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RECENT PRESS . . .
RECENT IMPORTANT PRESS & NETWORK REPORTS: Congress to Investigate Safety of Natural Gas Drilling Practice Known as Hydraulic Fracturing The top Democrats on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have asked eight oil-field companies to disclose the chemicals they’ve used and the wells they’ve drilled in over the past four years. Last week, Waxman also revealed two of the largest gas drilling companies have pumped hundreds of thousands of gallons of diesel-based fluids into the ground in violation of a voluntary agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency. Congress to Investigate Safety of Gas Drilling Known as Hydraulic Fracturing." DIMOCK, PA • WATER CONTAMINATION The River Reporter, "Dimock’s dilemma - Methane found in water wells." Wayne-Independent, "Gas driller found in violation for 'polluting' ground water." Reuters, "US energy future hits snag in rural Pennsylvania." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Ridge's firms to get $900,000 for pushing Marcellus drilling." Scranton Times-Tribune, "Forum Discusses Gas Industry Money Impact on PA State Politics. New York Times, "Hurdles for a Gas Transition Are Many." Common Dreams, "Gas No Quick Fix for U.S. Energy Woes." The Associated Press, "Drilling Subcontractor in PA Well Blast Had Fines - 2 Die." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "1200 People Attend EPA Hearing, Most Oppose Fracking." GRITtv, Hydrofracking 10-Minute Video: "Just How Natural is This Gas ... Anyway!" Truth Out, "Investigation Confirms PA Fracking Well Blowout Was Preventable, Catastrophic." Rodale Publishing, "Fracking Threatens National Water Supply, Human Health." New York Times, "Concerns Spread Over Environmental Costs of Producing Shale Gas." Vanity Fair, "A Colossal Fracking Mess: The Dirty Truth Behind the New Gas." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Under Siege by Marcellus Marauders." Yahoo, "Will Gas Save America ... or Destroy It? Scranton Times-Tribune, "State Lacks Record Keeping for Gas Drilling Contamination & Leaks. The Nation, "Onshore Drilling Disasters Waiting to Happen." U.P.I., "Norway's Statoil to Move Marcellus Gas to Canada." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Accidents Bring Calls to Suspend Shale Drilling." Associated Press, "Enron-Frac-Blow-Back from Pennsylvania Gas Well." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Enron Shale Well Shoots Into Sky for Hours." Trenton Times, "Endangered River." Reuters, "Upper Delaware River Most Endangered in U.S.." Audubon Magazine, "Gas Pains: The Results Could Be Disastrous." Bloomberg News, "Gas Riches Entice New Yorkers to Risk Poisoning Water." Associated Press, "PA House OKs Halt to Leasing on Forest Land." River Reporter, "Information is Power." The New York Times, "The Costs of Gas Drilling, Including Flaming Water." Scientific American, "The Drillers are Coming." NPR•Fresh Air, "Josh Fox 15-Minute Interview." Associated Press, "Enron-Frac-Blow-Back from Pennsylvania Gas Well." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Enron Shale Well Shoots Into Sky for Hours." Trenton Times, "Endangered River." Reuters, "Upper Delaware River Most Endangered in U.S.." Audubon Magazine, "Gas Pains: The Results Could Be Disastrous." Boomberg News, "Gas Riches Entice New Yorkers to Risk Poisoning Water." Associated Press, "PA House OKs Halt to Leasing on Forest Land." River Reporter, "Information is Power." New York Times, "Drilling, Disaster, Denial." Wall Street Journal, "Tainted Water Spurs Evacuations." New York Times, "State Decision Blocks Drilling for Gas in Catskills & Syracuse." ProPublica, "EPA’s Fracturing Study Raises Ire of Gas Industry." Reuters, "Philadelphia Seeks Ban on Drilling Method." Family Times, "Dish, Texas Mayor Calvin Tillman Speaks About Gas Drilling Risks." Pocono Record, "Resistance Continues Against Gas Drilling that has begun in Watershed." Scranton Times-Tribune, "Gas Driller Cited for Violation After Environmentalist Takes Photos." ProPublica, "Wastewater Created by Fracking: It's Radioactive." