Top-Ten-NY-Drilling-Problems.pdf (application/pdf Object)
June 15, 2012
Sierra Club: Atlantic Chapter
June 14, 2012 1 Comment
Sierra Club: Atlantic Chapter.
NEW: Sierra Club reacts to Governor’s plan to limit drilling to economically disadvantaged counties of New York.
Abandoned wells
June 2, 2012
Yesterday on the NPR station WSKG broadcast of Living on Earth ( http://www.loe.org/) there was a segment on locating abandoned oil/gas wells in PA – very interesting and relevant.
Some excerpts:
DOE Looks for Orphan Wells
CURWOOD: It’s Living on Earth, I’m Steve Curwood. For more than 150 years prospectors in the United States have drilled countless holes in the ground in search of oil and gas. Most of the resulting wells were sealed once they became unprofitable. But improperly sealed ones can lead to explosions and other hazards.
With the gas rush now underway in the Marcellus Shale in the Eastern U.S., the federal Department of Energy has made the search for so-called “orphan wells” a high priority.
….The helicopter has special equipment mounted on long, white poles on either side. At the end of each pole is a white cylinder pointed at the ground. Inside, these canisters are essentially advanced metal detectors. They can pick up cars, natural metals like gold, or the metal casings found in abandoned oil and gas wells.
….An abandoned well, if it’s not properly plugged, it provides a conduit for gases to come to the surface. These gases could be, of course, methane, natural gas, or something like radon.
….The first natural gas well in Pennsylvania was drilled in 1859. But the industry wasn’t regulated until 1956. That left almost a century’s worth of wells drilled, with little or no records of where they were located. It’s estimated there are more than 100,000 of these so-called “orphan wells” sitting in Pennsylvania.
.…One problem with looking for wells, Carter says, is a lot of the metal casings used to detect these wells are gone.
(The program does not explain how these wells are located, as the sensing system is based on magnetism detecting the steel casing.)
…..Our story on orphaned wells comes to us from the radio show The Allegheny Front.
From the DEC’s revised DSGEIS
Preliminary Revised Draft SGEIS 2011, Page 7-59
To ensure that abandoned wells do not provide a conduit for contamination of fresh water
aquifers, the Department proposes to require that the operator consult the Division’s oil and gas
database as well as property owners and tenants in the proposed spacing unit to determine
whether any abandoned wells are present. If (1) the operator has property access rights, (2) the
well is accessible and (3) it is reasonable to believe based on available records and history of
drilling in the area that the well’s total depth may be as deep or deeper than the target formation
for high-volume hydraulic fracturing, then the Department would require the operator to enter
and evaluate the well, and properly plug it prior to high-volume hydraulic fracturing if the
evaluation shows the well is open to the target formation or is otherwise an immediate threat to
the environment. If any abandoned well is under the operator’s control as owner or lessee of the
pertinent mineral rights, then the operator is required to comply with the Department’s existing
regulations regarding shut-in or temporary abandonment if good cause exists to leave the well
unplugged. This would require a demonstration that the well is in satisfactory condition to not
pose a threat to the environment, including during nearby high-volume hydraulic fracturing, and
a demonstrated intent to complete and/or produce the well within the time frames provided by
existing regulations.
A criticism of the of this section is that this “proposal” could easily miss wells which have long since been abandoned, especially those from which the casing was removed for scrap steel. From the DEC’s website:
Long Abandoned Wells Predate Strict Rules
DEC has a strict environmental regulatory program for oil and gas wells drilled in New York. New York has had an active oil and gas industry since the 1880’s and DEC estimates that more than 75,000 oil and gas wells have been drilled in the state. Most of these wells existed prior to the establishment of New York’s regulatory program in 1963 that ensures the proper plugging of wells. DEC has identified about 4,800 unplugged, abandoned oil and gas wells in New York for which no known owner can be located. It estimates that at least as many more unplugged and abandoned wells exist that are yet to be discovered. Many of the older wells were abandoned by their owners when low production and/or low prices made it unprofitable for them to continue production.
I expect that this airborne scanning technology will be cited by the DEC to deflect some of the criticism about undocumented wells.
