Steuben Co. Gas drilling committee mulls taking drill cuttings Jan. 11, 2011

January 24, 2011

Gas drilling committee mulls taking drill cuttings 

 By Mary Perham
Posted Jan 11, 2011 @ 11:00 AM

//

Bath, NY —

A proposal for the Steuben County landfill to accept drill cuttings from Marcellus Shale natural gas wells in Pennsylvania was under close scrutiny Wednesday.
An overview of a study on potential radioactivity of the rock and soil was presented to the county Legislature’s Public Works Committee, with nearly a dozen drilling activists objecting to the landfill proposal.
“The subject is too complex,” said Susan Multer, president of the Steuben County League of Women Voters and a member of People for a Healthy Environment. “Too many things have gone wrong.”
For nearly a year, the Public Works Committee has been considering a plan to accept drill cuttings from the well bores, removed before the well is hydraulically fractured, or “fracked,” to stimulate the flow of gas from the shale.

Filed under Waste Tagged with , , , ,

PSC on natural gas pipelines/gathering lines. Jan 20, 2011, Norwich

January 21, 2011

Chenango, Otsego, Delaware, Madison Regional Natural Gas Collaborative in Norwich. Jan 20, 2011.

 

The audio for this meeting is available at: http://changetheframe.com/audio/four%20county%20fracking%20forum-processed.mp3 It’s about 2 hours. 1:59:55

A video will be posted at www.ShaleShockMedia.org at some point. This will take at least 1 week…

The very interesting thing I heard from this meeting:

  • The definition of what makes a “gathering line” different from a “trunk line” is the length, diameter, and pressure of the pipe. But the definition is somewhat fuzzy. Anything above a certain size/pressure is regulated by the NY Dept. of Public Safety. Below that, these smaller typically gathering lines are completely unregulated by the state. The state does not even have details about the location of these lines.
  • The good thing is (since NY is a Home-Rule state) that this creates an opportunity for local municipalities to create local laws which regulate gathering lines. But municipalities now seem pretty uninformed about this.  Bill Houston

=======================

Yesterday I attended a meeting of the Chenango, Otsego, Delaware, Madison Regional Natural Gas Collaborative in Norwich.

The speaker was Jim Austin of the Public Service Commission.
Jim gave a presentation of what the PSC does in the way of permitting local and state gas lines.  PSC is responsible for the permitting of gas lines of greater that 125 psi over 1000 feet long.
FERC is responsible for permitting interstate gas lines.
PSC has regulations that apply to these pipelines in a 3 tiered formula.  Smaller lines requiring less scrutiny than larger ones.  Details are to be found here:
There are two areas of concern that I can see with the PSC process.  The first is that PSC is very involved with giving waivers from local ‘unreasonable’ regulations.  The other is that PSC has 2 (two) people in the field doing inspections for the whole state of NY.
It became very clear at the meeting that the concerns of most of those present were about the pipelines that are NOT permitted by PSC.  These are gathering lines under 125 psi.  It seems that no one permits, supervises, inspects or maps these lines except the gas companies.  There are very many more gathering lines than there are lines over 125 psi (example – more capillaries than veins or arteries).  In the event that there is more than an acre of disturbance for gathering lines, then a SPIDES permit would apply.  Jim believes that gathering lines are regulated by local government.  These low pressure pipelines are plastic, and are usually buried 2 to 4 feet deep.  They are not subject to Dig Safe labeling, but are required to have trace wire.
Farmers are very concerned about these gathering lines and the Farm Bureau wants PSC to supervise all gas lines and include them in Dig Safe NY.  There is legislation being written to implement this.
The pipeline safety department of PSC oversees compliance for both PSC and FERC permitted gas lines.  The question was raised if they also inspect lines below 125 psi.  To answer this and other safety questions, the pipeline safety department will be asked to send someone to address the collaborative at a future date.
I asked when the smell is added to gas so that the public could be aware of leaks in gas lines.  Stephen Keyes of Norse Energy was unable to answer the question, but I will be emailing him to follow up.
My general impression is that rather like DEC, PSC is woefully understaffed to cope with the proposed gas invasion, and there is insufficient regulation of low pressure gathering lines.  Caroline Martin