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Lawmakers Line up Against Governor's Forest Leasing Plan." Huffington Post, "Bill Gates' -'The World's Energy Portfolio Should Not Include Natural Gas." Pocono Record, "Resistance Continues Against Gas Drilling that has begun in Watershed." Huffington Post, "Gasland Fuel for Justice." Rver Reporter, "The Incident at Robson Well." Wall Street Journal, "Gas Sites Spur Air Worries." ProPublica, "Pennsylvania’s Gas Wells Booming—But So Are Spills." Associated Press, "Gas Drilling Yields a Foul Byproduct." Scranton Times-Tribune, "Gas Driller Cited for Violation After Environmentalist Takes Photos." Philadelphia Inquirer, "Marcellus Rush Echoes History of Recklessness." Democracy Now, "Fight Against Hydraulic Fracturing is Heating Up in New York State." ABC News, "Gas Drilling and Drinking Water." ProPublica, "Wastewater Created by Fracking: It's Radioactive." Reuters, "U.S. Finds Water Polluted Near Gas-Drilling Sites." New York Times, "EPA Concerned for Public Health, Questions New York State’s Plans." NPR, "Health Issues Follow Natural Gas Drilling." New York Times, "A Watershed Decision." Reuters, "Lawsuit Says Drilling Polluted Water." Bloomberg News, "New York City Wants Ban on Drilling in Its Watershed." NY Daily News, "Critics drill Gov. Paterson on Water Plan." Ithaca Journal, "Fracking Should Wait at Least Another Year, Say 2000 in D.E.C. Union." Scranton Times-Tribune, "Gas Driller Cited for Violation After Environmentalist Takes Photos." Voice of America, "Environmental Concerns Rise as Gas Drilling Spreads." New York Times, "E.P.A., Concerned Over Gas Drilling, Questions New York State’s Plans." Bloomberg News, "New York City Wants Ban on Drilling in Its Watershed." CNN, "The Domestic Drilling Backlash." ABC News, "Gas Drilling and Drinking Water." Earth Island Institute, "The Greenwashing of an Industry." ProPublica, "Wastewater Created by Fracking: It's Radioactive." Wayne Independent, "Environmental Complaint Filed by Damascus Citizens." Reuters, "Lawsuit Says Drilling Polluted Water." NPR, "Health Issues Follow Natural Gas Drilling." New York Times, "A Watershed Decision." Reuters, "NYC Officials Urge Gas Drilling Ban in Watersheds" New York Times, "Shale and Our Water." Pocono-Record, "Drilling for Gas Would 'Destroy' State Game Lands." Reuters, "U.S. Finds Water Polluted Near Gas-Drilling Sites." New York Times, "Walking the Land Where the Drilling Rigs Will Go." WNYC Radio, "Radioactivity in Drilling Wastewater." Albany Times-Union, "NYC Report - Gas Drilling Imperils Water." Pocono-Record, "Drilling for Gas Would 'Destroy' State Game Lands." Reuters, "U.S. Finds Water Polluted Near Gas-Drilling Sites." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Sudden Death of 38-mile Ecosystem." New York Times, "State Issues Rules on Upstate Natural Gas Drilling Near City’s Water." The River Reporter, "Safety First." Philadelphia Inquirer, "Seismic Rumbles in the Forests." Democracy Now, "Environmental Battle Brews over Gas Drilling." New York Times, "U.S. Blocks Drilling at 60 Sites in Utah Colorado Energy News, "Federal Court Blocks Drilling in Baca Wildlife Refuge." Reuters, "Water Worries Threaten U.S. Push for Gas." Democracy Now, "Natural Gas Drilling, Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Contamination." Fly-Rod+Reel