DEP Investigating Source of Stray Methane Gas in Bradford County
DEP Investigating Source of Stray Methane Gas in Bradford County
DEP to Require Complete Remediation
HARRISBURG — The Department of Environmental Protection is continuing to investigate the source of stray methane gas detected in the Susquehanna River and at six private water wells in Wilmont Township, Bradford County, late last week.
“Chesapeake Energy has been working at the direction of DEP to determine the source or sources of the stray gas,” said Hanger. “Gas migration is a serious, potentially dangerous problem. Chesapeake must stop the gas from migrating.”
Chesapeake has six Marcellus Shale gas wells located on the Welles well pads one three and four, located two to three miles northwest of the Susquehanna River. These wells are believed to be the source of stray gas that was detected on Aug. 4 at a residence located on Paradise Road in Terry Township. DEP issued a notice of violation to Chesapeake and required it to provide and implement a plan to remediate. Progress has been made, but, to date, this violation has not yet been fully resolved.
While neither DEP nor Chesapeake have been able to conclusively show that the Welles wells are the source, DEP believes that they are the most likely source.
The wells were drilled between Dec. 2009 and March of this year; however the wells have not been fractured or “fracked” and are not producing Marcellus gas. For that reason, DEP believes that any stray gas migrating from these wells is not from the Marcellus Shale formation, but from a more shallow rock formation.
Chesapeake has screened 26 residences within a one-half mile radius of the river and found six water wells to have elevated levels of methane. Chesapeake monitored each of the houses served by an impacted water well and found no indication of methane gas in the homes.
On Sept. 3, high levels of methane were detected in the crawl space under a seasonal residence. Emergency responders were contacted to ventilate below the home and gas and electric utilities were shut off to eliminate any potential for ignition.
Chesapeake has equipped water wells with high levels of methane with ventilation systems and installed five methane monitors in the homes associated with the im-pacted wells. Additionally, Chesapeake has provided potable water to the effected residents.
No residents have been evacuated from their homes.
DEP first received information about water bubbles in the Susquehanna River late on Sept. 2, with additional reports received the next morning of bubbling in two private drinking water wells nearby. In response, DEP sent two teams of inspectors to investigate the source of stray methane gas on Sept. 3.
One team of DEP inspectors went to the Susquehanna River near to Sugar Run where bubbling had been reported. DEP collected samples of the gas for isotopic analysis which is used to identify the source. Analysis of the lab results will be complete within 2 weeks.
Biogenic methane gas is formed at shallow depths from the natural organic decomposition of waste, such as one would find in swamp gas. Thermogenic methane gas is produced in deeper geologic formations and is the gas typically developed for economic purposes.
Both DEP and Chesapeake have taken gas samples from the water well heads and the natural gas wells. The results will help to determine if the source of the stray gas detected at the river and in the water wells is the Welles wells.
Anyone who notices unusual bubbling in surface or well water should notify DEP immediately by calling 570-327-3636.
####
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/newsroom/14287?id=14034&typeid=1
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg PA., 17120
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
09/7/2010
CONTACT:
Helen Humphreys, Department of Environmental Protection
717-787-1323
Penn State researchers ‘whet’ teen students’ interest in water cycle
http://live.psu.edu/story/47937/nw69
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Penn State researchers ‘whet’ teen students’ interest in water cycle
Photo by Margaret Hopkins In Pun, a rising ninth grader at State College Area High School, gets help from George Holmes, Penn State graduate student in civil engineering, on how to read an electronic water-level sensor. For more photos from the Stone Valley streambed ‘lab,’ click on the image above.
University Park. — A dry streambed in a small wooded valley near Penn State’s Stone Valley Recreation Area became a “living” laboratory Wednesday (Aug. 18) for a group of State College Area High School students getting an early taste of earth science.
Using soil moisture probes and water-level sensors, the teens sampled 16 sites to determine the depth of the water table and the moisture content along a streambed that was so dry in parts that it was almost dusty. The laboratory was the 20-acre Shale Hills watershed in the Penn State Stone Valley Experimental Forest in Huntingdon County.
Instructing the students was Chris Duffy, Penn State professor of civil engineering, who is the lead researcher in the NSF-sponsored Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (CZO). Critical Zone science explores the complex physical chemical and biological processes that shape and transform the life-sustaining Critical Zone stretching from the top of vegetation to the bottom of groundwater.
Researchers in three Penn State colleges, Engineering, Earth and Mineral Sciences and Agricultural Sciences, are involved in examining water flow patterns and rates as it moves through the subsurface of the Shale Hills watershed.