Filed under Pipelines Tagged with , , , ,

Legal Rights of Local Governments Jan 27, 7pm Norwich

January 17, 2011

LEGAL RIGHTS of LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

Home Rule vs. DEC’s Regulatory System  LegalGasForum Draft 1

PANELISTS:
Former Law Professor, Mary Jo Long, is experienced in Constitutional, Administrative, and Municipal Law. Professor Long, an attorney for more than 30 years and an elected member of the Afton Town Board, helped Afton pass its new “Concentrated Heavy Traffic Road Law”
AND
Attorney, Helen Slottje, of Community Environmental Defense Council, works alongside municipalities and community groups seeking legal protection from the threats posed by industrial style gas extraction. In particular, CEDC focuses on sustainable development and the human rights to clean water, clean air and a healthy environment.
NOTE: Please park on the street; in Hayes Street or County Office Building parking lots, NOT in Church parking
7 PM
Thursday,
January 27
United Church of Christ
11 W Main St,
Norwich
Part of The Fourth Thursday Speakers Series sponsored by
C-CARE: Chenango Community Action for Renewable Energy
For more information contact Chris at 334-6095 or Ken at <ccare@frontier.com>

Filed under events Tagged with , , , , , ,

Norse Energy Announces Drilling Program Update | Cision Wire

January 17, 2011

Norse Energy Announces Drilling Program Update | Cision Wire.

December 28, 2010

Norse Energy Corp. ASA (“NEC” ticker Oslo Stock Exchange, Norway; “NSEEY” ticker U.S. OTC) announces continued progress and capital efficiencies in its 2010/2011 Herkimer Drilling Program and announces an update to the Utica Test Program.

The Company reports successful completion of the first well in its Herkimer Drilling Program, with the third well in the program nearing completion.  The second well encountered drilling difficulties immediately above the Herkimer target.  Options for completing this well are being evaluated.  The vertical portion of a fourth well has been completed and a fifth well is scheduled to spud before the New Year.  Drilling to date has been accomplished using one Speedstar 185 drilling rig assisted by the previously announced addition of a vertical drilling package.  The two rig, fit for purpose approach, is demonstrating, as expected, drill time and cost reduction.  In addition, Norse has already built location for the fifth well, with five more locations scheduled for immediate construction.  Production results will be released shortly after the end of the quarter.

To further enhance the pace of Herkimer development, the Company has acquired an option to obtain the services of a second Speedstar 185 drilling rig.  This rig is expected to begin operations in the spring of 2011.

Norse Energy has also completed construction of one Utica drilling location.   The Company expects to initiate drilling of a four-phase test of the Utica formation as soon as the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (the “DEC”) issues the Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (“SGEIS”); expected to be this summer.

“Our Herkimer Drilling Program is making good progress as we seek to take advantage of capital efficiencies,” says Mark Dice, Norse Energy CEO. “We anticipate accelerating the pace of development in 2011, once we emerge from today’s challenging winter conditions,” commented Dice.

John Childers, Executive Vice President of Exploration and Production, adds “We have been extremely pleased with the timeline for issuance of drilling permits by the DEC, the pace of construction of our locations, and the increasing efficiency our drilling operations as we ramped up the pace of drilling.”

Norse Energy has total contingent resources of ~4 TCF (~713 MMBOE) at the end of 2009. The Company has a significant land position of 180,000 net acres in New York State. The Company also owns a natural gas marketing business and operates pipeline systems in New York and Pennsylvania for gathering and transmission of natural gas.

For further information, please contact:
Richard Boughrum, Chief Financial Officer
Cell: +1 714 520-1702, Email: rboughrum@norseenergy.com

S. Dennis Holbrook, Executive Vice President

Cell: +1 716 713-2489, Email: dholbrook@norseenergy.com

Filed under Industry claims Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Millennium Pipeline leaking; customers asked to curtail gas use | pressconnects.com | Press & Sun-Bulletin

January 17, 2011

Millennium Pipeline leaking; customers asked to curtail gas use | pressconnects.com | Press & Sun-Bulletin. Jan. 14, 2011

Filed under Spills-Accidents-Suits Tagged with , ,

State of the State Address-Cuomo Jan.5, 2011

January 5, 2011

 

Governor Cuomo Outlines Transformational Plan for a New NY

Declaring New York State at a crucial crossroads, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today outlined during his first State of the State Address an action plan to fundamentally transform New York State’s government and economy by getting the state’s fiscal house in order, radically redesigning our governmental structures and operations, and restoring integrity and performance to state government. Governor Cuomo noted that the decisions we make now will impact our State for decades to come.
“We must turn this crisis into an opportunity to fundamentally remake our state into the progressive capital of the nation,” Governor Cuomo said in his message to the legislature. “We must seize this moment to build a new New York for future generations.”
In the first State of the State message open to the public and the first using internet-age technology to deliver the presentation, Governor Cuomo said he would open up government to the public and work in partnership with all stakeholders to address the serious fiscal challenges facing New York State and its local governments.
“We must transform the State of New York from a government of dysfunction, gridlock and corruption to a government of performance, integrity, and pride,” Governor Cuomo said. “This is not about budget trimming or cutting, it’s about looking at how we can fix government and make it work for the people. Together, we must take the significant steps needed to reinvent, reorganize and redesign government to restore credibility and to rebuild our economy by creating jobs all across this State.”
In light of the enormous fiscal challenges facing New York, Governor Cuomo’s agenda relies on rethinking core government operations and economic development strategies to provide better results and to maximize resources.
“We must begin by confronting honestly the challenges we face. Change is not easy, but we must change to return to prosperity,” Governor Cuomo said.

