Coalition seeks EPA action on gas drilling chemical info, testing
http://republicanherald.com/news/coalition-seeks-epa-action-on-gas-drilling-chemical-info-testing-1.1184706
BY DAVID SINGLETON (STAFF WRITER dsingleton@timesshamrock.com)
Published: August 5, 2011
A coalition of groups from Pennsylvania and 22 other states asked federal regulators Thursday to require the natural gas industry to perform testing and disclose information on the safety of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing and other facets of gas exploration and production.
The petition filed by the environmental law firm Earthjustice requests that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency adopt rules that would for the first time require manufacturers and processors to produce the data needed to assess the risks posed by the chemicals.
Deborah Goldberg, an attorney with Earthjustice, said the concern goes beyond the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” to those involved in gas development “from start to finish.”
As natural gas exploration has moved forward at “breakneck speed,” there have been growing reports of contaminated drinking water, polluted air and human illness, she said in a conference call.
“The problem we are facing right now is we do not have the data that we need to evaluate the health and environmental risks that are presented by the chemicals that are used by the industry, either the individual substances or the mixtures of chemicals that are used,” Goldberg said.
The petition asks the EPA to draft rules that would require, among other things, the identification and toxicity testing of all chemicals used in gas production and exploration, and the disclosure of all existing health and safety studies related to the substances.
Goldberg said the petition is not aimed at the disclosure of the chemicals used at individual well sites, which would be a state regulatory function.
Her organization filed the petition on behalf more than 100 environmental, public health and good government groups, including 19 from Pennsylvania.
According to the petition, increased production could translate into the drilling of 60,000 wells in Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania in the next 20 years. The fracking process, in which water, sand and chemicals are injected underground at high pressure to fracture the rock and release the gas, can use more than 10,000 gallons of chemicals per well.
Roberta Winters, a representative of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania who participated in the conference call, said rather than the gas industry being required to prove its methods are safe, the public has been left to wonder whether their water is safe to drink.
“Today’s petition puts some of that responsibility back where it belongs,” she said.
Richard Denison, senior scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund, said the ultimate goal is to encourage the industry to act responsibly.
“We think having information available for both the government and the public will provide a good incentive to the industry to ensure their practices are safe and that it is trying to use the safest chemicals in these processes,” he said.
The EPA has 90 days to respond to the petition.
New air rules to curb pollution from gas wells
http://standardspeaker.com/news/new-air-rules-to-curb-pollution-from-gas-wells-1.1181579#axzz1TUpEddKL
By Laura Legere (Staff Writer)
Published: July 29, 2011
In an effort to curb smog and airborne chemicals linked to oil and gas production, federal environmental regulators moved Thursday to place new controls on air pollution caused by the drilling, processing and transmission of the fuels.
The proposed rules released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would for the first time require “green completions” at nearly all hydraulically fractured oil and gas wells in the country – a way of capturing and sending to market gas that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere.
The new requirements would also stem pollution from some compressors, valves, dehydrators and processing plants, as well as the storage tanks that hold the hydrocarbon liquids associated with “wet” forms of gas.
The rules aim to curb smog-causing chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as air toxics, such as benzene, that are known or suspected to cause cancer. Although the rules do not directly target the leakage of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, the proposals to limit the VOCs and air toxics will also reduce the amount of methane escaping into the atmosphere by about 26 percent, the agency said.
The EPA characterized the rules as “extremely cost-effective” and estimated the requirements will save the industry nearly $30 million a year above the $754 million annually it will cost to meet the requirements. The agency said the rules will mandate practices already used voluntarily by some companies and required by some states.
“Reducing these emissions will help cut toxic pollution that can increase cancer risks and smog that can cause asthma attacks and premature death – all while giving these operators additional product to bring to market,” said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.
Environmental groups who sued the EPA to update its standards by a court-ordered deadline Thursday welcomed the proposals.
Jeremy Nichols, climate and energy program director of New Mexico-based WildEarth Guardians, said the “woefully outdated” current rules allowed the buildup of ground-level ozone in rural, heavily drilled parts of Wyoming so the smog there rivaled that in Los Angeles.
The proposed rules offer benefits to the industry and the environment, he said.
“The solution to clearing the air more often than not means keeping more product in the pipeline,” he said.
Rules mandating green completions may prove difficult at first for operators in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale, where pipeline infrastructure is still catching up to the pace at which new gas wells are drilled.
