Big frack attack: Is hydraulic fracturing safe?
This is an excellent article covering all aspects or hydraulic fracturing.
In the 1953 Looney Tunes cartoon “Much Ado About Nutting,” a frustrated squirrel hauls a coconut around New York City, aware it’s a feast but unable to crack it open. It’s reminiscent of an even trickier and more tantalizing jackpot that had, until recently, eluded the United States for nearly two centuries: shale gas, the hard-shelled dark horse of fossil fuels.
That squirrel never tasted the fruits of his labor, however, while the U.S. started figuring out shale gas by the late 1990s and early 2000s, after nibbling at it since the 1820s. But as shale fever sweeps the country — courtesy of a gas-drilling trick called hydraulic fracturing, aka “fracking” — some Americans have begun to wonder if, like the squirrel, we might be hurting ourselves as much as the protective husk around our prize.
DRAFT NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS
From the Delaware River Basin Commission’s Web Site
http://www.state.nj.us/drbc/
DRAFT NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS
posted December 9, 2010
Written comments accepted through 5 p.m. March 16, 2011. Three public hearings will be scheduled; details will be released as soon as they are confirmed.
Please note that this public rulemaking process must be completed prior to the Commissioners taking any action on the proposed regulations. Such action will be taken at a duly noticed public meeting of the Commission at a future date.
http://www.state.nj.us/drbc/notice_naturalgas-draftregs.htm
Water agency to publish gas drilling regulations
http://online.wsj.com/article/AP01539f691bec4cc08103242571a7f2e2.html
DECEMBER 9, 2010
Water agency to publish gas drilling regulations
WEST TRENTON, N.J. — The agency that oversees water quality and quantity in the Delaware River basin says it has finished work on proposed regulations for the natural gas drilling industry.
The Delaware River Basin Commission announced Wednesday that draft regulations will be available for public review beginning at 9 a.m. Thursday.
The commission has declared a moratorium on Marcellus Shale drilling projects in the Delaware River basin until the rulemaking process is complete. The panel has jurisdiction because the drilling process will require the withdrawal of huge amounts of water from the watershed’s streams and rivers. The commission has also cited the potential for groundwater and surface water contamination.
Drilling is in full swing elsewhere in Pennsylvania.
The DRBC is a compact agency representing the federal government and the states of Delaware, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Monitoring River Water
http://www.wbng.com/news/local/Monitoring-River-Water-111551409.html
Monitoring River Water
By WBNG News
December 8, 2010
Apalachin, NY (WBNG Binghamton) When some Pennsylvania residents began to claim that horizontal gas drilling contaminated drinking water, many were asked to provide a pre-drilling water test to show the difference. River water will now undergo a similar test.
Ten of these monitoring sensors will be installed along tributaries to the Susquehanna River in the Southern Tier. They will measure basic information about water quality.
That includes “temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH,” said Kimberly Dille with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. “We’re measuring at a five-minute interval.”
If and when horizontal gas drilling moves forward in New York, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission wants to know the condition of the water ahead of time, in case an accident contaminates the water.
“If any deviations would occur that would depart from normal ranges, an alert is sent to our office where staff would immediately know if there was a change of condition,” said the SRBC’s Andrew Gavin.
“There are certain conditions in local streams that might even be natural for an area,” said Susan Obleski of the SRBC. “If people see spikes in certain chemicals they may not realize that that tends to happen naturally certain times of the year.”
The SRBC has been working with the Tioga County Planning Department on finding locations for sensors on the Apalachin and Catatonk Creeks.
“We’ve always know that monitoring water quality — both getting a baseline before drilling, during drilling and after drilling was very important to our drinking water,” said Elaine Jardine, Tioga Co. Planning Director.
The SRBC will install ten monitors in New York. It already has thirty in Pennsylvania.
After a monitoring station is installed, anyone can check water conditions at SRBC.net.
Publication addresses water withdrawals for Marcellus gas drilling
http://live.psu.edu/story/50172#nw69
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Publication addresses water withdrawals for Marcellus gas drilling
University Park, Pa. — Penn State Cooperative Extension < http://extension.psu.edu/ > has released an updated version of a publication that addresses the rapidly changing topic of water withdrawals for Marcellus Shale gas drilling.
Originally published in September 2009, “Water Withdrawals for Development of Marcellus Shale Gas in Pennsylvania” reflects the latest Marcellus-related regulatory changes enacted by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, the Delaware River Basin Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Water is a critical component in the process of extracting natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation. Public policies for managing and protecting water resources are common concerns of Pennsylvania residents, according to a water-policy expert in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. < http://agsci.psu.edu/ >
“Development of the Marcellus Shale could have major economic and environmental effects for Pennsylvanians and residents of neighboring states,” said Charles Abdalla, professor of agricultural and environmental economics. “Individuals, businesses and communities will be affected well into the future as this energy resource is fully developed.
“Citizens need to become aware of their stake in water-resource issues and policies and effectively participate in public policy-making,” he said. “Public policies for water management and protection will be improved if the affected parties — which include almost everyone — are well-informed about likely impacts and take advantage of opportunities to participate in decisions.”