A new initiative for the State College Area School District, the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) academy is emphasizing hands-on activities with students building instruments, conducting experiments and analyzing data.
“When kids see and do hand-on things, they remember it far better than being told what it is and how it works,” said Wendy Watts, who teaches physics in the school district and who also took a turn measuring soil moisture with the students.
The students’ measurements confirmed their hypotheses: Soil on the banks of the stream was drier than the soil in the streambed, and soils are drier closer to stream headwaters.
“Doing experiments and seeing how it works in person helps me learn it better,” said 14-year old In Pun, one of the 10 students in the State College Area School District’s week long STEM Summer Academy. “I’m really understanding how the water cycle works and how everything affects it.”
Amer Sible, 14, said, “This helps me make connections between the everyday things you see and the science behind them.”
Dave Klindienst, the district STEM coordinator, said the district is looking to build more collaborations with Penn State, a goal that also fits well with Duffy.
“If we want to move Critical Zone Observatories forward as a national network, we need education at the K-12 level in the mix,” Duffy said. “Today was an opportunity for students to learn about ecology, geology and hydrology with mentors.”
Wading through water-test results subject of webinar
http://live.psu.edu/story/48230/nw69
Friday, September 3, 2010
Wading through water-test results subject of webinar
Well owners may wish to have drinking water tested before and after nearby gas wells are drilled.
When it comes to water-test results, one of the murkiest problems facing homeowners is how to interpret the results, according to an expert in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. And with the flood of Marcellus shale gas-drilling activity in Pennsylvania, there has been a steadily rising tide of information about water availability, water quality, water-testing procedures and what those tests indicate.
“We’re finding that in a lot of these counties, there is a lot of water testing being done by gas companies or by households — before and after drilling — and these water test reports can be very hard to understand,” said Bryan Swistock, a water resources extension specialist in the college’s School of Forest Resources. “For some, it’s like trying to decipher foreign language.”
To help owners of private water supplies navigate the water-testing maze, Swistock will conduct a free Web-based seminar titled, “How to Interpret Pre- and Post-Gas Drilling Water Test Reports.” Part of a series of online water-related workshops produced by Penn State Cooperative Extension, the webinar will air at noon and again at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15.
Participants must pre-register for the webinars, but only one registration is required for the entire series. To register, visit http://extension.psu.edu/water/webinar-series. Once participants have pre-registered, they may visit the webinar site (https://breeze.psu.edu/water1) on the day of the presentation to view the live presentation.
Water-quality experts, gas-company officials and attorneys all agree that if gas-drilling activity is scheduled to take place nearby, homeowners should get pre-drill water testing done, Swistock said. Because gas companies have a presumed responsibility for water quality within 1,000 feet of a gas well, they frequently provide free water testing to homeowners within that radius. Some gas companies may pay to test private water systems even beyond 1,000 feet from a gas well, he added.
Homeowners who live outside that range — or ones who don’t trust free testing — may opt to pay for their own testing. For these consumers, Swistock advises hiring a state-accredited lab to come out to the home. The water sample then becomes a “legally valid” sample, the chain of custody of which is assured, should a case go to court, he said.
Swistock explained that water testing for all possible pollutants associated with gas-well drilling can by very expensive. Homeowners should discuss the costs of the testing with the laboratory or consultant to select a testing package that addresses their concerns while still being affordable.
Some homeowners are distressed to discover pre-existing problems that have nothing to do with gas exploration. It is common to uncover problems such as bacteria, traces of nitrate, or lead, which sometimes can come from the home’s own plumbing system. “Some problems don’t have symptoms, so if the well was never tested previously, and people didn’t experience any symptoms, they’ll think the test result was doctored,” Swistock said.
He noted that more than 1 million Pennsylvania homes and farms have drilled water wells, and about 45 percent of them have never been tested. He said bacteria occurs in about one-third of water wells in the state and is likely to go undetected unless someone had reason to investigate.
Changes in other water conditions may prompt more immediate investigation. Nearby construction or drilling may create changes in water’s appearance, taste or availability. The sudden onset of spurting faucets, foaming or cloudy water, metallic or salty tastes, previously undetected odors, or reduced flow volume may each indicate manmade problems caused by localized disturbances.
In addition to water sources, information also should be carefully evaluated. With the recent deluge of sources disseminating information related to protecting water supplies near gas drilling, Swistock suggests that homeowners with private water systems in the Marcellus region be vigilant and carefully weigh comments and recommendations they receive. He recommends seeking out credible sources of information, trustworthy third-party testing services and state-accredited water labs to conduct the testing.