Governor Cuomo outlined the following initiatives as part of his State of the State message:

  • Emergency Fiscal Plan: Governor Cuomo today outlined an Emergency Financial Plan that closes the $10 billion deficit in the 2010-11 budget without raising taxes or borrowing. The plan called for imposing a one-year salary freeze on the vast majority of public employees whose contracts are up for renegotiation as of April 1; holding the line on taxes; and imposing a State spending cap limiting spending growth to the rate of inflation.
  • Rightsizing Government: Saying that redesigning New York State government is essential to rebuilding the state’s economy, Governor Cuomo today issued an Executive Order creating the Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission to make state government more accountable and efficient by reducing the number of agencies, authorities, and commissions by 20 percent. The SAGE Commission is directed to submit to the Governor a rightsizing plan to reduce the number of agencies by May 1st of this year. Under additional legislation proposed by the Governor today, the Governor would then submit the rightsizing plan to the legislature for action with the plan going in to effect, unless the legislature acted within 30 days to reject it. Director of Agency Redesign and Efficiency Paul Francis will serve as Co-Chair with the Governor appointing one or more additional Co-Chairs.
  • Redesigning the Medicaid program: Governor Cuomo today issued an Executive Order aimed at redesigning New York State’s costly Medicaid program. The order calls for the creation of a new Medicaid Redesign Team to find ways to save money within the Medicaid program for the Governor’s upcoming state budget proposal for the 2011-12 Fiscal Year. Based on the nationally recognized model used in Wisconsin that involved bringing stakeholders together to find efficiencies and cost savings within the Medicaid program, the team will be comprised of leaders from the healthcare industry, the Governor’s office, the legislative bodies, and other business, labor and consumer advocates. Jason Helgerson, whom the Governor appointed today to serve as New York State Medicaid Director and created the Wisconsin model, will be the Team’s Executive Director.
Under the Governor’s order, the Team is to begin work no later than Friday, Jan. 7, and must submit its first report with findings and recommendations to the Governor by March 1 for consideration in the budget process.
  • Providing Mandate Relief: Governor Cuomo today issued an Executive Order creating The “Mandate Relief Redesign Team” (“Team”) to review unfunded and underfunded mandates imposed by the New York State government on school districts, local governments, and other local taxing districts. The Team, chaired by Senior Advisor to the Governor Larry Schwartz, will include representatives from private industry, education, labor, and government and look for ways to reduce the costs of mandated programs, identify mandates that are ineffective and outdated, and determine how school districts and local governments can have greater ability to control expenses. The Team will begin working by January 7, 2011 and will submit a first set of recommendations to the Governor by March 1, 2011 for consideration in the Fiscal Year 2011-12 budget process. The Team will continue its review until the end of Fiscal Year 2011-12.
  • Redesigning Local Governments: Governor Cuomo is creating a program to reward local governments that save money by rightsizing. The Citizen Re-Organization Empowerment Grants will provide up to $100,000 to cover all or part of the costs of merger and dissolutions studies.
  • Redesigning Education: Noting that New York is first in spending but 34th in results, Governor Cuomo proposed restructuring a portion of our education aid to create incentives that reward school districts for improving student performance and implementing management efficiency policies.
  • Transforming the ethical environment in Government. Governor Cuomo’s “Clean Up Albany” agenda includes instituting campaign finance reform to include a system of public financing for elections, limiting contribution levels, creating an independent redistricting commission, create independent monitoring and enforcement of ethics laws; and requiring full disclosure of outside income and clients. Governor Cuomo also proposed to outlaw “pay to play” to limit the impact of special interests, strip pensions for public officials convicted of a felony for abusing the public trust; and improving government performance and transparency through technology.
Transforming New York’s Economy:Governor Cuomo said, “Business built New York, and we are declaring that New York is once again open for business.”

