Local Leaders Concerned Over Brine Facilty and Fracking Link – Genesee Sun

September 18, 2013

Local Leaders Concerned Over Brine Facilty and Fracking Link – Genesee Sun.

 AVON — The Town of Avon passed a resolution Thursday evening to resume action  on a 12-month moratorium on natural gas exploration and extraction, or  hydrofracking. The development came after representatives from the New York  State Attorney General’s Office and the New York State Department of  Conservation office (DEC) approached local leaders with a proposal to shut down  the brine processing plant currently operating in Leicester.
The Leicester brine processing plant exists to treat brine that is being  pumped from the Azko salt mine, which collapsed in 1994. According to officials,  the plant operates at a cost of $200,000 per month, currently being paid by  Azko’s insurance company, Zurich.
A number of local Town Board officials were present at earlier meetings,  including Supervisors from the Towns of Avon, Geneseo, Leicester, Mount Morris  and York. At those meetings they were reportedly asked by Tim Hoffman, from the  State Attorney General’s Office, and by other state officials, to keep the  matter private. However, citing concerns for public safety, the issue was  brought to the public’s attention this week in the Avon, Leicester and York Town  Board meetings.
According to Town of Avon Supervisor David LeFeber, the old salt mine is  still producing 15 gallons of brine, or water with very high concentrations of  salt, per minute. The plant treats the brine and releases the treated water into  Little Beards Creek. Without the processing plant, brine may spill into natural  water sources in the region, contaminating natural water sources and potentially  impacting drinking water and agriculture.
“Since we talked about this operation [hydrofracking], we thought the State  was going to issue permits, the State was going to monitor things, the State was  going to make sure that our resources are protected.” said Avon Town Supervisor  David Lefeber. “Businesses come and go, but our ability to produce food and have  fresh water is a huge thing and somebody’s got to protect that.”
The Town of Avon passed a resolution 3-2 Thursday to have Town Lawyer James  Campbell begin drafting a new moratorium on hydrofracking. Board members Dick  Steen and Bob Ayers voted against the resolution; David LeFeber, Tom Maiers, and  Jim Blye voted for the motion.
A source with close knowledge of the situation, speaking on condition of  anonymity, told theGeneseeSun.com that the DEC was recently involved in a  temporary shut down of the brine processing plant, during which tests were  conducted to process fracking fluid trucked up from Pennsylvania. According to  the source, if successful, the plant could serve as a potential future site for  processing fracking fluids.
The plant was built in 2005 and cost $8.2 million, which was paid for by  Zurich, presumably as part of Akzo’s mitigation requirements.
At a Town of York Board meeting held later Thursday after the Avon meeting,  the same concerns were raised.  Board members expressed strong interest in  obtaining independent geological and scientific surveys before even considering  a shut down of the brine processing facility.
“Our job is to protect our community,” said York Deputy Supervisor Lynn  Parnell.
“These towns are justifiably concerned that the State and the DEC are  attempting to delay this information from being made available to the public,”  said Attorney Jim Campbell, who represents the Towns of Avon, Leicester and  York. “Our concern is that the ink might already be dry on a deal between the  New York State Attorney General, the DEC, and Zurich. Such a deal could have  profound impacts for Livingston County and should only be considered after  adequate dissemination of the facts and an opportunity for public input.”

 

 

 

Filed under DEC, Local Control, Shale Gas Development-Hydrofracking, Waste Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/16/encouraging-results-in-first-nationwide-look-at-gas-leaks-from-fracking-boom/?smid=pl-sh

September 16, 2013

Filed under events

Exclusive: Pipeline Safety Chief Says His Regulatory Process Is ‘Kind of Dying’ | InsideClimate News

September 12, 2013

Exclusive: Pipeline Safety Chief Says His Regulatory Process Is ‘Kind of Dying’ | InsideClimate News.

Exclusive: Pipeline Safety Chief Says His Regulatory Process Is ‘Kind of Dying’

With ‘few tools to work with,’ PHMSA’s Jeffrey Wiese says he is creating a YouTube channel to persuade industry to voluntarily improve safety.

By Marcus Stern and Sebastian Jones

Sep 11, 2013
Jeffrey Wiese, PHMSA's associate administrator for pipeline safetyJeffrey Wiese (center), PHMSA’s associate administrator for pipeline safety, testifies at a hearing on pipeline safety. Credit: Rep. Gus Bilirakis

 107Share1 

Jeffrey Wiese, the nation’s top oil and gas pipeline safety official, recently strode to a dais beneath crystal chandeliers at a New Orleans hotel to let his audience in on an open secret: the regulatory process he oversees is “kind of dying.”