Jim Weiss
1. They didn’t talk about cost to find/time to find
2. They didn’t talk about cost to plug
3. They didn’t talk about alternative technologies to find (there is ALWAYS som other way(s)
4. They didn’t talk about old abandoned water wells – another contamination vector
5. Sigh, S
Out of Sight, Out of Mind New York’s Failure to Track or Treat Fracking Waste Endangers Public Health & the Environment
May 5, 2012
outofsight_finalweb.pdf (application/pdf Object).
Out of Sight, Out of Mind New York’s Failure to Track or Treat Fracking Waste Endangers Public Health & the Environment
Newsday – Group: Drilling wastewater not monitored http://www.newsday.com/long-island/politics/group-drilling-wastewater-not-monitored-1.3699813
Chicago Tribune/Newsday – Group: drilling wastewater not monitored http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-mct-group-drilling-wastewater-not-monitored-20120505,0,5670637.story
TU – DEC clouds fate of drilling waste http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/DEC-shrouds-fate-of-drilling-waste-3536289.php
YNN – EANY releases fracking report http://hudsonvalley.ynn.com/content/top_stories/583036/eany-releases-fracking-report/
YNN Capitol Tonight – Liz Benjamin interviews Katherine Nadeau about fracking report http://www.capitaltonight.com/2012/05/eanys-nadeau-on-wastewater-report/
Newspoint – DEC accused of failing to responsibly treat wastewater http://newspoint.co.za/story/412/2297-dec-a ccused-failing-responsibly-monitor-gas-well-waste-s-disposal
Capitol Pressroom – Eye-opening new study about wastewater http://blogs.wcny.org/the-capitol-pressroom-for-may-4-2012/
Community Air Screen Program – NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
April 25, 2012
Community Air Screen Program – NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation.
Community Air Screen Program
What is the Community Air Screen program?
If you are concerned about what is in the air in your neighborhood, check out the Community Air Screen program. This new community-based program works with volunteers from local communities to screen for toxic air pollutants in order to begin to address some local air quality concerns. The goal of the Community Air Screen program is for community groups and citizens to partner with DEC to collect local-scale air samples.
Who Is Eligible?
Individuals as well as not-for-profits and neighborhood and community groups in New York State may apply. Priority is given to projects in or near low-income and minority communities and public locations where people are more likely to spend time outdoors.
Approximately 12 to 18 applicants will be selected for this program. A total number of sixty (60) air samples will be analyzed statewide.
Consider partnering with other concerned citizens or community groups in your neighborhood to strengthen your chance of being selected.
How to Apply:
Applications must be postmarked or emailed by midnight, May 24, 2012. The application is available in the right column as a downloadable PDF.
The application process is very easy – four simple questions – four page limit.
Complete the application using the writable PDF downloaded to your computer or by printing out a paper copy. Return the application to DEC postmarked or emailed by midnight May 24, 2012.
- Describe your local air quality concerns fully in Part 3 and Part 4 of the application.
- Limit your answers to the four page application form.
- All applicants will be notified by June 25, 2012 as to their acceptance.
Application return addresses: Email: CAS@gw.dec.state.ny.us or
Mail: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Community Air Screen Program
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-3259
What should I know before applying?
- What am I responsible for?
- What is the time commitment?
- How does the sampling equipment work?
- What information do I need to record during sampling?
- What should you consider for sampling?
Other Questions? Email us at CAS@gw.dec.state.ny.us or call 518-402-8044.
Other Communities Participating in Citizen Sampling Programs
(see right column “Links Leaving DEC’s website”)
Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency – Citizen Air Sampling Program
Western Australia, Department of Environment and Conservation – Community Air Sampling Program
Additional Information
- See our program overview
- Air toxics measured in this program
- EPA’s Guide to Community Sampling (see right column “Links Leaving DEC’s website”)
More about Community Air Screen Program:
- Community Air Screen Program Overview – More details about the Community Air Screen program.
- Pollutants Measured in the Community Air Screen Program – List of air toxics measured in this program.
- What Should I Know Before Applying for the Community Air Screen Program? – Information about the equipment and procedures to end up with good results
- Frequently Asked Questions for the Community Air Screen Program – Additional information on the Community Air Screen Program
GDACC 