Seeking to engage residents, landowners, federal and state agency personnel, environmental organizations, economic development groups and others, the publication discusses the fast-evolving issues and public policies related to water resources and Marcellus Shale gas exploration.
While adequate supplies of water are one of several essential inputs needed to extract gas from the shale, wastewater is an output from the process that must be treated or disposed of properly.
“Through this publication, we hope to increase the public’s understanding of water use and management related to Marcellus Shale gas development and help people understand how and where they can offer input into public decisions about water use and wastewater treatment,” said Abdalla, the publication’s lead author.
“Now is the time for people to learn about and help shape public policies that will guide development of the Marcellus Shale,” he said. “These policies will play a large part in determining the economic well-being and quality of life for residents of the commonwealth for a long time — perhaps generations — to come.”
Funding for the updated publication comes from the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center
< http://www.pawatercenter.psu.edu/ > at Penn State. To obtain a free copy, contact the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Publication Distribution Center < http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/ >, The Pennsylvania State University, 112 Agricultural Administration Building, University Park, PA 16802-2602; telephone: 814-865-6713; fax: 814-863-5560; or send an e-mail to AgPubsDist@psu.edu.
This publication also is available online in PDF format. < http://extension.psu.edu/water/resources/publications/consumption-and-usage/marcelluswater.pdf/view >
The publication is the latest in a series initiated by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State Cooperative Extension to address issues related to Marcellus Shale gas exploration and development. Other publications in the series, along with related webinars, presentations and events, can be viewed at Cooperative Extension’s “Natural Gas” website. < http://extension.psu.edu/naturalgas >
‘Fracking’ Has a Friend in Pennsylvania
The Carbon County Groundwater Guardians do not support any political party or individual politicians.
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/12/06/pa-gov-elect-to-open-state-land-to-fracking.html
‘Fracking’ Has a Friend in Pennsylvania
Beneath the eastern U.S. is enough natural gas to power the coast, perhaps for 50 years. But the cache is cordoned off because of concerns about “fracking,” the method of harvesting gas by blasting the shale with a mix of water, sand, and chemicals. The EPA is investigating if the method affects reservoirs, while landowners, spurred by flammable tap water and allegations of poisoned animals, have launched lawsuits. But fracking may be poised for a comeback—at least politically.
With the House in Republican hands, fracking is likely to survive efforts to regulate it under the Safe Drinking Water Act. But more significantly, this foe of environmentalists now has a friend in gas-rich Pennsylvania. Governor-elect Tom Corbett will soon reopen state land to new drilling, his spokesperson tells NEWSWEEK. That would clear the way for as many as 10,000 wells (up from the 25 active today) and, according to a recent study, create tens of thousands of new jobs and hundreds of millions in state- and local-tax revenue. The industry funded that research. But the prospect is tempting others: New York Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo is also open to lifting his state’s moratorium, says a spokesperson.
Live WVIA show eyes drilling’s impact
http://www.timesleader.com/news/Live_WVIA_show_eyes_drilling_rsquo_s_impact_12-05-2010.html
Posted: December 6
Updated: Today at 12:30 AM
Live WVIA show eyes drilling’s impact
WVIA will broadcast an episode of its “State of Pennsylvania” program debating the change natural gas drilling has brought to the northern tier of the state live at 7 p.m. Thursday from the Keystone Theater in Towanda.
A panel of Bradford County municipal officials, business owners and natural gas company representatives will answer audience questions and discuss changes in the economy and quality of life gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale has brought to the Towanda area.
Free tickets to attend the show may be reserved by calling the Keystone Theatre at 570-602-1150 or online at wvia.org.
Times Leader Staff
Horse out of the barn on gas drilling
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101205/NEWS04/12050305
December 05, 2010
Horse out of the barn on gas drilling
The federal Interior Department is considering whether natural gas drillers should have to disclose the chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing. This after-the-fact approach to environmental regulation says a lot about how Americans willingly accept unknown risks for the sake of immediate, relatively short-term energy gratification.
“Fracking” involves injecting millions of gallons of water containing chemicals and sand, deep underground. The pressure of the liquid creates cracks through which natural gas can flow and be extracted. The process is highly controversial because of the possibility of spills and of contaminating groundwater. Already instances of contaminated wells have cropped up in well-drilling areas of Pennsylvania, and many spills have occurred. This represents a major public health and safety concern. After all, the majority of Pocono-area residents rely on wells for their drinking water, and millions of Pennsylvanians and New Yorkers depend on clean drinking water from the Delaware River.
Material safety data sheets that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection obtained from drilling companies list nearly 80 chemicals they use in the fracking process, among them ethylbenzene, methanol, aqueous ammonia and sulfuric acid. These pose a threat to everything from the tiny organisms that live under rocks in streams to birds, fish, animals and humans.