Wiese told several hundred oil and gas pipeline compliance officers that his agency, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA), has “very few tools to work with” in enforcing safety rules even after Congress in 2011 allowed it to impose higher fines on companies that cause major accidents.

“Do I think I can hurt a major international corporation with a $2 million civil penalty? No,” he said.

Because generating a new pipeline rule can take as long as three years, Wiese said PHMSA is creating a YouTube channel to persuade the industry to voluntarily improve its safety operations. “We’ll be trying to socialize these concepts long before we get to regulations.”

Wiese’s pessimism about the viability of the pipeline regulatory system is at odds with the Obama administration’s insistence that the nation’s pipeline infrastructure is safe and its regulatory regime robust. In a speech last year, President Obama ordered regulatory agencies like PHMSA to help expedite the building of new pipelines “in a way that protects the health and safety of the American people.”

Wiese’s remarks also conflict with industry’s view. Brian Straessle, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute, which represents much of the oil and gas industry in Washington, D.C., said the industry “is highly regulated at the state and federal level, and there are strong standards in place to govern the pipeline infrastructure that helps fuel our economy.

“Pipeline operators have every incentive to protect the environment and their financial health by preventing incidents,” Straessle said.

But Wiese’s remarks ring true with people who’ve long been concerned about pipelines near their homes.

Susan Luebbe, a Nebraska rancher who has fought for five years to keep the proposed Keystone XL pipeline from crossing her cattle ranch, reacted with bemusement when Wiese’s comments were relayed to her by cell phone as she repaired a barbed-wire fence. She and other Keystone opponents have long been suspicious of assurances by TransCanada, the company building the line, that it will be safe because it will meet or exceed PHMSA regulations.

“It’s kind of sad in a way, when we push for laws to be enforced and they just throw up their hands, PHMSA and all them, and say they can’t deal with it,” Luebbe said.

Public confidence in pipeline safety has been tested by a spate of serious accidents. In 2010, a natural gas line explosion in San Bruno, Calif., set off a 95-minute inferno that killed eight people, destroyed 38 homes and damaged scores of others. That same year, a pipeline spilled more than 1 million gallons of Canadian tar sand crude into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River. The ongoing clean-up of that one spill has already cost more than $1 billion. This year, a pipeline rupture deposited at least 210,000 gallons of heavy Canadian crude in the streets of Mayflower, Ark.

Wiese, as head of PHMSA’s Office of Pipeline Safety, is the federal official most directly charged with preventing these types of accidents. But as his July 24 comments in New Orleans reflect, he is constrained by a pipeline safety budget that has remained flat at about $108 million for the past three years, despite the construction of thousands of miles of new pipeline. Most of that money comes from industry user fees and an oil spill liability trust fund. Taxpayers pay just $1 million a year toward the safety program.

The Obama administration has consistently asked for more money for pipeline safety, but those requests have fallen victim to Congress’ inability to pass anything more than stopgap budgets for the past three years. The administration asked for a 60 percent increase for this year, but the continuing budget standoff and effects of sequestration instead have tightened the budget.

Two stark numbers illustrate the challenge the administration faces in ensuring pipeline safety while pressing ahead with new pipeline projects: 135 federal inspectors oversee 2.6 million miles of pipeline, which means each inspector is responsible for almost enough pipe to circle the Earth. PHMSA says it has the help of about 300 state inspectors, but not all states have inspection programs.

According to an analysis of inspection records by the nonprofit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), only a fifth of the nation’s 2.6 million miles of pipeline have been inspected by PHMSA or its state partners since 2006. PEER obtained the records through the Freedom of Information Act.

InsideClimate News tried for several weeks to arrange an interview with Wiese about his remarks. At one point PHMSA spokesman Damon Hill wrote in an email, “I’m trying to help you get what you need for your story and in no way are we saying that Mr. Wiese or anyone else in PHMSA is unavailable to provide information or clarifications.”

See Also

Safety Compromised by Missing Rules on Oil and Gas Pipelines, GAO Says
Narrow and Flawed, Federal Pipeline Safety Study Fails to Settle Controversy
New Pipeline Safety Regulations Won’t Apply to Keystone XL
Burst Pipeline’s Spill Plan Is None of Your Business, Suggests Regulator
Exxon Knew Its Ruptured Pipeline Was Old, Defective and Brittle, and Still Added New Stresses

Appears In:
Comment space is provided for respectful discourse. Please consult our comment policiesfor more information. We welcome your participation in civil and constructive discussions.