“It’s our mission to provide unbiased information grounded in research to help people manage and protect the water resources of Pennsylvania,” Swistock said. “None of my current or past research funding has come from the Marcellus gas industry. My only goal is to provide facts that will help homeowners and others make the best decision possible.”
The webinar also will provide viewers with links to useful websites, including a description of various water tests, a list of state-accredited labs and an online Drinking Water Interpretation Tool to help homeowners interpret complex water test reports.
This presentation is part of an overall series targeting the most common water questions and concerns people have about water resources on their own property, whether those are water wells, septic systems or ponds. Other topics in the series include managing septic systems, ponds and lakes, drilling wells and safe drinking water. Recordings of previous webinars can be found at http://extension.psu.edu/water/webinar-series.
Meters required for all wells
http://www.tnonline.com/node/128288
Meters required for all wells in Nesquehoning, PA
Reported on Thursday, August 26, 2010
By CAROL ZICKLER TN Correspondent tneditor@tnonline.com
“Tom Merman asked David Hawk, who serves as the borough’s Water Authority chairman, about putting meters on all of the wells in town that don’t have meters on them. Hawk answered that it is up to council as to whether they want to enforce the ordinance. There is an ordinance that all wells have meters attached. Later in the meeting it was discussed that each homeowner who does not have a meter must get one and have it installed. They will have 30 days from time of accepting the meter to have it installed.”
Penn State launches new education, research center on Marcellus Shale
http://live.psu.edu/story/47867/nw69
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
University Park, Pa.— Penn State announced today (Aug. 18) the formation of an education and research initiative on the Marcellus Shale to work with state agencies, elected officials, communities, landowners, industry and environmental groups to protect the Commonwealth’s water resources, forests and transportation infrastructure while advocating for a science-based and responsible approach to handling the state’s natural gas deposits.
“With the Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research we are bringing together the University’s considerable expertise in a number of areas to provide fact-based information on the Marcellus Shale, one of the largest gas fields in the world,” said Penn State President Graham Spanier. “It has become apparent that much more research and education is needed on the Marcellus.”
Reports on the development of the natural gas deposits of the Marcellus Shale predict a boost to both Pennsylvania’s economy and the energy reserves of the state and nation. At the same time, there are potential environmental and social impacts that must be researched and considered, Spanier said.
“Penn State has the capabilities and resources to examine all sides of this complex issue—and to do that well,” he said.
Leadership of Penn State’s Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research (MCOR) < http://www.marcellus.psu.edu/ > reflects the need for energy research and public outreach with Michael A. Arthur, professor of geosciences in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and Thomas B. Murphy, extension educator, Penn State Cooperative Extension, serving as co-directors.
In establishing the Marcellus Center, the University aims to coordinate ongoing outreach and research initiatives as well as develop additional resources for stakeholders on Marcellus geology, legal issues, environmentally appropriate technologies, and impacts on infrastructure such as roadways and bridges.
Because water availability and protection are key issues, MCOR has hired a hydrogeologist to lead these related outreach and research efforts. This position will complement ongoing research into water supply and quality issues funded by state and federal agencies.
The University has been a key player in Marcellus development since its beginning. It was Penn State research that first called attention to the potential for tapping this vast energy reserve using horizontal drilling technology. In addition, for the past five years, Penn State extension staff has provided Marcellus-focused programming to landowners, local governments and state legislators, reaching more than 50,000 people in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Cooperative Extension staff also has collaborated with environmental and business organizations as well as state agencies on issues from gas rights to water impacts.
Workforce development programs to train Pennsylvania residents for jobs within the natural gas industry also are being initiated by the Marcellus Shale Education and Training Center (MSETC) < http://www.msetc.org/ > a separate collaboration between Cooperative Extension and Penn College of Technology.
“This center (MCOR) enables Penn State to further our outreach efforts to counter misinformation and provide reliable knowledge to the residents of Pennsylvania and surrounding states about the opportunities and challenges of natural gas development,” Murphy said.
While the expertise of faculty across the University will be tapped through the center, faculty in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences are already engaged in research projects to investigate geologic aspects of the Marcellus Shale and to determine more efficient methods for “fracing” the formation to enhance natural gas recovery and minimize the number of wells to be drilled. Fracing is short for hydraulic fracturing, a process that fractures rock formations to extract the gas below. These projects are being funded by the Department of Energy and industry affiliate groups.