Governor Cuomo said that restoring the State’s historically thriving private sector will require holding the line on taxes and working to lower taxes in the future. His economic development agenda seeks to help government to be job facilitators and not frustrating job creation through the following initiatives:

  • Creating regional Economic Development Councils: Noting that those working at the local level know their area economies best, he will create regional economic development councils to work with state agencies to allocate resources. To ensure that state agencies and the councils are working to create jobs, Governor Robert Duffy will lead these councils, which will be drawn from the private sector, local governments, state agencies and academic institutions.
  • Fixing the recently-enacted Excelsior Tax Credit Program: Governor Cuomo proposed to revise the recently enacted Excelsior Tax Credit Program to produce better results for New Yorkers. His proposals would restructure the value and length of the tax credit to provide greater incentives for job creation; restructure incentives for improving properties; pay credits as job-creation milestones are met rather than at the end of the proposal; expand research and development tax credits; and streamline the application and approval process.
  • Create a permanent Power for Jobs Program: To help keep manufacturers in New York State, Governor Cuomo introduced a permanent Power for Jobs program to provide predictability and stability of supply with long-term contracts, and incorporate efficiency incentives to reward improvements.
  • Enacting Property Tax Relief: Governor Cuomo’s property tax cap will set the cap at the rate of inflation or two percent, whichever is less; prohibit any property tax levy above the cap unless endorsed by both by the local governing board and a 60 percent majority of the people during an election; and provide only limited exceptions such as extraordinary legal or capital expenditures.
Making New York the Progressive Capital of the NationGovernor Cuomo seeks to reclaim its status as the progressive leader in the nation in the following ways:
  • Better protecting consumers and investors: A newly-formed Department of Financial Regulation will merge the Insurance Department, Banking Department and the Consumer Protection Board to better regulate modern financial services organizations. A primary mission will be to stand up for consumers, protect them from predatory lending and unlawful foreclosure practices, and provide access to good, honest and capable financial services at competitive rates.
  • A cleaner, greener environment: Governor Cuomo will create the “NY Cleaner, Greener Communities Program” to provide competitive grants that will encourage communities to develop regional sustainable growth strategies in housing, transportation, emissions control, energy efficiency. The program will emphasize revitalizing urban areas through smart growth, creating green jobs, building green infrastructure including roof and rain gardens, and strengthening environmental justice and protection.
  • Expanding Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) support: Of the 1.9 million business entities operating in New York State, more than 50 percent are owned by women or minorities. The vast majority of these companies are small businesses and a critical driver of the New York State economy. To ensure that MWBE’s have the opportunity to earn their fair share of the State’s business, Governor Cuomo directed State agencies to double the current MWBE participation goal from 10 to 20 percent and ease bonding restrictions that they will face and expand the Owner-Controlled Insurance Program model to expand opportunities for small businesses.
  • Juvenile Justice Reorganization: With a goal of reducing wasteful spending, Governor Cuomo will undertake an immediate reorganization of the State’s youth detention facilities with the goal of consolidation, while providing current staff the priority for relocation to other facilities, retraining and/or reemployment opportunities. He proposed a repeal of the requirement mandating a 12-month notice requirement to close facilities to avoid keeping facilities open that have few or no children.
  • Expanding fresh food into urban centers: To help revitalize urban areas and develop markets for New York farmers, Governor Cuomo will seek ways to expand the presence of locally-grown food markets in urban areas. This will include working to revitalize the Hunts Point terminal Produce Market in the Bronx, which supplies a large portion of the produce for New York City’s and the region’s food consumption, and creating a “Share NY Food” Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program that develops partnerships with farmers and residents to expand access and resources and make fresh food available to consumers in urban areas.
  • Providing for marriage equality for all New Yorkers: To end discrimination against same–sex couples who wish to get married, Governor Cuomo called for the passage of legislation legalizing marriage for same-sex couples as has been done in many states and other countries.
  • Protect Reproductive Rights: To protect a woman’s right to choose options in the face of an unplanned or problem pregnancy, Governor Cuomo will fight for passage of reproductive rights legislation to protect the fundamental right of reproductive freedom and a woman’s right to make private health care decisions.

Filed under Official Actions--Legislation, judgments,regulation Tagged with ,

Joseph Martens Nominated DEC Commissioner

January 4, 2011

ALBANY, NY (01/04/2011)(readMedia)– Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the following appointments and nominations to senior positions within the state government.

Joseph Martens will be nominated to serve as Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation. Since 1998, Mr. Martens has served as President of the Open Space Institute, directing and overseeing land acquisition, sustainable development, historic preservation and farmland protection. Previously, Mr. Martens served as Deputy Secretary to the Governor for Energy and the Environment from 1992-94 and before that Assistant Secretary from 1990-92. He is the Chair of the Olympic Regional Development Authority, which operates the 1932 and 1980 winter Olympic venues in Lake Placid and Wilmington, NY and Gore Mountain Ski Area in Johnsburg, NY. He also chairs the Adirondack Lake Survey Corporation, which continuously monitors Adirondack lakes and streams to determine the extent and magnitude of acidification in the Adirondack region, Mr. Martens studied Resource Economics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and received an M.S. in Resource Management from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse University.