 

Filed under Environment, Official Actions--Legislation, judgments,regulation, Pipelines, Regulation, Risk, Shale Gas Development-Hydrofracking

Pa. gas industry: change endangered species laws | Press & Sun-Bulletin | pressconnects.com

September 11, 2013

Pa. gas industry: change endangered species laws | Press & Sun-Bulletin | pressconnects.com.

Filed under Environment, Official Actions--Legislation, judgments,regulation, Shale Gas Development-Hydrofracking Tagged with , , ,

Notice of Proposed New 6 NYCRR Part 570, Liquefied Natural Gas – Public Comment Period, Availability of Documents, Public Meetings and Public Hearing

September 11, 2013

ENB – Statewide Notices 9/11/2013 – NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation.

Notice of Proposed New 6 NYCRR Part 570, Liquefied Natural Gas – Public Comment Period, Availability of Documents, Public Meetings and Public Hearing

Notice is hereby given that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) is proposing to adopt 6 NYCRR Part 570 to implement a permitting program for the siting, construction, and operation of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities in New York State (NYS). LNG facilities are those that either store LNG in a tank system or convert LNG into natural gas through vaporization. The two types of facilities that NYS DEC expects to permit most frequently include facilities to fuel trucks and facilities that store LNG as a backup heating fuel.

Chapter 892 of the Laws of 1976 added Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) Article 23 Title 17, “Liquefied Natural and Petroleum Gas” (the LNG statute). This statute requires NYS DEC to implement regulations with criteria for the safe siting, operation, and transportation of LNG throughout the State. An environmental safety permit must be obtained from NYS DEC prior to construction, operation, or modification of an LNG facility in the State. The LNG statute also directs that operation of LNG facilities must be carried out in conformance with permits and regulations issued by NYS DEC. This rulemaking will establish a program to address the siting, construction, and operation of LNG facilities. Part 570 will also address the transportation of LNG and the statutory requirement that intrastate transportation only occur along approved routes.

The Notice of Proposed Rule Making is available in the September 11, 2013 issue of the State Register. Written public comments will be accepted by NYS DEC until November 4, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. Additional details are provided below.

Availability of documents for review: The proposed Part 570 and supporting rule making documents are available on NYS DEC’s web site at http://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/93069.html.

These documents may also be inspected at the following NYS DEC offices (call the noted contact for an appointment):

  • NYS DEC Central Office, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233, Attention: Russ Brauksieck, Phone: (518) 402-9553.
  • NYS DEC – Region 1 Office, SUNY, Building #40, Stony Brook, NY 11790, Attention: Karen Gomez, Phone: (631) 444-0320.
  • NYS DEC – Region 2 Office, Hunters Point Plaza, 47-40 21st Street, Long Island City, NY 11101, Attention: Leszek Zielinski, Phone: (718) 482-6455.
  • NYS DEC – Region 3 Office, 21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561, Attention: Ed Moore, Phone: (845) 256-3137.
  • NYS DEC – Region 4 Office, 1150 North Westcott Road, Schenectady, NY 12306, Attention: Keith Goertz, Phone: (518) 357-2399.
  • NYS DEC – Region 5 Office, 1115 NYS Route 86, Ray Brook, NY 13601, Attention: Russ Huyck, Phone: (518) 897-1242.
  • NYS DEC – Region 6 Office, State Office Building, 317 Washington Street, Watertown, NY 13601, Attention: Gary McCullouch, Phone: (315) 785-2513.
  • NYS DEC – Region 7 Office, 615 Erie Boulevard West, Syracuse, NY 13204, Attention: Dick Brazell, Phone: (315) 426-7523.
  • NYS DEC – Region 8 Office, 6274 East Avon-Lima Road, Avon, NY 14414, Attention: Pete Miller, Phone: (585) 226-5427.
  • NYS DEC – Region 9 Office, 270 Michigan Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202, Attention: Greg Sutton, Phone: (716) 851-7220.

Public Meetings: NYS DEC will conduct public information meetings to present the proposed regulations and respond to questions prior to the public hearing. These meetings will be held as follows:

Date: Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: New York State Fairgrounds
581 State Fair Blvd, Martha Eddy Room
Syracuse, NY

Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: NYS DEC – Central Office
625 Broadway, Room 129
Albany, NY

Public Hearing: A legislative public hearing to receive public comment about the proposed rule making will be held as follows:

Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: NYS DEC – Central Office
625 Broadway, Room 129
Albany, NY

This hearing location is accessible to persons with impaired mobility. Interpreter services will be made available to deaf persons, at no charge, upon written request at least five business days prior to the date of the hearing. Please address requests to: Russ Brauksieck, NYS DEC – Division of Environmental Remediation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-7020.