“Other key research examines impacts of increased truck traffic on Pennsylvania’s extensive dirt and gravel road network, the effects of well siting and pipeline construction on forest ecology and the spread of invasive species,” Arthur said.
Penn State researchers also are examining the economic and social consequences of rapid development of the communities with significant Marcellus Shale drilling.
Penn State has committed major resources to establish and staff the Marcellus Center (MCOR) with support from the colleges of Agricultural Sciences and Earth and Mineral Sciences, the Penn State Institutes for Energy and the Environment (PSIEE) and Penn State Outreach, Spanier said.
Additional funding from PSIEE and the Social Sciences Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State is underwriting investigation of human/social impacts and environmental issues related to Marcellus development by teams of cross-disciplinary collaborators. The goal of these research seed grants is to develop proposals for external funding agencies.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Says US Should Regulate Gas Drilling
http://cbs3.com/wireapnewsnj/PA.Sen.Casey.2.1868029.html
Aug 19, 2010
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Says US Should Regulate Gas Drilling
MICHAEL RUBINKAM, Associated Press Writer
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) ― U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said Thursday that Pennsylvania’s emerging natural gas industry has the potential to create jobs and wealth, but also carries environmental risks that must be addressed.
The Pennsylvania Democrat told a forum in Scranton that the “gas rush” taking place in the vast Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania “can create a great economic boost” in a state where nearly 600,000 people are unemployed. But he added: “We must not fail to protect our people, our land, our water and our future.”
Casey is sponsoring the FRAC Act, stalled legislation that calls for federal regulation of the drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.” Drillers inject millions of gallons of chemical-laden water deep underground to break up the shale and let natural gas escape, leaving much of the water below ground.
Because the process was exempted from federal laws by 2005 energy legislation, regulation has been left to various states.
Opponents contend fracking not only threatens the quality of groundwater but the quantity, since it requires so much water be withdrawn from area rivers.
The industry says fracking has a long track record and that it is safe, with no confirmation that the process has ever contaminated water supplies, and that other kinds of energy production use much more water.
Casey on Thursday pushed for full disclosure of all chemicals used in fracking, one of the provisions of the FRAC Act. The industry says it now does disclose those chemicals, some of which are known carcinogens, after years of claiming the chemical formulas were proprietary.
“Pennsylvanians have a right to know what is being injected into the ground at thousands of sites across the commonwealth,” he said. If fracking chemicals do not pose a threat to groundwater, drinking water or human health, he asked, “then why can’t we shine the light of full disclosure on that process?”
Industry official Kathryn Klaber, who appeared with Casey at the forum, said drillers have nothing to hide and do not object to additional types of disclosure to make the public more comfortable.
“There’s no reason not to have that data available, and clearly the public sees it as a top priority,” said Klaber, head of the Marcellus Shale Coalition.
Thursday’s forum at Marywood University examined the short- and long-term impacts of natural gas development in the Marcellus Shale, a giant gas field underlying much of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. Some experts believe the Marcellus Shale, with as much as 500 trillion cubic feet, could become the nation’s most productive, with enough natural gas to supply the energy-hungry East Coast for 50 years.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has conducted hearings around the country this summer, seeking input as it prepares to study the environmental issues of fracking over the next two years. While Casey has been able to attach the disclosure provisions of the FRAC Act to another energy bill that the Senate could take up this fall, legislative action on the regulatory issue is unlikely this year.
Opponents of the gas drilling process complain the industry has taken environmental and safety shortcuts in their zeal to reap the vast gas stores. Drilling companies tallied more than 1,400 violations of state laws since January 2008, according to an environmental advocacy group’s recent analysis of state data.
John Hanger, secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection, expressed frustration with the industry in a newspaper interview on Thursday, vowing to stop issuing permits to frequent violators.
“The only sanction left to government and the people is to tell a company it can’t do business here any longer,” Hanger told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We’re now to the point of really sorting through these violations and identifying companies that don’t seem yet to have gotten the message.
Hanger called out three companies in particular: Chief Oil & Gas of Dallas, Citrus Energy of Colorado and EOG Resources, the Houston-based company that had a blowout at a Clearfield County well in June.
Klaber said the industry shares Hanger’s concern and is working to reduce violations.
“We’ve go to do this right,” she said. “We need to be at a place where there are no violations, and we need to be doing that consistently to earn … trust.”
