Scientists – The Online Water Quality Index Calculator is Available.
Training Courses on Natural Gas Development and Environmental Concerns
Stream Restoration, Wetlands, and Water Resources Management 

Actions:

  1. 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.
  2. 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
  3. Drinking Water Guide for Pennsylvania.

 

Susquehanna River Basin Commission Study Finds No Impacts on Streams from Marcellus Shale Drilling

SRBC Study Finds No Impacts on Streams from Marcellus Shale Drilling

From 2010 to 2013 the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) monitored 58 sampling stations in small headwater streams in the Susquehanna River Basin to investigate potential impacts from gas exploration in the Marcellus Shale.  The study recorded pH, temperature, conductivity, inorganic chemistry, TOC, gross alpha and beta radiation, and macroinvertebrates.  The SRBC report, released earlier this year, concluded no discernible relationship between water quality and well pad density.  Please click HERE to download an electronic copy of the report.

New Tools and Courses

Know Your H20Keystone Clean Water Team
Citizen Scientists – The Online Water Quality Index Calculator is Available.
Training Courses on Natural Gas Development and Environmental Concerns
Stream Restoration, Wetlands, and Water Resources Management 

Actions:

  1. 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.
  2. 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
  3. Drinking Water Guide for 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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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
  3. Drinking Water Guide for Pennsylvania.

 

B.F. Environmental Builds Expertise into New Water Quality Mobile App – Know Your H20?

B.F. Environmental Builds Expertise into New Water Quality Mobile App

Company experts have developed a new tool that will help families stay healthy

 

WILKES-BARRE, PA—September 22, 2015—B.F. Environmental Consultants, an environmental consulting firm providing a range of services throughout the Northeast, announced today the launch of a new mobile app that will make it possible for homeowners to get answers about the quality of their drinking water. Brian Oram, a professional geologist and soil scientist and founder of B.F. Environmental Consultants, developed this new diagnostic tool, called “Know Your H2O?”

“Consumers have fully embraced mobile technologies. If we want to help them, we’re going to have to make our information available to them through their IOS and Android devices,” Oram said. “This new app will put actionable information about water quality into the hands of homeowners all across the country. I’m very proud of this new product.”

Know Your H2O? relies heavily upon the massive online water quality resource the company has made available through the launch of its Water Research Center website. The first version of the software helps consumers diagnose potential water quality problems by exploring aesthetic problems, physical problems, health concerns, or specific problems in their homes. The app is supported by additional content that is directly linked to the Water Research Center.

“This tool helps consumers diagnose problems, but then goes beyond that to provide recommendations for further testing or corrective action,” Oram said. “The app is based on a holistic approach and is guided by concerns about our water, homes, and health. It is a comprehensive tool that can be used by any homeowner, building inspector, water quality professional, or water treatment professional to diagnose a problem and determine next steps.”

For more information about the mobile app or to download your own free copy, visit: Drinking Water Diagnostics

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.

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