NYS DEC invites all persons, organizations, corporations and governmental agencies to attend the hearing and submit either written or oral statements. At the hearing, persons who wish to make a statement will be invited to speak. It is requested that oral statements also be submitted in writing. NYS DEC will give equal weight to written and oral statements. Since a cumulative record will be compiled, it is not required for interested parties to attend the hearing.

Written comments: The public is invited to submit written comments about these proposed regulations until Monday, November 4, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. Mail written comments to:

Russ Brauksieck
NYS DEC – Division of Environmental Remediation
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-7020

Email written comments to: derweb@gw.dec.state.ny.us and please write “Comments on Proposed Part 570” in the subject line.

Contact: Russ Brauksieck, NYS DEC – Division of Environmental Remediation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-7020, Phone: (518) 402-9553, E-mail: derweb@gw.dec.state.ny.us.

Filed under DEC, Official Actions--Legislation, judgments,regulation, Regulation, Shale Gas Development-Hydrofracking Tagged with , , , , ,

Pa. fracking boom goes bust

September 11, 2013

Pa. fracking boom goes bust.

Filed under Economics, Shale Gas Development-Hydrofracking Tagged with , , , , ,

Ohio Communities Stand Up to Protect Themselves from the Hazards of Hydraulic Fracturing | Meleah Geertsma’s Blog | Switchboard, from NRDC

September 10, 2013

Ohio Communities Stand Up to Protect Themselves from the Hazards of Hydraulic Fracturing | Meleah Geertsma’s Blog | Switchboard, from NRDC.

Filed under Community Impacts, Local Control, Regulation, Shale Gas Development-Hydrofracking Tagged with , , ,

PART I: One Man’s Stand Against the Keystone XL Pipeline – EcoWatch: Cutting Edge Environmental News Service

September 9, 2013

PART I: One Man’s Stand Against the Keystone XL Pipeline – EcoWatch: Cutting Edge Environmental News Service.

Filed under Activism, Pipelines Tagged with , , ,

Executive Order 13604 of March 22, 2012 Improving Performance of Federal Permitting and Review of Infrastructure Projects

September 9, 2013

www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-03-28/pdf/2012-7636.pdf.

Executive Order 13604 of March 22, 2012

Improving Performance of Federal Permitting and Review of Infrastructure Projects

Breaking down the Keystone XL executive order

Obama’s Keystone XL southern half March 2012 memo reads like Big Oil talking points.

“[W]e need an energy infrastructure system that can keep pace with advances in production,”Obama states in the Memo. “To promote American energy sources, we must not only extract oil — we must also be able to transport it to our world-class refineries, and ultimately to consumers.”

A metaphorical slap in the face to environmentalists who spent months working on opposing Keystone XL, Obama argued a more efficient, less bureaucratic means of approval was compulsory.

“[A]s part of my Administration’s broader efforts to improve the performance of Federal permitting and review processes, we must make pipeline infrastructure a priority … supporting projects that can contribute to economic growth and a secure energy future,” the memo reads.

Though the order issued an expedited permitting process for Keystone XL’s southern half, it also foreshadowed that expedited permitting would become the “new normal” going forward for all domestic oil and gas pipeline projects.

“To address the existing bottleneck in Cushing, as well as other current or anticipated bottlenecks, agencies shall … coordinate and expedite their reviews … as necessary to expedite decisions related to domestic pipeline infrastructure projects that would contribute to a more efficient domestic pipeline system for the transportation of crude oil,” the memo states in closing.

The memo also notes all projects placed in the expedited permitting pile can have their statuses tracked on the online Federal Infrastructure Projects Dashboard, with 48 projects currently listed.

Little time was wasted building the XL’s southern half after Obama issued the Order and within a slim two years, TransCanada will have its first direct line from Alberta to Gulf Coast refineries in southern Texas.

Filed under Infrastructure, Official Actions--Legislation, judgments,regulation, Pipelines, Shale Gas Development-Hydrofracking Tagged with , , ,

INVESTIGATION: The Flip Side Of Obama’s Keystone XL Delay

September 9, 2013

INVESTIGATION: The Flip Side Of Obama’s Keystone XL Delay.

Filed under Activism, Infrastructure, Official Actions--Legislation, judgments,regulation, Pipelines, Regulation, Shale Gas Development-Hydrofracking Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

← Older posts

Newer posts →