DEP Fines Atlas Resources for Drilling Wastewater Spill in Washington County
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/newsroom/14287?id=13595&typeid=1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
08/17/2010
CONTACT:
Katy Gresh, Department of Environmental Protection Southwest Regional Office
412-442-4203
DEP Fines Atlas Resources for Drilling Wastewater Spill in Washington County
PITTSBURGH — The Department of Environmental Protection has fined Atlas Resources LLC $97,350 for allowing used hydraulic fracturing fluids to overfill a wastewater pit and contaminate a high-quality watershed in Hopewell Township, Washington County.
The violations were discovered on Dec. 5 and 6, 2009, at the Cowden 17 gas well on Old Trail Road off Route 844. Once the unknown quantity of fluid overflowed the impoundment’s banks, it ran over the ground and into a tributary of Dunkle Run.
“It is unacceptable for drilling companies in Pennsylvania to threaten public safety or harm the environment through careless acts, such as this,” DEP Southwest Regional Director George Jugovic Jr. said. “The Marcellus Shale offers significant economic opportunities for Pennsylvania, but these companies must adopt operating standards that prevent these sorts of accidents and they must make protecting our water resources a top priority.”
This spill violated Pennsylvania’s Oil and Gas Act and Solid Waste Management Act, as well as the state’s Clean Streams Law. Atlas corrected the problem once it was discovered, but failed to report it to DEP.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process during which liquid is pumped under high pressure down a well and into a rock formation. This causes the formation to crack open and form passages through which natural gas can flow into the borehole.
Properly cased and cemented wells prevent the fluid from entering ground water supplies. Diluted frack fluids are classified as residual waste under Pennsylvania’s Solid Waste Management Act and industrial waste under the state Clean Streams Law.
For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us or call 412-442-4000.
Wilkes creates water quality database
http://citizensvoice.com/news/wilkes-creates-water-quality-database-1.955949
Wilkes creates water quality database
BY ELIZABETH SKRAPITS (STAFF WRITER)
Published: August 18, 2010
WILKES-BARRE – Due to natural gas companies’ increasing interest in the Marcellus Shale, Wilkes University’s Center for Environmental Quality is establishing Northeastern Pennsylvania’s first water quality database to determine the condition of groundwater and surface water before drilling activity commences.
Property owners in Luzerne and Columbia counties who have had their private wells tested by state-certified laboratories are invited to contribute the data, which will be collected and used to help pinpoint any changes or trends in water quality.
“We’ll take information from any wells from anywhere,” Brian Redmond said.
Geologists Redmond, Sid Halsor and Brian Oram, who have a combined 100 years of groundwater experience in the region, will manage the database. Oram is director of the Center for Environmental Quality and Redmond and Halsor are professors in the Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences department at Wilkes. They held a press conference Thursday to announce the launch of the database.
Previous water quality tests were limited, said Redmond, who held up a copy of an outdated 1984 study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Now, with the interest in the Marcellus Shale, the big question is what impact, if any, will natural gas drilling have on the groundwater, “especially with all those lovely private wells,” Redmond said.
He said public water suppliers are required to test for a “long, long list of things” and make the results public. But many homeowners don’t test their wells, he said.
The three geologists stressed the importance of having well testing done before any drilling takes place, in order to establish a baseline of what already is or isn’t in the water.
There are many potential sources of contamination, ranging from bacteria to the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. Methane migration can occur even in areas where there isn’t any natural gas drilling, and Oram said arsenic can be found naturally in groundwater.
Testing can determine where the contaminants come from. For example, if the well water contains a high level of salt, it could be caused by the hydraulic fracturing of a well.
But it could also come from a well so deep it is below sea level, or from road salt, Redmond said. The well should be tested for other things that might indicate the source. An anti-caking agent is usually added to road salt, he said.
To maximize the value of the water test data, a geographic information system will be used for digital maps, Redmond said. If homeowners see elevated levels of things in their well water, they will be able to see if the same parameters are elevated elsewhere – whether it’s isolated or part of a trend, and if it’s a trend, where concentrations are highest, indicating the source, he said.
So far, more than 400 homeowners in Luzerne and Columbia counties, some of whom are in potential drilling areas, have contributed their test results, Halsor said. Oram said the data should be posted on Wilkes’ website by the fall.
Participation is voluntary, and Oram said homeowners’ personal information will be kept confidential; wells will be identified by geographic coordinates and zip codes.
All property owners with wells can contribute their test data, including those who are beyond the distance of natural gas well sites.