“Certainly it’s easier to capture methane when a gas field is a little more mature because the pipeline infrastructure is in place that allows you to capture it,” said former Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection secretary John Hanger.
He said the proposed rules “can help maximize the environmental benefits that using more natural gas in our society offers.”
In its response to the proposed rules, the Pennsylvania-based industry group the Marcellus Shale Coalition pointed to three short-term state air monitoring studies near Marcellus wells that did not find any compounds in concentrations “that would likely trigger air-related health issues.”
“This sweeping set of potentially unworkable regulations represents an overreach that could, ironically, undercut the production of American natural gas, an abundant energy resource that is critical to strengthening our nation’s air quality,” coalition president Kathryn Klaber said.
The EPA will have a public comment period on the proposed rules and three public hearings in the Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colo. and Pittsburgh areas, for which details have not yet been announced.
The agency is under a court order to take final action on the rules by Feb. 28, 2012.
llegere@timesshamrock.com
Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission Issues Final Report
http://www.responsibledrillingalliance.org/newsletter/07272011.html
Back in March, Governor Corbett formed the 30-member Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission (MSAC), giving those appointed 120 days to develop recommendations on all aspects of natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania. This past Friday, the commission released it recommendations. The full 137-page report is available on the RDA web site: http://www.responsibledrillingalliance.org/newsletter/MSAC_Report_July_2011.pdf
Some of the commission’s recommendations include:
Economic & Workforce Development
- The Commonwealth should identify strategic locations to construct regional business parks.
- The state should create financial incentives for the conversion of mass transit and school bus fleets to natural gas, as well as for the manufacture of engines and other component parts, utilizing available funding sources.
- The Department of Community and Economic Development should work closely with its regional economic development partners and gas producers to grow the number of existing manufacturing firms participating in the shale gas industry.
Permitting and Infrastructure
- Pennsylvania should designate a state agency to create a “one-stop” permitting process.
- State agencies should offer accelerated permit reviews within guaranteed time frames.
- If the air contamination sources are covered by an exemption on the Air Quality Permit Exemption List, a Plan Approval and/or Operating Permit will not be required.
- The Commonwealth should expand its rail freight facilities and capabilities to handle supplies and commodities associated with natural gas development.
Public Health, Safety & Environmental Protection
- Triple well setback distance from streams, ponds, and other bodies of water from 100 to 300 feet.
- Increase setback distance from private water wells from 200 to 500 feet and to 1,000 feet for public water systems.
- Expand operator’s presumed liability for impairing water quality from 1,000 ft to 2,500 feet from a well, and extend the duration of presumed liability from 6 months to 12 months.
Local Impacts and Emergency Response
- Oil and gas well pads and related facilities should be assigned a 9-1-1 address for emergency response purposes, and oil and gas operators should be required to provide GPS coordinates for access roads and well pad sites.
- Recommend enactment or authorization to impose a fee to mitigate to uncompensated
- impacts caused to communities by natural gas development.
Commenting on the Commission’s report, Representative Camille “Bud” George stated, “What we’ve seen over the last several months is an industry-dominated commission offer few meaningful remedies for a process that has already polluted people’s water. It’s unfathomable and unconscionable to put people’s safety at risk as this industrial tide sweeps the Commonwealth.” Rep. George claims it is irresponsible to empower a profit-driven industry to regulate itself when Pennsylvania consumers will be paying for environmental remediation when accidents occur. George cautioned that some commission recommendations may appear to be environmentally friendly, but are actually disguised gifts to the gas industry.
Rep. George has introduced a bill that he believes would help to fill some of the most erroneous gaps in the commissions report. Several of the protection provisions in the ProtectPA bill mirror those made by Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Krancer in his May 27th letter to Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley, who chaired the MSAC.
Known as ProtectPA, the bill calls for:
- Increasing the distance that wells may be placed from public drinking water sources
- Disclosure of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing
- Updated bonding and road-repair requirements
- Extension of a well operator’s presumed liability in cases of well pollution
- “Cradle-to-grave” tracking of Marcellus waste water
- Expanding pre-drilling survey rights for landowners
- Prohibiting open-pit frac water storage in flood plains
- A tax of 30 cents per 1,000 cubic feet of gas severed, with an adjustment mechanism if the price of gas changes.
