Public forum on gas drilling to air live on PCN
http://citizensvoice.com/news/public-forum-on-gas-drilling-to-air-live-on-pcn-1.739337
Public forum on gas drilling to air live on PCN
Published: April 22, 2010
PCN will broadcast live coverage of a town meeting on the subject of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale from 7 to 9 tonight, then air it again at 9 a.m. Friday. The forum is being held at the Community Theatre, 100 W. Third St., Williamsport.
The panel includes John Hanger, secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection; Paul Kieffer, manager of financial planning at M&T Bank, the show’s sponsor; Kathryn Klaber, executive director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition; Vincent Matteo, president and CEO of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce; Dale A. Tice of the Marshall, Parker and Associates law firm; and state Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township, a member of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.
For information, visit www.pcntv.com.
Water Well Pennsylvania testing offered to residents near drilling site
http://citizensvoice.com/news/well-testing-offered-to-residents-near-drilling-site-1.738187
Well testing offered to residents near drilling site
By Elizabeth Skrapits (Staff Writer)
Published: April 21, 2010
elizabeth skrapits / the citizens’ voice Brian Oram, a hydrogeologist from Wilkes University, talks about local geology Tuesday at the Lehman Township Fire Hall.
LEHMAN TWP. – Residents near a planned natural gas well site in Lake Township were advised Tuesday to take advantage of an opportunity to have their private wells tested.
Encana Oil & Gas USA Inc., in partnership with WhitMar Exploration Co., has selected the Salansky property on Sholtis Road in Lake Township as the site of the second of three proposed exploratory natural gas wells in Luzerne County.
State regulations require natural gas drilling companies to sample drinking water wells within 1,000 feet of their drilling sites, but Encana is testing within a 1-mile radius of its proposed drilling sites.
The companies plan to start drilling at the Lake Township site in July if they can receive the required permissions, Encana Spokeswoman Wendy Wiedenbeck said. The first site to be drilled will be the Buda property behind the Ricketts Glen Hotel in Fairmount Township, in June. Although the companies have required permits to drill at a third site, the Lansberry property in Lehman Township, Wiedenbeck said she is not sure when drilling will start there.
Encana has retained Lancaster-based RETTEW Associates Inc. as a third-party firm to do the sampling, and King-of-Prussia-based TestAmerica as its independent laboratory to do the tests.
Drilling will not start until the water testing is complete, Wiedenbeck said. The reason for the water testing is to establish a baseline, or show what is in peoples’ well water before the drilling starts.
A few residents expressed concern about a similar situation like that in Dimock Township, where 14 families’ wells were invaded by methane. The state Department of Environmental Protection fined Cabot Oil & Gas Corp., made the company cap three wells, and put a stop to more drilling within a 9-square-mile radius of the township for at least a year. The problem is believed to have been caused by a faulty well casing.
Encana will follow protocols so as not to repeat the mistakes of the other well operator, according to Wiedenbeck. Differences include two well casings, the first of which will go at least 50 feet below the nearest known water source.
“I don’t know if there’s anything I can say to erase the concern from another’s mistake,” Wiedenbeck said. “We will take steps so we do not impact the water.”
On questioning, Wiedenbeck admitted Encana may have had an impact to a water source – a stream – while drilling in Colorado, but said state environmental authorities were called immediately and the company implemented a new protocol afterwards.
Although people seem to have a lot of concerns about the hydraulic fracturing process, Wiedenbeck said the biggest concern should be about the well bore instead of 7,000 feet underground: the well bore integrity will prevent fluids and gas from migrating.
If Encana did impact residents’ water, the company would be responsible to make sure they had drinkable, usable water the same as before the incident, she said.
“I think they (Encana) danced around some of the questions, but the water testing is a good idea, at least to give us a baseline,” Jeffrey Chulick, who lives near the Lake Township site, said after the meeting when asked what he thought. “I’m not sure about the natural gas drilling, though.”
After the question-and-answer session with Encana, Wilkes University hydrogeologist Brian Oram gave a presentation on what’s underground and in the water in the region.
Oram, who is not involved with the water sampling or acting as a consultant to Encana – “My role isn’t to swing somebody either way,” as he put it – did advise people to have the water sampling done.
He said in his 20 years of doing baseline water testing in Luzerne County, he found 30 percent to 50 percent of private wells were contaminated. For example, methane was discovered in wells in Tunkhannock and Columbia County even before Marcellus Shale drilling started there, Oram said.
eskrapits@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2072
Well-regulated gas extraction won’t harm water supplies. But it will create Pa. jobs.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20100409_Shale_concerns_overblown.html
Posted on Fri, Apr. 9, 2010
Shale concerns overblown
Well-regulated gas extraction won’t harm water supplies. But it will create Pa. jobs.