“Just because your land is not leased to a gas company doesn’t mean you’re immune to the impact,” Halsor noted.
eskrapits@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2072
Our water supply is at risk
http://www.tnonline.com/node/124578
Reported on Saturday, August 14, 2010
Opinion
Our water supply is at risk
Dear Editor:
The gas drilling that is going on across Pennsylvania is now on a path to destroy not just a small portion of land, but the very way of life that the people of this area have enjoyed for generations.
There are many examples of places where the chemicals that the gas companies use in hydraulic fracturing have poisoned vast quantities of water. There are even instances of entire waterways being killed due to chemicals from this process. How much fishing can you do when there are no living fish?
How much hunting can you do when the deer drink poisoned water and die from it? How much rafting can you do when the water in the river is not safe to touch?
Some of you may say that its acceptable to allow the drillers to use a process that destroys drinking water because they aren’t doing the drilling close to your home. Well, water travels and in our case it travels south from the drilling areas. For example, the town of Lehighton, on occasion, is dependent upon the Lehigh river for a portion of its drinking water. How much drinking water will Lehighton be able to take from the river if the river is full of lethal drilling chemicals such as ethyl glycol (anti-freeze), benzene (a known carcinogen) and sulfuric acid. These are merely three of the hundreds of chemicals that the drilling companies use in the hydraulic fracturing process.
Where will Lehighton turn for drinking water if the Lehigh river is no longer an option when it is needed? How much more will it cost? Once the chemicals get into the water you cannot remove them.
Even if you do not live in Lehighton, the water that you drink is still at risk because water constantly flows. There are documented cases of people being able to light their well water on fire after drilling took place in their area. Do we want that? Is it worth risking our children’s health to allow a few corporations to make even more money on our backs?
We need to demand, not urge, that our elected officials push for a drilling moratorium to ensure that this does not happen to our homes. State Representative Keith McCall (610) 377-6363. State Senator Ray Musto (717)-787-7105. State Senator Dave Argall (717-787-2637). Congressman Paul Kanjorski (202)-225-6511. US Senator Arlen Specter (202)-224-4254. US Senator Robert Casey (866) 802-2833.
Harold James
Summit Hill
Sen. Baker Introduces Measures To Protect Drinking Water From Gas Drilling
http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=16419&SubjectID=
Sen. Baker Introduces Measures To Protect Drinking Water From Gas Drilling
Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne) this week introduced two bills to provide additional protection to drinking water from the impacts from Marcellus Shale natural gas well drilling.
Senate Bill 1451 (Baker-R-Luzerne) would require gas well wastewater treatment facility operators to be certified by the Department of Environmental Protection.
Senate Bill 1452 (Baker-R-Luzerne) would require each oil and gas well permit to be accompanied by information regarding the zone of influence of the well site on groundwater and an analysis of the time a potential release of drilling fluids would reach the nearest waterways; a preparedness, prevention and contingency plan; and a plan for notifying all downstream water users in the event of a spill.
The bill requires the notification of all public drinking water system operators within the water within 10 days of receiving a permit; a requirement that wells not be drilled within 1,000 feet of a building or water well without the consent of the owner; not within 1,000 feet of any stream, spring or body of water; or 1,000 feet of any wetlands or within 3,000 feet of a drinking water reservoir. The permit application must also contain a groundwater monitoring and sampling plan before, during and after drilling.
“As more drilling takes place in our region, it increases the chances of something going wrong. Prevention and protection are preferable to crisis management and emergency response. Individuals and groups are taking a hard look at state laws and regulations, finding restrictions that seem too slight in contrast to the consequences of human error or technological failure, and offering constructive suggestions on steps that should be taken,” Sen. Baker said.
“While there are proposed water protection regulations moving through the process, people understand that law has more force. As drilling proceeds on a larger scale, area residents want answers that show responsibility being assured, rather than risks being assumed,” she emphasized.
“The economic benefits of gas extraction will be realized statewide, while the environmental drawbacks will be experienced locally. We have to be properly prepared and protected. Reasonable environmental protections will not discourage the development of this industry; they will help to make sure that unreasonable costs are not imposed on local communities and homeowners,” Sen. Baker stated.
Sen. Baker said that some of the costs would be borne by the gas companies. Oversight costs could be paid for through a severance tax, which is expected to be debated in the coming weeks. She reiterated her opposition to any severance tax plan that would devote the revenue generated to filling a hole in the state budget, rather than providing for community protection in drilling areas.
“The environmental and economic catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico underscores the crucial nature of taking all reasonable precautions and for being prepared for dealing with extreme situations when things go horribly wrong,” Sen. Baker concluded.