- Severance tax revenue would go directly to the entities and projects most harmed by gas drilling, including local governments, infrastructure repair, and environmental programs
- No unrestricted revenue directed to the PA General Fund.
Law Suit Filed Due to Air Quality Concerns
One topic that the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission all but overlooked in their report was air quality. No surprise, as the commission’s recommendation under “Economic and Workforce Development” includes courting some of the most notorious air-polluting industries to locate in Pennsylvania, where they will help to increase demand for natural gas. These include plastics and chemical manufacturing plants.
On Thursday of last week, one day before the final MSAC report was issued, Citizens for Pennsylvania‟s Future (PennFuture) filed a lawsuit against Ultra Resources, Inc., for air pollution at its Marcellus Shale drilling sites. PennFuture also filed a formal request with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for all records of air pollution at drilling sites throughout the Commonwealth.
“Ultra’s drilling operations in Tioga and Potter counties are emitting dangerous and illegal air pollution and operating without the required permits,” said Jan Jarrett, president and CEO of PennFuture. “Unless gas drillers operating in Pennsylvania control the air pollution from their operations, air quality will deteriorate, putting public health at risk…The company is emitting large amounts of nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the air, creating serious health risks for anyone living downwind from the operations. According to the United States EPA, even short-term NOx exposures, ranging from 30 minutes to 24 hours, cause adverse respiratory effects including airway inflammation in healthy people and increased respiratory symptoms in people with asthma. And this air pollution also leads to more fine particle pollution, which can cause heart attacks and other deadly illnesses. But this appears to be business as usual for many drillers,” continued Jarrett.
“A study out of Fort Worth (TX) recently showed that the NOx pollution just from the average compressor engine there is about 60 tons per year. And with drilling going like gangbusters here in Pennsylvania, that same kind of pollution from all the operations would create serious public health problems, and destroy any ability of Pennsylvania to meet air quality standards. We’ve also seen the formerly pristine air in Wyoming now more dangerous than that in Los Angeles, thanks to massive drilling. We need to stop this problem here and now. “ claimed Jarrett.
“We are also asking DEP to open the books on its assessment of air pollution at other drilling operations throughout the Commonwealth,” said Jarrett. “We cannot and will not allow the drillers to operate without meeting our clean air rules.”
Copies of the PennFuture court filing and Right to Know request may be downloaded at www.pennfuture.org.
Fee proposed but tax ruled out on hydraulic fracturing
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/22/natgas-fracking-pennsylvania-idUSN1E76L19Y20110722
Jul 22, 2011 2:38pm EDT
By Edith Honan
- Fee proposed but tax ruled out on hydraulic fracturing
- No specific amount for free recommended
- Commission aims to create road map for regulation
NEW YORK, July 22 (Reuters) – Pennsylvania, home to the nation’s richest natural gas deposit, released recommendations on Friday that included requiring drillers to pay an impact fee but ruled out a new state tax on extracting gas.
The long-awaited report from the governor’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission’s aims to provide a road map for the state legislature to regulate the booming shale gas industry, balancing the need to generate revenue while also promoting more drilling.
The commission recommended charging an impact fee for costs incurred by municipalities as a result of drilling, such as for the upkeep of roads, but declined to propose a specific amount, saying that decision will be left up to the Republican governor and the Republican-controlled state legislature.
But the fees almost certainly would amount to less than $300 million that the previous, Democratic governor had hoped to raise through a wellhead tax that was rejected by Republicans in the legislature.
The commission also recommended doubling penalties for civil violations — which in the more serious instances could involve leaks and spill — from $25,000 to $50,000 and double daily penalties from $1,000 to $2,000.
Pennsylvania sits above the Marcellus shale formation, which could meet U.S. gas demand for decades, and has become the flash point for a U.S. debate on the extraction method hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
Fracking involves blasting shale rock with chemical-laced water and sand to release trapped gas. Some environmental and public health activists say it taints drinking water supplies.
The 30-member commission was created by Governor Tom Corbett, who took office in January with a strong anti-tax stance and described the gas industry as an economic engine for the cash-strapped state.
Corbett, who according to the website Marcellus Money has received $1.6 million in industry campaign contributions, is opposed to a severance or wellhead tax on gas drilling. Pennsylvania is the only gas-producing state without such a tax.
Proponents of those taxes say they would raise needed revenue and help pay for the environmental costs of drilling.