Commentary By Lou D’Amico
(Lou D’Amico is president of the Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association (PIOGA) and an adviser to EnergyInDepth.org. For more information, see www.pioga.org.)
The Marcellus Shale, which according to some geologists is the world’s second-largest natural-gas field, holds the potential to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs for Pennsylvanians – while reducing our dangerous dependence on foreign energy resources.
We’ve known about the Marcellus Shale for years. But advances – specifically, horizontal drilling techniques coupled with a 60-year-old technology called hydraulic fracturing, in which fluid is forced underground – have finally enabled us to reach its enormous stores of clean-burning fuel.
While Marcellus Shale production in Pennsylvania is still in its infancy, the results so far have been very good. According to Penn State, shale gas exploration in this state has already created 48,000 jobs, along with billions of dollars in economic output and millions of dollars in state and local government revenue. Over the next 10 years, shale gas production is expected to create more than 200,000 jobs directly and indirectly, as well as $13 billion in economic activity.
And every cubic foot of natural gas produced here in the Keystone State represents one less cubic foot that America is forced to import from gas giants such as Russia and Iran. That’s good news, right?
Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way. Last month, Philadelphia’s City Council unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a de facto moratorium on shale-gas development on privately owned land throughout the eastern sixth of the state.
The resolution says that the fluids used in the fracturing process, which are more than 99.5 percent water and sand, “are currently not required by law” to be disclosed, and that fracturing has caused “private well contamination.” One councilwoman said that gas development “should not occur without an environmental impact statement.”
Here are the facts: Hydraulic fracturing, which has been safely employed more than 1.1 million times in America, and is used today in 9 out of 10 wells nationwide, has never been found to contaminate groundwater – not once in 60 years. The Environmental Protection Agency’s top water official confirmed this just weeks ago. And the state Department of Environmental Protection has found that hydraulic fracturing “has not impacted local wells” and “is not a threat to water supplies.”
As for disclosure, federal law mandates that the fluids used in the fracturing process be identified and available at every well site. The DEP even lists the fracturing fluid’s composition on its Web site.
The states have always been the most effective energy regulators. And to help ensure Pennsylvania’s environment is protected, Gov. Rendell recently assigned an additional 68 state regulators to monitor Marcellus Shale production.
Unfortunately, by trying to bring the process under EPA oversight, Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) is among those working to strip Pennsylvania and other energy-producing states of their ability to effectively regulate fracturing, which has never been regulated by the federal government.
Council’s recent endorsement of such misguided efforts is unfortunate. Higher taxes and layers of unnecessary, duplicative regulations will not produce jobs or environmental benefits for the commonwealth.
Incidents where hydraulic fracturing is a suspected cause of drinking water contamination
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/amall/incidents_where_hydraulic_frac.html
Incidents where hydraulic fracturing is a suspected cause of drinking water contamination
Amy Mall
Senior Policy Analyst, Boulder, Colorado
NRDC supports federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing under the Safe Drinking Water Act. We believe this is a sensible approach that would ensure a minimum federal floor of drinking water protection in the more than 30 states where oil and gas production occurs.
Opponents of such regulation claim that hydraulic fracturing has never caused any drinking water contamination. They say this because incidents of drinking water contamination where hydraulic fracturing is considered as a suspected cause have not been sufficiently investigated, either because scientists and regulators could not properly investigate (did not have the information or technology needed) or because they chose not to, even where signs clearly point to hydraulic fracturing. Some cases where groundwater was contaminated during hydraulic fracturing operations have been attributed to other causes, such as faulty well structure, even if a well failed during the hydraulic fracturing process.
Below is a list of incidents where drinking water has been contaminated and hydraulic fracturing is a suspected cause. I can’t emphasize enough that there are many more cases of drinking water contamination around the country related to oil and gas production; those listed below are cases where a homeowner had enough detailed knowledge to know that a nearby well was recently fractured and specifically included that information in reports. In many cases of drinking water contamination where hydraulic fracturing has not been mentioned as the cause, it may be because the homeowner does not know if the nearby gas well was recently fractured. It does not mean that hydraulic fracturing is completely absolved. As you will see, these cases are not limited to just one company or one state. The stories from around the country are unfortunately familiar.
Please send me other incidents of which you are aware, and I will add them to this list.
Arkansas: In 2008, Charlene Parish of Bee Branch reported contamination of drinking water during hydraulic fracturing of a nearby natural gas well owned by Southwestern Energy Company. Her water smelled bad, turned yellow, and filled with silt.
Arkansas: In 2007, the Graetz family in Pangburn reported contamination of drinking water during hydraulic fracturing of a nearby natural gas well owned by Southwestern Energy Company. The water turned muddy and contained particles that were “very light and kind of slick” and resembled pieces of leather.