“Joe’s lifelong experience of fighting to protect and preserve our environment will bring the highest level of stewardship to our state’s beautiful natural resources. Joe knows how to strike the critical balance between defending our natural resources from pollution and destruction while at the same time fostering a climate of economic renewal and growth. His experience and record as a competent and productive manager will breathe life into this vital agency.” Governor Cuomo said.

“Joe is an outstanding choice to lead such a vital agency at such at an important time. We are at a crossroads for the environmental movement in New York State and I know that Joe will continue to be a leader in the fight to preserve our great state’s landscape, environment, and natural resources. I look forward to working with Joe and commend the Governor for making this nomination,” said Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

“Joe Martens’ experience, judgment, and temperament make him the right person at the right time to meet the challenges that DEC faces. He has the support and key relationships with the business and environmental community that will allow him to hit the ground running. The Governor’s selection of Mr. Martens reflects his strong belief that protecting New York State’s environment goes hand in hand with advancing the state’s economic goals,” said Ashok Gupta, from the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“Joe knows that one of the keys to not only preserving our environment, but creating good paying jobs is expanding the production of affordable and reliable energy across the state. He has both the hands on experience and also the bold vision to transform the DEC, steering it in a direction that strikes the critical balance of protecting our natural resources and our economy,” said Gavin J. Donohue, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Power Producers of New York.

Comment:

Joe Martens as DEC commissioner seems promising.  While it’s been taken off of the OSI website in the last fifteen days, there’s a google-cached version of a statement he made on hydrofracking earlier this year:

“OSI President Joe Martens spoke about the issue recently in a speech he made at Union College on the 40th anniversary of the creation of the DEC:

This morning you heard about drilling in the Marcellus Shale. Of all the daunting environmental challenges that DEC has faced during the past 40 years—criteria pollutants, hazardous waste, acid rain, even climate change—hydrofracking in the Marcellus may be the most difficult and daunting of them all.

As a nation, for a decade or more there has been a near-universal call for energy independence. If we could just wean ourselves from foreign oil, the argument goes, we would not be in the middle of two wars in the Middle East and sending billions of dollars to nations that don’t like us and, potentially, might do us harm.

And, as a state, we have been turning increasingly to natural gas to fire our power plants and heat our homes, because it’s less polluting than either coal or oil. I heat my home with natural gas (and wood!). Further, the state’s budget is in bad shape, unemployment is high and it just so happens that we have this huge rock formation under our feet that the gas industry has found a way to exploit and we even have a terrific new gas pipeline that could bring that gas to millions of nearby customers.

If nothing else, it seems to me, the Department should go slow. The tragedy of the Deepwater Horizon operation in the Gulf clearly demonstrated that the unexpected can and will happen. It is also clear that the gas industry has not been as candid as it should have been with regards to the potential for problems. That suggests to me that our fate—and the need to separate objective science and environmental assessment from industry rhetoric—is in DEC’s hands, and the stakes could not be higher.

The gas industry, and even DEC, is quick to point out that gas drilling and fracking are not uncommon in New York State and that, so far, there have not been any significant problems. However, what is relatively new and different is the combination of fracking and horizontal drilling. And it’s the potential scale of drilling within the Marcellus Shale that is the real concern. If DEC decides to give the gas industry the green light, there could be thousands of new gas wells drilled in the Catskills and the southern tier. Given the quantity of the chemical-laced water that would be used in fracking (up to 8 million gallons per well), and the quantity of wastewater that would need to be treated, the number of roads that would need to be constructed, the number of trucks that would travel back and forth to drilling sites, and so on, the potential for problems multiplies dramatically with each well that is drilled.

New Yorkers created the Adirondack and Catskill state parks more than a hundred years ago to protect the water resources within them. New York City has committed hundreds of millions of dollars and has spent years protecting its watershed so that more than 9 million people can drink unfiltered water. I see no reason to rush to judgment on a decision as monumental as hydrofracking in the Marcellus.

Given the huge budget cuts that DEC has been forced to endure over the last couple of years and in light of the way the EPF’s commitments have been abandoned, I think there is a real question about DEC’s capacity to ensure that everything involved in the drilling process goes according to plan—from water withdrawals, to wastewater treatment, to pipeline construction. Clearly things did not go according to plan in the Gulf of Mexico.

The EPA has initiated a $1.9 million, two-year study of the impact of hydrofracking on health and the environment. What’s the downside of waiting for the results?

In the meantime, while DEC and others continue to explore this issue, wouldn’t it be great if we had a national energy policy that did more than pay lip service to energy conservation, efficiency and renewable sources?  A few statistics for you to ponder:

  • The United States makes up 5 percent of the world’s population but consumes 20 percent of its energy;
  • Eighty-four percent of the energy consumed in the United States comes from non-renewable sources—about 8.5 percent from nuclear power and 7 percent from renewable sources (2006 data);
  • Twenty-seven percent of the energy consumed in the United States is used in the transportation sector;
  • And, the most troubling statistic of all: per capita energy consumption in the United States has been relatively consistent from 1970 to today.