The recommendations include increasing the distance between gas well sites and drinking water systems and training more Pennsylvania residents to work in the industry.
“Today, Pennsylvania is taking an important first step toward creating tens of thousands of jobs and leading the nation toward energy independence and doing so in an environmentally responsible way,” said Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley, who led the commission.
A study by current and former Pennsylvania State University researchers — released this week funded by the natural gas drilling industry — said the state’s economy will get a $12.8 billion boost from drilling this year, more than double the amount from 2009, while reaping nearly 140,000 jobs.
Pennsylvania, until recently a net importer of natural gas, could surpass Texas as the top exporting state within the next decade, the report said.
A well belonging to one of the state’s largest drillers, Chesapeake Energy (CHK.N) blew out in the town of LeRoy in April, spilling thousands of gallons of toxic drilling fluid and causing anxiety among local residents.
Temple researchers will investigate methane gas from Marcellus Shale drilling
http://www.temple.edu/newsroom/2011_2012/07/stories/Marcellus_Shale_drilling.htm
CONTACT: Preston Moretz <preston.moretz@temple.edu> 215-204-4380
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
A Temple study funded by the William Penn Foundation will explore the origin of methane gas found at higher concentrations in drinking wells in areas surrounding Marcellus Shale drilling sites in Susquehanna County.
A multi-disciplinary team of Temple researchers will investigate the origins of methane gas found in drinking water wells near Marcellus Shale drilling sites in Pennsylvania and how science is influencing the formation of public policy on drilling. The research is being funded through a one-year, $66,000 multi-disciplinary grant from the William Penn Foundation.
“We know there are environmental concerns about the Marcellus Shale and there have been some accidents related to the drilling,” said Michel Boufadel, professor of environmental engineering and director of the Center for Natural Resources Development and Protection (NRDP) in Temple’s College of Engineering. “There has been a lot of hype about this issue and sometimes it is difficult to decipher what is fact-based and what is opinion.”
A recent study by researchers at Duke University showed that drinking wells located near Marcellus Shale drilling sites in Susquehanna County had an average concentration of methane gas that was 17 times greater than wells not near drilling sites. The study also concluded that the methane had originated deep below the earth’s surface.
Boufadel, principal investigator for the Temple project, said that the process used to drill into the shale creates enormous pressure that could be forcing pockets of methane toward the drinking wells. Temple’s research will attempt to determine if the methane gas found in the wells was released from the shale during drilling or whether it was located in pockets closer to the surface.
If the methane is originating in the upper formations, the likely cause is the drilling operation or the well casing construction — issues that could be addressed at a reasonable cost, said Boufadel. However, if the gas is originating in the deep formation, the entire hydrofracking process could be considered hazardous and would need to be stopped or dramatically modified, he said.
Michele Masucci, associate professor and chair of geography and urban studies in the College of Liberal Arts, and Nicholas Davatzes, assistant professor of earth and environmental science in the College of Science and Technology will serve as co-investigators on the research project to be conducted by the NRDP Center.
Boufadel said Masucci, a social scientist, will explore how the science of the Marcellus Shale drilling is reaching policy makers, how they are processing it and using it to formulate public policy on the extraction of gas from the Marcellus Shale.
Davatzes, a structural geologist who has conducted research on energy from deep geo-thermal wells, will play a crucial role in constructing the geology of the impacted region, Boufadel said.
“Environmental research is inherently multi-disciplinary; the challenges are not only technical or technological, but socio-political as well,” said Boufadel. “This project is a template for dealing with important environmental issues, such as the Marcellus Shale, where we have researchers from three colleges — Engineering, Science and Technology and Liberal Arts — coming together to find solutions.”
In addition to the research, the grant requires Temple to organize a symposium on Marcellus Shale which will be held in the fall.
Your Private Drinking Water and the Natural Gas Industry (Part Two)
http://www.northcentralpa.com/news/2011-07-17_your-private-drinking-water-and-natural-gas-industry-part-two
July 17, 2011
By Penn State Cooperative Extension in Gas Industry
Part two of an article on considerations for private drinking water wells and natural gas drilling
At Penn State Extension’s programs that focus on protection and testing of private water supplies near natural gas drilling, Bryan Swistock, water resource extension specialist provides valuable information and practical advice for people interested in protecting their private drinking water supplies. Knowing the quality of your home well or spring water before natural gas drilling is critical to knowing if that quality changes or is impacted by natural gas drilling (or any other factors, for that matter). Swistock says if you want to legally document your water quality prior to any drilling occurring, you need to use a third-party, state-certified test lab. Importantly, he says that many drilling companies conduct what is called “pre-drilling survey” water testing.