Colorado: In 2001, two families in Silt reported a water well blow-out and contamination of their drinking water during hydraulic fracturing of four nearby natural gas wells owned by Ballard Petroleum, now Encana Corporation. Their drinking water turned gray, had strong smells, bubbled, and lost pressure. One family reported health symptoms they believe are linked to the groundwater contamination.
Colorado: In 2007, the Bounds family in Huerfano County reported a pump house exploded and contamination of drinking water during hydraulic fracturing of nearby wells owned by Petroglyph Energy.
New Mexico: A 2004 investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found two residents who reported that the quality of their water was affected by hydraulic fracturing.
New York: In 2007, the Lytle family in Seneca County reported contamination of drinking water the morning after hydraulic fracturing of a nearby natural gas well owned by Chesapeake Energy Corporation. The water turned gray and was full of sediment.
New York: In 2009, the Eddy family in Allegany County reported contamination of drinking water during hydraulic fracturing of a nearby well owned by U.S. Energy Development Corporation. The water turned “foamy, chocolate-brown.”
Ohio: In 2007, there was an explosion of a water well and contamination of at least 22 other drinking water wells in Bainbridge Township after hydraulic fracturing of a nearby natural gas well owned by Ohio Valley Energy Systems. More than two years later, over forty families are still without clean drinking water and are waiting to be connected to a town water system.
Pennsylvania: In 2009, the Zimmerman family of Washington County reported contamination of drinking water after hydraulic fracturing of nearby natural gas wells owned by Atlas Energy. Water testing on their farm found arsenic at 2,600 times acceptable levels, benzene at 44 times above limits, naphthalene at five times the federal standard, and mercury and selenium levels above official limits.
Pennsylvania: In 2008, two families in Gibbs Hill reported contamination of drinking water after hydraulic fracturing of a nearby natural gas well owned by Seneca Resources Corporation. Their water had strong fumes, caused burning in lungs and sinuses after showering, and caused burning in the mouth immediately upon drinking.
Pennsylvania: In 2009, families in Bradford Township reported contamination of drinking water after hydraulic fracturing of nearby natural gas wells owned by Schreiner Oil & Gas. The drinking water of at least seven families has been contaminated.
Pennyslvania: In 2009, the Smitsky family in Hickory reported contamination of their drinking water after hydraulic fracturing of nearby natural gas wells owned by Range Resources. Their water became cloudy and foul-smelling. Testing found acrylonitrile, a chemical that may be used in hydraulic fracturing. The EPA is now investigating this incident.
Texas: In 2007, three families who share an aquifer in Grandview reported contamination of drinking water after hydraulic fracturing of a nearby well owned by Williams. They experienced strong odors in their water, changes in water pressure, skin irritation, and dead livestock. Water testing found toluene and other contaminants.
Virginia: Citizens reported drinking water contamination after hydraulic fracturing. Water was murky and had oily films, black sediments, methane, and diesel odors. Individuals experienced rashes from showering. The Buchanan Citizens Action Group reported over 100 documented complaints of adverse effects of hydraulic fracturing and the Dickenson County Citizens Committee reported ground water quality deteriorated throughout the county as a result of the large number of hydraulic fracturing events.
Wyoming: Families in the small town of Pavillion have been reporting contamination of their drinking water for at least ten years. Hydraulic fracturing has been used in the many wells in the area owned by Encana Corporation. Drinking water has turned black, smelled bad, and tasted bad. Individuals report medical symptoms they believe are related to water contamination. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is investigating and has found contamination in 11 water wells, including toxic chemicals that may be from hydraulic fracturing fluids. Further tests are needed to determine the source of contamination.
Home Water Well Testing in the Gas Well Era
June 15, 2010
2:00 — 4:00 pm
Damascus School
Damascus, PA
or
7:00 — 9:00 pm
Park Street Complex
648 Park St
Honesdale, PA
AGENDA
- How gas wells can impact groundwater wells.
- Regulations to protect private wells.
- Potential water pollutants.
- Testing strategies – including test packages through Penn State and third party water testing.
- How to collect water samples.
- Interpretation of water test results.
Webinar to address economic impact of shale gas drilling on March 18
Sometimes research can provide clarity to a question, and sometimes it can cloud the waters even further. That may be the case with some economic-impact studies of shale-gas drilling in Pennsylvania. At 1 p.m. on March 18, Tim Kelsey, professor of agricultural economics in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, will deliver a free Web-based seminar designed to provide an overview of some of the research used by decision-makers to assess factors of economic development in their communities.
Read the full story on Live: http://live.psu.edu/story/45180/nw69
Two Oil-Field Companies Acknowledge Fracking With Diesel
February 19, 2010
Two Oil-Field Companies Acknowledge Fracking With Diesel
By MIKE SORAGHAN of Greenwire
Two of the world’s largest oil-field services companies have acknowledged to Congress that they used diesel in hydraulic fracturing after telling federal regulators they would stop injecting the fuel near underground water supplies.
