Incidents where hydraulic fracturing is a suspected cause of drinking water contamination | Amy Mall’s Blog | Switchboard, from NRDC
December 29, 2010
Napoli Bern Ripka & Associates, LLP Views Cabot Oil’s Use Of DEP Consent Order As Improper
December 27, 2010
Napoli Bern Ripka & Associates, LLP Views Cabot Oil’s Use Of DEP Consent Order As Improper.
Cabot and its attorneys have attempted to use a consent order entered with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to allegedly mislead their clients into waiving their rights to continue the litigation.
SURVEY: DRINKING WATER POLLUTION CONCERNS FUELING AWARENESS AMONG AMERICANS OF ‘FRACKING’ USED TO EXTRACT NATURAL GAS
December 25, 2010
SURVEY: DRINKING WATER POLLUTION CONCERNS FUELING AWARENESS AMONG AMERICANS OF “FRACKING” USED TO EXTRACT NATURAL GAS
Americans Unwilling to Trade Clean Drinking Water For Dirty Energy Production; Strong Support Across Party Lines Seen For Putting Emphasis on Energy Production With Minimum of Pollution.
WASHINGTON, D.C.///December 21, 2010///Do Americans think natural gas is as “clean” as it is touted as being by the energy industry? Nearly half of Americans (45 percent) are already very or somewhat aware of the controversy about hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) drilling used to tap cheap natural gas supplies in the U.S., according to a new Infogroup/Opinion Research Corporation (Infogroup/ORC) survey conducted for the nonprofit Civil Society Institute (CSI). Among Americans who already are aware of “fracking,” more than two out of three (69 percent) are concerned about the drilling technique’s possible threat to clean drinking water.
The U.S. fracking survey conducted by CSI – the first national poll to gauge the attitudes of Americans on the subject – was released today along with two separate survey reports for more than 800 New York State/New York City residents and over 400 Pennsylvanians. The national and two state-specific reports are available at http://www.CivilSocietyInstitute.org.
Key findings of the national survey include the following findings:
| • | More than three out of four Americans (78 percent) would “strongly” (49 percent) or “somewhat” (29 percent) support “tighter public disclosure requirements as well as studies of the health and environmental consequences of the chemicals used in natural gas drilling.” Fewer than one in five (16 percent) would oppose requiring such additional disclosure. More disclosure is supported across party lines by Republicans (74 percent), Independents (72 percent), and Democrats (85 percent). |
| • | Over half of Americans (56 percent) who are very/somewhat aware of fracking think state and federal officials are either “not doing as much as they should” (42 percent) or “not doing anything at all” (14 percent) to “require proper disclosure of the chemicals used in natural gas drilling.” |
| • | Nearly three out of five (72 percent) Americans say that they would tell their Member of Congress, governor or state lawmaker the following: “When it comes to energy production that requires large amounts of water or where water quality is in jeopardy as a result of the energy production, my vote would be for coming down on the side of the public’s health and the environment. We should favor cleaner energy sources that use the least water and involve the lowest possible risk to the public and environment.” Only about one in five (21 percent) would say the following: “When it comes to energy production that requires large amounts of water or where water quality is in jeopardy as a result of the energy production, my view is that energy production priorities have to come first. There is always going to be some risk involved when it comes to energy production. We have to accept that there are going to be tradeoffs when it comes to the public’s health and the environment.” Clean water is favored over energy production by Republicans (62 percent), Independents (80 percent), and Democrats (82 percent). |
Pam Solo, founder and president, Civil Society Institute, said: “Clean energy production is strongly favored by Americans over energy sources that create a danger to human health and safe drinking water in particular. Fracking is a perfect illustration of the fact that Americans don’t think of an energy source as ‘cheap’ or ‘clean’ if there is a hidden price in terms of safe drinking water and human health. The message from our new survey is clear: Americans of all political persuasions prefer to see clean energy development that protects water supplies over traditional fossil fuel production that endangers safe drinking water and human health.”
Commenting on the survey, Anthony Ingraffea, PhD, P.E., Dwight C. Baum professor of engineering, Cornell University, said: “The results of this survey indicates that the public has been educated and sensitized to the issues arising from tradeoffs among energy production, the environment, and health. Americans now understand that, especially with the allure of gas production from unconventional gas plays, even ‘getting it right’ from a technical and regulatory point of view might still be wrong in terms of clean drinking water. The public is increasingly ready to commit to change in its energy use patterns, invest in its children’s energy futures, and is no longer willing to accept the notion that a corporate business plan is the same as a national strategic energy plan.”