“This is a survey of drinking water supplies in the vicinity of the natural gas drill site. The survey is not actually performed by the drilling company, but by a third-party, accredited testing firm,” says Swistock. “If you are asked to participate in such a survey, it’s in your best interest to do so, since the drilling company will pay for the water test.”
Swistock says people always have the option of paying for their own water testing. He says there are several factors to consider.
As far as “what” to test for when testing your drinking water supply, Swistock recommends a tiered approach. “There’s no perfect answer, but I suggest setting some priorities – ask yourself what is most critical to test for and start there. Prioritize and determine what you can afford to test for. If you are financially able to do more, there are some additional parameters you could consider.”
Once you’ve decided to have your drinking water tested, and have determined what to test for, understanding the results can be complex. Swistock says the report you will receive from the certified testing lab is considered a legal document, and it can be difficult to understand what the numbers mean.
“Many Penn State Cooperative Extension offices have both the people resources and informational materials to help people better understand their water test results. In fact, there’s an on-line form to help people interpret test results. You can also ask the lab that conducted the test if they will explain the results to you,” says Swistock.
Swistock also provided a number of informational web sites. He said the eNotice web site atwww.dep.state.pa.us/enotice/ allows people to sign up to receive e-mail notices when drilling is going to occur in a specific municipality or county.
Swistock says there are a number of pro-active measures people can take to protect their drinking water. For people leasing land to drillers, he recommended several stipulations that should be included as part of the lease. He also urged people to report problems and concerns to the PA Department of Environmental Protection, which has regulatory oversight for the natural gas activities in the region.
In addition, Swistock says researchers at Penn State University, through the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, have begun natural gas-related research to monitor drinking water wells and gather data.
Swistock finishes his presentations by noting the vast amount of information that is available from the Extension Office. He encouraged people to visit their web site at http://extension.psu.edu/naturalgas
Excerpted from the Clinton County Natural Gas Task Force (www.clintoncountypa.com ) weekly columns.
Shale commission faces votes on future of drilling
http://citizensvoice.com/news/shale-commission-faces-votes-on-future-of-drilling-1.1173999#axzz1S4wWwA8r
By Robert Swift (Harrisburg Bureau Chief)
Published: July 12, 2011
HARRISBURG – The governor’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission starts its endgame Friday with members voting in public on what recommendations to put in a comprehensive report guiding the future of natural gas development in Pennsylvania.
This will be the last working meeting of the commission before the July 22 deadline to hand a report to Gov. Tom Corbett.
Heading the agenda will be a series of votes on proposals offered by four working groups established when the commission began its work in March.
The proposals that garner a majority vote from the members will be included in the report, said Chad Saylor, spokesman for Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley, the commission chairman. The bulk of the proposals deal with public health and safety and environmental protection issues, he added.
The commission members are reviewing the working group proposals, therefore allowing for last-minute discussions before the meeting agenda is set, Saylor said.
One of the most closely watched issues facing the commission is levying an impact fee on drillers to offset the cost of drilling operations for municipalities, and additionally address environmental issues related to drilling.
Saylor was unable to say whether an impact fee recommendation will be voted on Friday, but he said a lot of attention was focused on impact fees in the working group that dealt with local impact and emergency preparedness issues relating to drilling.
House and Senate Republican leaders put off plans to vote on impact fee legislation at the close of the spring legislative session after Corbett said he would veto any bill with those provisions that reached his desk in advance of the commission’s report. Corbett has suggested he wants to see what the commission recommends concerning an impact fee, but he doesn’t think impact fee revenue should go to the all-purpose state General Fund.
Cawley has repeatedly said the issue of a state severance tax on natural gas production is off the commission’s agenda given Corbett’s strong opposition to that idea.
Likely to be in the mix for consideration are recommendations offered by the Department of Environmental Protection and Health Department.
DEP has outlined a major overhaul of the state Oil and Gas Act with stronger buffer zones to keep natural gas drilling away from water sources, tougher penalties and bond requirements and a “cradle-to-grave” manifest system to track wastewater from hydraulic fracturing. For example, DEP recommends restricting well drilling within 1,000 feet of a public water supply and doubling the distance from 250 feet to 500 feet to separate a gas well from a private well.