Halliburton and BJ Services acknowledged to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in January 2008 that they had used diesel in the controversial process that has expanded access to vast natural gas plays.
Read More
Webinar to address recycling wastewater from gas drilling
The calls to “reduce, reuse and recycle” have long been the watchwords of resource conservation, and when it comes to disposing of wastewater from shale-gas operations, those refrains still run deep, sometimes thousands of feet beneath groundwater sources.
Read the full story on Live: http://live.psu.edu/story/44473/nw69
Previous webinars — which covered topics such as water use and quality, legal questions surrounding natural gas exploration, and gas-leasing considerations for landowners and implications for local communities — can be viewed at http://naturalgas.extension.psu.edu/webinars.htm online.
Is Our Drinking Water At Risk?
http://larchmont.patch.com/articles/is-our-drinking-water-at-risk
Is Our Drinking Water At Risk?
League of Women Voters sponsors breakfast to discuss what’s happening in the Marcellus Shale.
By Keith Loria | Email the author | February 6, 2010
The natural gas industry considers the Marcellus Shale something of a gold mine, as the ancient rock formation, extending through Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York, contains between 168 trillion to 516 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, experts say.
The problem is that to extract the gas, companies are using new technologies combining large quantities of water, pressure and unidentified chemicals to force the gas from the shale, and many believe that this endangers our drinking water, forests, wildlife and personal well-being.
More than two dozen concerned citizens and local government officials were on hand at Hector’s Village Café yesterday morning to hear about these dangers in an event presented by the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Larchmont and Mamaroneck.
“We are always interested in educating people on how to take positive steps,” said Elisabeth Radow, the chair of the Environmental Committee for the LWV branch.
“It’s a very compelling topic and is one of the most critical topics that I have seen in a long time,” she said. “We are looking overall at 15 million people whose water supply can be affected because of the drilling.”
One thing was made very clear by the discussion: New York doesn’t have the right kind of regulations in place to handle the environmental realities and the consequences can be serious.
Marian Rose of the Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition began by talking about how the drilling unleashes natural radioactivity in very large doses, so there’s the potential of toxicity or cancer.
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has no control over what they are doing, and they will not tell you what the impact will be,” Rose said. “We believe if you don’t know what’s going to happen, then don’t do it.”
Currently, New York has no regulations about the amount of water that can be extracted. A large concern is that the more drilling that is done, the more water that is needed, and therefore, the forests are being put in danger.
“The Coalition is trying hard to protect the forests in this area,” Rose said. “Nearly 75 percent of our watershed is from the forest, which is why we have good water. If you fragment the forest too much, the landscape will be transformed to a bleak industrial landscape, which will have a major impact on water quality.”
Deborah Goldberg, managing attorney of Earthjustice’s New York office, startled the crowd when she talked about water in Pennsylvania that was apparently affected by the drilling so much that water from faucets could be lit on fire.
“The state of Pennsylvania realized quickly that if they continued to drill they would impact every fresh water stream in a period of two years,” she said. “They are now preparing regulations to protect their waters.”
The hope is that New York will do the same thing. As it stands now, New York is in the middle of an environmental review process, and environmental groups hope that the regulations will be substantially revised. If not, Goldberg said, expect to see a great deal of litigation come about.
Ernie Odierna, councilman for the Town of Mamaroneck, was on-hand and believes this is an issue that everyone should get behind.
“Residents should communicate with their elected officials,” he said. “We are fortunate to have Assemblyman George Latimer here today to hear it first hand, but the rest of them should know about the jeopardy that our environment is being put into because of this. I think that’s key.”
Natural Gas Drilling Tip Line
http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/report-environmental-violations
Natural Gas Drilling Tip Line
EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region has a natural gas drilling tip line for reporting dumping and other illegal or suspicious hauling and/or disposal activities.
Tip line number (toll free): 877-919-4372 (877-919-4EPA)
Tip email address: eyesondrilling@epa.gov
Tip mailing address: EPA Region 3
1650 Arch Street (3CEOO)
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
Documenting Suspicious Activity
To the extent possible, record:
• Location of the event
• Date of the event
• Time of the event
• Who, if anyone you interacted with during the event
Photos and videos are great ways to document observations. Be sure to record the date and time the photo or video was taken. Email your digital files, or mail your photographic prints, video cassettes, or CD-ROM disks to EPA using the contact information above.
When describing what you observed, include:
• Activity taking place, including description of equipment and materials involved
• Descriptions of vehicles
– Color
– Company name or logo
– License plate number
– Type of vehicle
• Destination of discharge (physical location and stream name, if known)
• Environmental impacts: discoloration, dying vegetation, dead fish or other wildlife
Thank you for reporting this information to EPA.