Fracking, a technique used to extract natural gas from deep deposits, involves blasting vast amounts of water combined with chemicals and sand into the ground to release the gas from deposits. While industry experts claim that this is a relatively low-risk extraction method, there are growing concerns about the threat of contamination of drinking water supplies.
The nonprofit Civil Society Institute has carried out more than 25 major national- and state-level opinion polls on energy issues since 2003. The 100-percent independent CSI think tank receives no direct or indirect support of any kind from any natural gas industry interest, or any other energy-related company, trade group or related individual.
In addition to the national survey, the state-specific polls for Pennsylvania and New York State/City were conducted since: (1) Pennsylvania is a major site today for fracking-based efforts to access the enormous Marcellus Shale deposit stretching along the Appalachians from West Virginia up to the western half of the state of New York; and (2) concerns are rising that the use of hydraulic fracturing could lead to water contamination of the Catskill/Delaware River watershed that is a main source of drinking water for New York City and millions of other regional residents.
Survey: Water Pollution From Natural Gas ‘Fracking’ a Concern for Four Out of Five Pennsylvanians Aware of the Process
December 25, 2010
Strong Support Across Party Lines Seen in Pennsylvania For Putting Emphasis on Energy Production With Minimum of Pollution; More than Four Out of Five Want Better Disclosure of Risks.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Do Pennsylvania residents think natural gas is as “clean” as it is touted as being by the energy industry? Three out of five Pennsylvanians are already very or somewhat aware of the controversy about hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) drilling used to tap cheap natural gas supplies in the state, according to a new Infogroup/Opinion Research Corporation (Infogroup/ORC) survey of 403 state residents conducted for the nonprofit Civil Society Institute (CSI). Among Pennsylvanians who already are aware of “fracking,” more than four out of five are concerned about the drilling technique’s possible threat to clean drinking water.
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
OP Ed Pages
December 22, 2010
Recent opinions expressed by local citizens and submitted to the media
WORLD WATCHING NYS ON FRACKING –Cortland Standard. Opinion, Dec. 21, 2010, Jim Weiss, Marathon.
In his letter (“New York state lost”), Mr. Ken Diaz criticized Governor Paterson’s extension of the ban on hydrofracking for another 6 months. If Mr. Diaz had his way, there would be well drilling rigs all over the county by now.
Lets ignore the fact that 14,000 comments were submitted to the DEC on their proposed guidelines, including four from Cortland County (Legislature, Planning Dep’t., Health Dep’t, and Soil/Water Service).
Let’s ignore the fact that in Pennsylvania, besides Dimock, gas migration is being investigated in some 20 other Pennsylvania communities and that Cabot Oil was just fined $4 million to rehabilitate contaminated water wells. (Personally, filling up my basement with water purification equipment doesn’t sound all that attractive.)
Let’s ignore the fact that Pittsburgh’s public water supply is measurably saltier due to contamination of the Monongahela River with waste brine from hydrofracking. Pittsburgh just enacted a ban on the process.
Let’s ignore the fact that there were over 500 violations of Pennsylvania regulations by gas drilling operations in the first half of 2010 and over 1000 trucking violations logged by the state police (even a close call with a school bus).
Let’s ignore the fact that Pennsylvania hastily enacted new regulations on gas drilling because the existing ones had holes big enough to drive a drilling rig through.
The current conflict over high volume slick water horizontal drilling hydrofracturing is not just about New York State. The gas industry has run roughshod over communities all around the country, and drillers are pushing forward in other countries as well. The world is watching how this plays out in New York. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the people who put the industry on notice that business as usual is over and New York State will not be abused.
Chris Applegate. This Landowner Makes a Choice on Gas Drilling. Nov. 26, 2010 Press & Sun Bulletin. http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20101126/VIEWPOINTS03/11260306/1120/This-landowner-makes-a-choice-on-gas-drilling
Response to Palmerton op ed in July 7 Syracuse New Times: On Jul 13, 2010, at 11:02 PM, Mary wrote:
In response to Palmerton in New Times July 7th: we’ll see if it sees print…
To the Syracuse New Times
Let’s Get It Fracking Straight
David Palmerton, of the Palmerton Group, a champion of natural gas drilling, would like us to believe that drilling for natural gas is nothing new and it is very safe. He accuses Josh Fox of misrepresenting the facts in his volatile film Gasland. Mr. Palmerton himself presents the facts halfway. Read more of this post
GDACC 