The Health Department wants to create a registry to monitor and study data on the health conditions of individuals who live near drilling sites.
“In order to refute or verify claims that public health is being impacted by drilling in the Marcellus Shale, there must be a comprehensive and scientific approach to evaluating over time health conditions of individuals who live in close proximity to a drilling site or are occupationally exposed,” said Health Secretary Eli Avila in a presentation to the commission last month.
Zoning is another issue on the commission’s radar screen.
In a May presentation, the industry-oriented Marcellus Shale Coalition called attention to a “patchwork” of ordinances dealing with such subjects as road use and well site setbacks. The Coalition called for consistency in zoning powers and not singling out activities by the gas industry.
rswift@timesshamrock.com
As Focus On Fracking Sharpens, Fuel Worries Grow
http://www.npr.org/2011/07/13/137789869/as-focus-on-fracking-sharpens-fuel-worries-grow
by Jeff Brady
July 13, 2011
A controversial technique for producing oil and natural gas called hydraulic fracturing — or fracking — has led to drilling booms from Texas to Pennsylvania in recent years. But there are concerns that it may be polluting drinking water.
As policymakers in Washington discuss how to make fracking safer, there is concern that fracking itself has become a distraction.
In the U.S., pretty much all of the oil and gas that was easy to get to is gone. Fracking makes it possible to extract petroleum from hard-to-reach places — say, a mile underground in dense layers of shale.
Drillers pump truckloads of water mixed with sand and chemicals into the rock. Under intense pressure, that creates tiny fractures that allow oil and gas trapped there to escape.
“Hydraulic fracturing is truly the rocket science of what’s happening in energy,” says Tisha Conoly Schuller, president and CEO of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association.
Schuller has seen fracking bring new life to old oil and natural gas fields, boosting domestic production in the U.S. She says that’s a good thing — especially for natural gas, because it burns cleaner.
In Pennsylvania the number of natural gas wells drilled into the Marcellus Shale has increased from 34 in 2007 to 1,446 last year.
But drive around the region and you’ll see that not everyone shares the industry’s appreciation of fracking. There are lawn signs opposing gas drilling, and in Sullivan County, N.Y., a handmade sign reads, “Thou shalt not frack with our water. Amen.”
Many fracking opponents were inspired by the movie Gasland. In one compelling scene, Weld County, Colo., resident Mike Markham shows how he can light his tap water on fire.
Throughout the movie, filmmaker and activist Josh Fox gives fracking special attention — calling into question how safe it is and whether it’s adequately regulated.
Says Schuller: “I think hydraulic fracturing has become a synonym for oil and gas development or anything one doesn’t like about oil and gas development.”
The industry worries that the focus on fracking could prompt policymakers to restrict the practice and bring a halt to the gas booms under way. That’s already happening around the country in places such as Buffalo, N.Y., Pittsburgh and most recently Morgantown, W.Va. New York is deciding on new rules to govern fracking there.
It’s not just the industry concerned about the focus on fracking. Some environmentalists say it may be taking attention away from the other problems that go along with drilling, like air pollution and toxic spills.
“I’m hoping that it’s really just a starting point — a jumping-off point — to look at all these other issues,” says Amy Mall, senior policy analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council.
And Mall hopes the focus on fracking will lead to more research about how oil and gas development affects people.
“There’s very little science about any of these impacts — not just the fracking, but the air quality, the waste-management issues,” Mall says. “But it does seem the immediate priority of the agencies is to focus on fracking.”
Certainly that’s what the Energy Department’s Natural Gas Subcommittee will discuss as it meets in Washington, D.C., this week. Eventually the group’s recommendations will be sent to the federal agencies that have a role in regulating fracking.
July 21 webinar to focus on natural gas pipelines
http://live.psu.edu/story/54077#nw69
Friday, July 8, 2011
The type of pipeline -- whether it’s a gathering line or a much larger interstate transmission line -- determines how much surface disturbance takes place.
University Park, Pa. — A Web-based seminar to be presented by Penn State Extension July 21 will explore pipeline development and regulation in regions of the state being intensely affected by drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale formation.