Industry officials argue that disclosing exactly what they use in the fracking process would reveal valuable proprietary information. But as long as regulators allow this drilling method, the public should know the formula for what is flowing into the ground under their property and their neighbors’ property. And certainly workers should know what they may be exposed to. An Oil and Gas Accountability Project study reported that Colorado had about 1,500 reported spills of various types, including fracturing fluids, in five years, while New Mexico had close to 800.
Still, shouldn’t regulators be focusing more on how drillers are extracting gas, rather than on what’s in the fracking fluid? Requiring super-strong well casings would reduce the likelihood of blowouts that could pollute the shallow aquifers we tap for our drinking water. Requiring all drillers to recycle the little fracking fluid they recover would help, too. Instead, regulators say they want to know what’s in the fluid, presumably so that after the fact they can treat the used water, treat humans who’ve been exposed to it, or enable well owners to test for specific contaminants. That’s all about response, not prevention.
In recent years Pennsylvania has become a mecca for gas drilling companies eager to exploit the gas-rich Marcellus shale deposit. The substances flowing underground, and sometimes escaping above ground and into our streams, could produce a dangerous legacy for our future. The real fact is that we are risking our common environment and natural landscape and putting our clean water in jeopardy for the sake of a few decades of natural gas.
Judge denies gas driller’s motion to dismiss Dimock lawsuit
http://citizensvoice.com/news/drilling/judge-denies-gas-driller-s-motion-to-dismiss-dimock-lawsuit-1.1070624
Judge denies gas driller’s motion to dismiss Dimock lawsuit
By Laura Legere (Staff Writer)
Published: November 30, 2010
A federal judge has denied a motion by Cabot Oil and Gas Corp. to dismiss a case brought by Dimock Township residents who claim their health and property have been harmed by the company’s natural gas drilling activities.
Cabot sought to have a judge throw out the case brought by 63 residents of the Susquehanna County township, arguing the families failed to establish a legal basis for the suit against the Texas-based driller.
But in an order issued Nov. 15, U.S. District Court Judge John E. Jones III found there is reason to allow the case to go forward on all but part of one count. He also refused Cabot’s request to strike several allegations from the families’ complaint.
In the suit, filed in November 2009, the families claim Cabot’s gas drilling activities allowed methane and other toxins to migrate onto their land and into their drinking water, causing them illness, property damage, fear of future sickness and emotional distress.
Of particular interest in the judge’s order was his decision not to throw out the families’ claim that Cabot is legally responsible for the alleged harm based on the principle of strict liability. The principle holds that some activities are so dangerous that those conducting them are responsible for any damage they cause regardless of the precautions they take to prevent it.
Pennsylvania courts have not directly addressed whether gas drilling is an “abnormally dangerous” activity that fits the strict liability standard. In its motion to dismiss, Cabot argued that state courts have determined that similar activities, such as operating petroleum pipelines or underground storage tanks at gas stations, are not abnormally dangerous.
In his order, Jones said it is too early in the case to extend the standard for pipelines and storage tanks to gas drilling.
“We believe it improvident to automatically extend this reasoning to drilling activities without more thorough consideration,” he wrote, adding that Cabot can raise the issue at a later point when more facts have been presented in the case.
Ross H. Pifer, a professor at Penn State University’s Dickinson School of Law who follows Marcellus Shale-related laws and litigation, said the judge’s choice to put off a decision on the strict liability question means that gas drilling in general, and not just Cabot’s particular activities, is left open to scrutiny in the case.
“It definitely would be significant if a court were to rule that drilling is abnormally dangerous, but we’re not there at this point,” he said.
Jones also denied Cabot’s motion to dismiss the families’ claims under the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act and for a medical monitoring trust fund. He dismissed the families’ claim of gross negligence as a cause of action, but allowed them to retain the allegations they made under that claim to support their broader claim for punitive damages.
llegere@timesshamrock.com
Expert on hydraulic fracturing will speak at LCCC
http://citizensvoice.com/news/drilling/expert-on-hydraulic-fracturing-will-speak-at-lccc-1.1067623
Expert on hydraulic fracturing will speak at LCCC
Published: November 23, 2010
Dr. Anthony R. Ingraffea, Ph.D., the Dwight C. Baum Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University, will give a presentation on “Unconventional Gas Plays: Information for an Informed Citizenry” at 7 p.m. Dec. 16 in Luzerne County Community College’s Educational Conference Center in Nanticoke.
Ingraffea is an expert on hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” which involves cracking underground rocks by means of high-pressure streams of water. A main use of the technique is for horizontal natural gas drilling.
Ingraffea, graduate students and research assistants make up the “Cornell Fracture Group,” which has as its mission “to create, to verify, and to validate computational simulation systems for fracture control in engineered systems,” according to its Web site, www.cfg.cornell.edu.
The group does testing and computer simulations of complex fracturing processes in a variety of materials. Applications include assessing damage tolerance in aircraft, and determining the causes of failure in bridges and dams.
Ingraffea’s presentation is sponsored by the Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition, a group of area residents concerned about potential problems caused by natural gas drilling.
For information, contact the Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition at 570-266-5116, gdacoaltion@gmail.com, or www.gdacoalition.org.