Pennsylvania nat gas well capped after blowout
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0414919620100604
Fri Jun 4, 2010 5:36pm EDT
Pennsylvania nat gas well capped after blowout
* No one injured, no homes evacuated
* Well was being drilled in the Marcellus Shale
* Lawmaker renews call for tighter regulation on fracking
* EOG Resources is “investigating everything” -spokeswoman
By Jon Hurdle
PHILADELPHIA, June 4 (Reuters) – Workers capped a natural gas well in central Pennsylvania on Friday after it ruptured during drilling, spewing gas and drilling fluid 75 feet (23 meters) in the air, officials said.
The well, operated by EOG Resources Inc (EOG.N) in a remote area of Clearfield County, blew out at about 8 p.m. EDT (midnight GMT) on Thursday when a drilling team “lost control” of the well while preparing to extract gas, according to a statement from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
No one was killed or injured, and there were no evacuations because there are no homes within a mile (1.6 km) of the drill site but nearby roads were closed, and emergency management officials declared a no-fly zone around the site. Read more
COAL’S DIRTY SECRET
COAL’S DIRTY SECRET
Coal ash is one of the country’s biggest waste streams and is full of toxic substances, yet it remains virtually unregulated. Can Washington overcome the fierce opposition of energy interests to protect communities and the environment?
A special Facing South investigation by Sue Sturgis
ISS – COAL’S DIRTY SECRET
ISS – COAL’S DIRTY SECRET.
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Coal ash is one of the country’s biggest waste streams and is full of toxic substances, yet it remains virtually unregulated. Can Washington overcome the fierce opposition of energy interests to protect communities and the environment?
A special Facing South investigation by Sue Sturgis
Tough New Standards to Protect PA Waterways
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tough-new-standards-to-protect-pa-waterways-from-drilling-wastewater-take-major-step-forward-93952789.html
Tough New Standards to Protect PA Waterways from Drilling Wastewater Take Major Step Forward
EQB Approves New TDS Regulations, Strengthens Erosion and Sediment Rules; Proposes New Well Construction Standards
HARRISBURG, Pa., May 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Environmental Quality Board today approved first-of-its-kind regulations that will protect waterways from the effects of natural gas drilling wastewater, better enabling the state’s Marcellus Shale reserves to be developed without sacrificing the health and quality of Pennsylvania’s vital water resources.
Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger said the new regulations are an appropriate and necessary measure to ensure that drilling wastewater containing high concentrations of Total Dissolved Solids, or TDS, do not pollute drinking water supplies, damage industrial equipment, or endanger delicate aquatic life.
“Drilling wastewater contains TDS levels that are thousands of times more harmful to aquatic life than discharges from other industries. Without imposing limits on this pollution, treatment costs for this wastewater are passed along to downstream industries and municipal ratepayers,” said Hanger. “All other industries in Pennsylvania are responsible for the waste they generate and the drilling industry should be no exception.” Read more
Public meeting on Marcellus Shale reveals pluses, minuses
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/dailycourier/news/s_681358.html#
By Mark Hofmann
DAILY COURIER
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The benefits as well as the negative effects of obtaining natural gas from the Marcellus Shale reserve were discussed Friday during a public meeting held at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, hosted by state Rep. Deberah Kula.
“The Marcellus Shale has raised a lot of opportunities, but has also raised a lot of questions,” said Kula, who was joined by state Rep. P. Michael Sturla, chairman of the House of Representatives majority policy committee.
The natural gas reserve that stretches under Pennsylvania and holds enough gas to fully supply the nation for 10 years or more, has attracted the gas industry to Western Pennsylvania.
Gas drilling information session set for Thursday
http://citizensvoice.com/news/gas-drilling-information-session-set-for-thursday-1.776328
Gas drilling information session set for Thursday
Published: May 10, 2010
An informational meeting on natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale will be offered Thursday in Lehman Township.
The meeting will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Lake-Lehman High School on Old Route 115.
Representatives from DEP, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and natural gas experts from Penn State will give presentations.
U.S. Farmers Cope With Roundup-Resistant Weeds
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/business/energy-environment/04weed.html
Tracking the Oil Spill
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/01/us/20100501-oil-spill-tracker.html?ref=us
Published: May 1, 2010
Tracking the Oil Spill
The map sequence shows how the oil spill has been spreading in the Gulf of Mexico.
Sources: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; U.S. Coast Guard
Casey Calls for More Oversight of Natural Gas Drilling
http://casey.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=e0885ca7-425b-4f8e-b03f-31a75acfc610
Urges EPA investigation of drinking water contamination
April 26, 2010
SCRANTON, PA—U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today was joined by residents in the Dimock area whose wells were contaminated by drilling conducted by Texas-based Cabot Oil and Gas Corp. as he called for additional oversight of natural gas drilling. Senator Casey today sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urging them to examine its current authority to determine whether it can take additional steps in Pennsylvania to investigate and respond to groundwater contamination and other potentially harmful consequences of drilling.
“Natural gas drilling can provide an economic boost to Pennsylvania but we must protect ground water,” said Senator Casey. “We will not allow an out-of-state company to come to Pennsylvania and contaminate the groundwater of our residents. Three million Pennsylvanians rely on wells for their drinking water. We must ensure adequate safeguards are in place to protect this most basic necessity for Pennsylvanians.”
Read more
Drinking water clinic highlights drilled wells, cisterns and springs
http://live.psu.edu/story/46304/nw69
Friday, April 23, 2010
University Park, Pa. — Ben Franklin wrote, “when the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” But even when the well is pumping steadily, it’s still worthwhile to regularly test private water supplies.
Public water systems are required by law to protect customers and regularly test for impurities. But in Pennsylvania, 3.5 million residents are served by private water systems, such as wells, springs and cisterns, and they have no such legal oversight.
“If you own your own private supply, it’s all your own responsibility to provide clean water to yourself, the people in your family and the people who come to visit,” said Peter Wulfhorst, educator with Penn State Cooperative Extension in Pike County.
Wulfhorst will be the featured speaker in the next Penn State Extension Water Webinar, titled “Safe Drinking Water Clinic,” which will air at noon and again at 7 p.m. on April 28.
He said two types of water standards concern homeowners: primary standards pertaining to health, and secondary standards that pertain to the water’s aesthetics — its taste or smell, its appearance, or whether it stains plumbing fixtures or laundry. He said the webinar will cover both of these subjects, as well as how to protect a water supply from contaminants, which contaminants to test for and what treatments to use if contaminants are present. Read more