Speaking in the webinar will be Wayne County extension educator Dave Messersmith, based in Honesdale, who is part of Penn State’s Marcellus Education Team and coordinates the university’s annual Marcellus Summit, and Paul Metro, chief of the Gas Safety Division of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
They will discuss pipeline construction, associated surface infrastructure (valves, compressor stations, etc.), pipeline impacts on the landscape and in communities, ways to reduce pipeline impacts, negotiating terms for a pipeline right-of-way and regulatory oversight of gas pipelines in Pennsylvania.
There have been more than 2,300 wells drilled into the deep Marcellus layer in Pennsylvania in the last few years, primarily in the southwest, northeast and northcentral regions. Many pipelines have been and are being built to get the large volume of gas they produce to consumers.
A pipeline right-of-way is a strip of land over and around natural gas pipelines where some of the property owner’s legal rights have been granted to a pipeline operator, Messersmith said. A right-of-way agreement between the pipeline company and the property owner is also called an easement, which is usually filed in the county Register and Recorders Office with property deeds.
“Many people are concerned about eminent domain as it relates to pipelines,” he said. “In reality the type of pipeline — whether it’s a gathering line or an interstate transmission line — will determine who provides regulatory oversight and whether eminent domain is possible.”
Penn State Extension offers a publication called “Negotiating Pipeline Rights-of-Way in Pennsylvania,” which Messersmith authored, for people interested in knowing more about pipeline issues. Part of the Marcellus Fact Sheet Series, single copies can be obtained free of charge by Pennsylvania residents through county Penn State Extension offices, or by contacting the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Distribution Center at 814-865-6713 or AgPubsDist@psu.edu. The publication also is available in digital format at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/PDFs/ua465.pdf online.
The July 21 webinar is part of a series of online workshops addressing opportunities and challenges related to the state’s Marcellus Shale gas boom. Information about how to register for the webinar is available on the webinar page of Penn State Extension’s natural-gas website at http://extension.psu.edu/naturalgas/webinars online.
Future webinars will focus on a research update on the effects of shale drilling on wildlife habitat and current legal issues in shale-gas development.
Previous webinars, publications and information on topics such as air pollution from gas development, the gas boom’s effect on landfills, water use and quality, zoning, gas-leasing considerations for landowners, and implications for local communities also are available on the Penn State Extension natural-gas website, at http://extension.psu.edu/naturalgas online.
For more information, contact John Turack, extension educator in Westmoreland County, at 724-837-1402 or jdt15@psu.edu.
New study demonstrates toxic impacts of hydrofracking fluid on forest life
http://coloradoindependent.com/93580/new-study-demonstrates-toxic-impacts-of-hydrofracking-fluid-on-forest-life
By David O. Williams
07.11.11
Hydraulic fracturing itself may not directly contaminate groundwater supplies, as the oil and gas industry has steadfastly maintained for years, but the wastewater associated with the controversial process can be very hazardous to forest life, at least according to a new study produced by a U.S. Forest Service researcher.
Conducted by researcher Mary Beth Adams and published in the Journal of Environmental Quality, the study is entitled “Land Application of Hydrofracturing Fluids Damages a Deciduous Forest Stand in West Virginia.”
Adams applied more than 75,000 gallons of fracking fluid to a quarter-acre plot of land in the Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia. All of the groundcover on the plot died almost right away, and within two years 56 percent of the approximately 150 trees in the area had died.
“The explosion of shale gas drilling in the East has the potential to turn large stretches of public lands into lifeless moonscapes,” said Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which reported on Adams’ study last week.
Ruch noted that land disposal of fracking fluids is a common practice and that Adams’ study was conducted with a state permit. “This study suggests that these fluids should be treated as toxic waste,” Ruch added.
In Colorado, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette for several years has been pushing different versions of the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals (FRAC) Act, which in its latest incarnation would require the national disclosure of chemicals used in the process.
The oil and gas industry maintains it must keep its formulas secret for proprietary reasons, and the process is exempt from federal regulation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
But state oil and gas regulators in Colorado, as well as state industry representatives, argue that chemical disclosure will not prevent spills from holding pits and pipelines and that those areas of concern should be the real focus of regulatory efforts.
Fracking typically injects water, sand and chemicals thousands of feet below the surface to crack open tight rock and sand formations in order to free up more natural gas. Those results occur far below drinking water wells and groundwater supplies. There is still debate, even among scientists, over whether fracturing itself can cause contamination of groundwater.