Although no energy source is perfect or without problems, shouldn’t we be doing everything possible to reduce energy consumption and do everything possible to increase the use of renewable resources before we make a major decision to exploit the Marcellus Shale and possibly damage, perhaps irreparably, the land, air and water resources that sustain life itself?

DEC has a heavy burden to bear here. For the past 40 years they have addressed a variety of environmental challenges with remarkable success. I’m hopeful, based on that 40-year record that they will continue to do so.

Filed under Official Actions--Legislation, judgments,regulation Tagged with , , ,

More Illegal Dumping of Frack Fluids Caught!

December 25, 2010

Bill Huston’s Blog (Binghamton NY): More Illegal Dumping of Frack Fluids Caught! (photos).

Filed under Water Tagged with , , , , ,

Gastem: Marcellus Shale Fracs in New York State Successful

December 23, 2010

The Industry Wins

Gastem: Marcellus Shale Fracs in New York State Successful.  Press Release 12/21/10

The Earth and Humans Lose:

Comment from Chip Northrup on Community Impact

—- Forwarded Message —-
From: “mjsoll@localnet.com” <mjsoll@localnet.com>
To: sustainableotsego@lists.riseup.net
Sent: Sun, September 12, 2010 6:25:33 AM
Subject: [sustainableotsego] Julie’s speech to the Otsego County Board of Representatives, July 21, 2010 and how close the gas well is to the NYC watershed and the Susquehanna River

For those who are interested, this is my prepared speech to the Otsego
County Board of Representatives, July 21, 2010. Due to the meetings
time constraints, it is not exactly word for word as I said it.

Julie Solloway, Maryland, NY. My house is about one mile from the Ross1
natural gas well.

We used to have GOLD on Crumhorn Mountain. We called it WATER. It
tasted great and was abundant.

Numerous times before the permit was given, and before drilling began,
we said there was no way they could drill on the Ross property on
Crumhorn Mountain, Maryland, NY, and not contaminate the water,
forever- especially our farm.

Water IS more valuable than gas.

I know of 8 water wells, including ours, that have been adversely
affected since the drilling of the Ross1 natural gas well began.  And,
there is concern about a ninth one.

This is the first natural gas well drilled with this technique, in New
York State. Water wells were showing adverse affects shortly after the
drilling began, which was about 2 ½ months BEFORE they fracked.

We can not drink our water anymore. People, pets and animals have been,
and are, sick since shortly after the drilling began. My family is only
using the water to flush the toilet and that is causing health
symptoms. Often times there is a chemical smell in the bathroom.

Having been forced to experience the new technique of natural gas
drilling first hand, I give you some of my experiences:

Within a month of the drilling starting, I was violently ill after
drinking our water. (Some of the symptoms were blurry vision, severe
stomach cramps and collapsing.) This is a water well that we had never
had a problem with, or been sick from, since it was drilled. After
this, I only used the water to wash my hands or shower. My clothes were
also washed in it.

Later, I also had a severe reaction after taking a shower. My nose and
the roof of my mouth burned so badly, that at first, I didn?t even
realize my tongue was swollen.

On the day of the shower incident, I waited three hours, before taking
a shower at another house to try to wash the contaminants off me.
During this time, the County Health Department contacted the State
Health Department and others, trying to find a doctor for me to go to
who could help me. They could not come up with any. Both the County and
State Health Departments told us no local doctor or emergency room
would know what to test me for, or treat me for, concerning chemical
exposure, in regard to a natural gas well.

Because of the severe reaction after taking a shower, the State Health
Department made the gas company test our water. My mother and I had
reactions after the gas company ran our tap water full blast 30-45
minutes before they took water to test. When questioned as to why they
ran the water like that, they admitted it didn?t have to be run at all
because it was a self-cleaning artesian well.- (Their words.) At that
time, we asked the gas company if they would be testing for all the
chemicals, substances, etc., they used and/or could encounter while
drilling the natural gas well. They said No!- they were only doing a
baseline.  Now they are claiming they have tested for all the chemicals
all along.

Some of the symptoms we, and others affected, have had, or continue to
have, are: headaches, sore throats, weird body aches and pains, rashes,
abnormal hair loss, blurry vision, collapsing, severe stomach pains,
bloody noses, intense ear pressure, varying degrees of dizziness,
burning in the nose and throat, and exhaustion from the 24 hour 7 day a
week activity that went on for months.

Noise was a huge problem.
A lot of people were scared by the violent, thunder-like noises.
There was a lot of noise from the tremendous truck and vehicle traffic.
The intense noise from the drilling site was so bad that you couldn?t
sleep, and if you did manage to fall asleep, you were awakened by the
noise and couldn?t get back to sleep.

Among the many noises, was a noise like a very low flying plane
hovering over-top of us. This was a different aggravating noise than
the almost constant droning noise that you also couldn?t get away from.

Explosions occurred anytime day or night. These ranged from muffled to
so loud we thought a huge jet was going to hit the house. They also
shook the house.

The air pollution, including the stink, was so bad at times it burned
noses and throats. The horses didn?t want to go out of the barn.
Sometimes you would go outside to do something, and the obnoxious
stench was so bad you had to go back in the house. Going back in the
house didn?t necessarily mean you got completely away from the awful
smells.

There were a lot of unidentified and unfamiliar offensive odors. Smells
that were, and/or are still being experienced, include a wide degree of
varying sulfur smells, along with smells something like: rotten egg,
swamp, matchhead, egg sandwich, nail polish, formaldehyde, and
hydrochloric acid, among others. There can be, has been, and for those
still doing laundry at home, continues to be, an awful smell while
doing laundry. People stink after taking a shower.

There was tremendous truck and vehicle traffic, day and night. They
often deviated from their agreed upon designated route for heavy
vehicles.  Local residents experienced tailgating, interrupted flow of
traffic, being forced off the road, and were often woken up by the
traffic.

Other negative impacts, noticed since the drilling began, include, but
aren?t limited to, dead animals, peculiar looking and odd growing
plants, shockwaves, and strange looking water, such as discolored,
and/or odd things throughout it from surface to bottom.

We were unable to do very much of our haying last year because of the
gas drilling. The little we did, we all had symptoms shortly afterwards.

Symptoms were also experienced after repairing, for an hour, the fence
that is only about 15 feet from Potato Creek.

The horses didn?t want to, and many times refused to, drink the water
from Potato Creek, even when it was brought to them in a bucket.

Since shortly after the drilling began, I have been dealing with sick
dogs, sick horses and sick people, including me.

I thought allowing the drilling of the Ross1 natural gas well would be
devastating. I didn?t realize how bad it would be, the magnitude of the
affects, or how quickly water contamination would occur.

I used to say, the more you learn about natural gas drilling, the worse
it gets. NOW I SAY, THE MORE YOU EXPERIENCE NATURAL GAS DRILLING, THE
WORSE IT GETS.

The State Health Department has given us, and others affected,
ridiculous excuses of causes of health symptoms such as: it must be
your shampoo, it must be the sink traps, it must be dust. At another
household, the State Health Department claimed they had used too much
water. This was last year when we had all that rain. The State Health
Department and the gas company both insist there isn?t any reason why
we can?t drink the water.

Several people, including a New York State Health Department worker,
said it is very likely that the chemical or substance I am reacting to,
will not show up in a water test; i.e. there is not enough of it to
show up in a water test, but there is enough of it to cause me to have
a reaction to it. I will never be able to use our water again.

Would you let your kids and grandchildren drink my water? I won?t.

I hope no one in this room has to go through what we are going through.

We don?t call our WATER gold anymore. We call it POISON.

Thank you.

This is relevant to a lot of New York State and beyond. It concerns
people besides those in Otsego County.
Note: The Ross1 natural gas well is approximately 11.5 miles from the
Catskill/Delaware (NYC) Watershed. The closest adversely affected water
well we KNOW about, is approximately 9.5 miles from this watershed. The
Ross1 is also about 1.8 miles from the Susquehanna River. On the other
side, it is about 1.4 miles to the Schenevus Creek, an A rated trout
stream that empties into the Susquehanna River. A small, unnamed creek
which originates at the pond/wetland bordering the Ross1 wellpad, and
Potato Creek flow into Schenevus Creek.
Also note, the proposed Ross2 site is at least 3 miles closer to this
NYC watershed, than the Ross1. It will probably be within 8.5 miles of
the watershed. The proposed Ross2 is very close to Schenevus Creek and
a propane pipeline. This pipeline blew up in the hamlet of North
Blenheim, March 13, 1990, killing two people and demolishing ten homes.
(1-6) On January 25, 2004, an explosion caused by a leak in a valve, in
this same pipeline, blew up a house and caused an evacuation in
Harpersfield, NY. (3, 4, 6, 7) On August 27, 2010, a leak in this same
pipeline caused an evacuation near Gilboa. NY. (5) In July 2010, the
gas company was taking baseline water tests in preparation for drilling
the Ross2. As far as we know no permit has been granted or applied for
to the DEC.

Work Cited Links

1.
http://thedailystar.com/columns/x1399741864/Propane-blast-changes-hamlet-forever

2.  http://old.thedailystar.com/news/stories/2003/05/08/expl.html

3.  http://old.thedailystar.com/news/stories/2004/01/26/fire.html

4.  http://old.thedailystar.com/news/stories/2004/01/29/fire.html

5.
http://thedailystar.com/localnews/x654500482/Propane-leak-displaces-five-families

6.  http://old.thedailystar.com/news/stories/2004/01/27/fire.html

7  http://old.thedailystar.com/news/stories/2005/02/09/family1.html

Filed under Spills-Accidents-Suits, Water Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Paterson’s Executive Order #41 on 12/14/2010

December 12, 2010

You can read the Executive Order at: http://www.state.ny.us/governor/executive_orders/exeorders/EO41.html

 

Walter Hang’s Commentary:  Stunning Developments/Cuomo is Our Next Target 

Greetings, I write to bring you up to date on the stunning developments regarding the veto of the mini-moratorium bill and Governor David A. Paterson’s landmark Executive Order 41. When the Governor vetoed the mini-moratorium bill late last Saturday, it was reported that he would issue an Executive Order requiring that “…if approved, high-volume, horizontal hydraulic fracturing would not be permitted until July 1, 2011, at the earliest.”  Mini-moratorium supporters declared: “New York is the first state in the union to legally impose a statewide moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing…”  They also called the Governor’s action an “historic victory for the citizens of New York State.”

In fact, the Executive Order does not impose any moratorium on horizontal hydrofracking.  According to “Executive Order No. 41: Requiring Further Environmental Review,” no horizontal hydrofracking permits can be issued until a Final SGEIS is adopted.  This is exactly the same de facto moratorium that has been in-place in New York for the last two and a half years. 

Nevertheless, the Governor’s order is SUPER IMPORTANT because it requires DEC to issue a “revised” draft SGEIS, accept public comment on the revisions and submit a report to the Governor regarding “the regulatory conditions that are necessary to include in oil and gas well permits to protect public health and the environment.”  The Executive Order specifically requires: “The Department shall complete its review of the public comments, make such revisions to the Draft SGEIS that are necessary to analyze comprehensively (emphasis added) the environmental impacts associated with high-volume hydraulic fracturing combined with horizontal drilling, ensure that such impacts are appropriately avoided or mitigated consistent with the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), other provisions of the Environmental Conservation Law and other laws, and ensures that adequate regulatory measures are identified to protect public health and the environment;”
DEC cannot possibly fulfill the Executive Order unless it expands the original scope of its SGEIS proceeding.  If you read between the lines of Acting DEC Commissioner Peter Iwanowicz’s quotes in today’s New York Times, that conclusion is perfectly clear:  “Peter M. Iwanowicz, the department’s acting commissioner, said many of the comments have criticized the proposed standards for failing to adequately address issues like the cumulative impact of multiple drill sites, disposal of wastewater from the drilling and the protection of drinking water. He said ‘it behooves’ the next administration to incorporate the range of different issues in the revised draft.”  The specific issues Peter references were excluded from the scope of the original SGEIS.  Wastewater management and drinking water protection are two of the critical issues spelled out in our coalition letter to Governor Paterson.  “The governor’s order said no drilling permits could be issued until completion of the final standards ‘subsequent to the conclusion of the public comment period,’ meaning July 1 at the earliest. Mr. Iwanowicz said drilling could theoretically begin in 2011, ‘but a lot of it depends on how the issues are addressed by this draft.'”
See: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/news/2010-12-14/new-round-comments-drilling        
        or http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/14/nyregion/14frack.html?ref=nyregion
We must take concerted action to make sure Governor-Elect Cuomo does not rescind the Executive Order.  That is highly unlikely because he would become the focus of intense criticism, to say the least.   We must also require the scope of the revised draft SGEIS to be expanded to include each and every single one of the major concerns identified in our coalition letter as well as by the thousands of other elected officials, environmental groups, business owners and concerned citizens.–Walter Hang

============================

“The Capitol Pressroom program for December 13, 2010: “…The comingling of Governor Paterson’s veto-of-moratorium-slash-executive-order-to-continue-studying-the-gas-drilling-issue has some environmentalists claiming victory, and some others protesting at his offices in New York City with movie stars. We hear from both perspectives, as well as from John Holko of IOGANY (phone). And we talk hydrofracking, partisanship in Albany, pensions & the 2010 elections, as well as his future political career with outgoing Assemblyman Michael Benjamin (studio) who is retiring from the state legislature at the end of the month, but not politics…” ” (The Capitol Pressroom/WCNY) (NY)- http://thecapitolpressroom.org/the-capitol-pressroom-program-for-december-13-2010/ (Download here- http://hotfile.com/dl/89496081/dbef518/TheCapitolPressroom12-13-10.mp3.html )

Filed under Official Actions--Legislation, judgments,regulation Tagged with , , , ,

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