Magazine, "The East's Best Trout Country is Facing Slap-Dash Gas Drilling." ProPublica, "Water Problems From Drilling Are More Frequent Than PA Officials Said." New York Times, "Of Hydraulic Fracturing and Drinking Water," Reuters, "Gas Drilling Critics Welcome Move by U.S. Regulator." NPR, "Face-off Over 'Fracking': Water Battle Brews On Hill." Brooklyn Eagle, "Our Drinking Water Is Threatened." ProPublica, "Pennsylvania Orders Cabot to Stop Fracturing." The River Reporter, "1,000 Gallons Per Minute." ProPublica, "Energy Industry Sways Congress With Misleading Data." Times Herald-Record, "'Fracking' Method of Gas Extraction Under Scrutiny." The River Reporter, "Gas Drilling Gap ‘On the Ground’." ProPublica, "Natural Gas Politics." TruthOut, "Clean" Energy and Poisoned Water." The River Reporter, "Wastewater Woes." Reuters, "Pennsylvania says gas drilling risks inevitable." CBS News, "Flammable Water In Colorado Home." NY Daily News, "While Searching for New Fuels, Leave New York's Drinking Water Alone." Post-Gazette, "Drilling stalled in Allegheny National Forest." Reuters, "US energy future hits snag in rural Pennsylvania." The River Reporter, "Dimock’s dilemma - Methane found in water wells." ProPublica, "Clean Natural Gas? Not in My Backyard." Newsweek, "Officials Worry About the Impact of Fracking." ABC News, "Sex for Oil & Gas, Reports Blast Interior Department." NY Daily News, "Natural Gas Rush Will Come at Expense of NYC's Water." NBC Nightly News, "Will Gas Drilling Spoil Our Water." New York Times, "Where Water Trumps Energy." The Citizen Telegram, "No to Gas Well Drilling in Watershed." BusinessWeek, "Does Natural-Gas Drilling Endanger Water Supplies?" Scientific American, "Drill for Natural Gas, Pollute Water." Washington Post, "Hunt for gas leads drillers to NYC watershed." New York Times, "Proposed Gas Drilling Upstate Raises Concerns About Water Supply." New York Times, "11th-Hour Ruling Blocks Utah Oil and Gas Leases." Christian Science Monitor, "Boom in gas drilling fuels contamination concerns in Colorado." ProPublica, "New York State Drilling Bill Would Override State Regulators to Protect Water." ProPublica, "EPA Administrator Forecasts Shift on Bush-Era Drilling Loophole." WNYC Radio, "Natural Gas Drilling: Is New York Ready." Newsweek, "Officials Worry About the Impact of Fracking." Philadelphia Inquirer, "Delaware Basin Drilling Hits a Snag." Christian Science Monitor, "Controversial Path to Possible Glut of Natural Gas." ABC News, "Sex for Oil & Gas, Reports Blast Interior Department." NY Daily News, "Natural Gas Rush Will Come at Expense of NYC's Water." National Geographic Magazine, "Drilling the West." CNN-Money, "Small Town, Big Changes Transforming Lives." NBC Nightly News, "Will Gas Drilling Spoil Our Water." New York Times, "Where Water Trumps Energy." The Citizen Telegram, "No to Gas Well Drilling in Watershed." BusinessWeek, "Does Natural-Gas Drilling Endanger Water Supplies?" The Aspen Times, "Methane increasing in water wells near Silt, Rifle, CO." WTAE-TV Pittsburg, "Streams Drained Dry by Drillers." Scientific American, "Drill for Natural Gas, Pollute Water." CNN-Money, "Election May Bring Hard Look at Oil-Gas Exemption." Washington Post, "Hunt for gas leads drillers to NYC watershed." New York Times, "Proposed Gas Drilling Upstate Raises Concerns About Water Supply." New York Times, "11th-Hour Ruling Blocks Utah Oil and Gas Leases." Christian Science Monitor, "Boom in gas drilling fuels contamination concerns in Colorado." The Newburgh Advocate, "Gas drilling: I give the government an F minus." Farm & Dairy, "Wildlife expert warns of ecological risks of natural gas drilling." Gotham Gazette, "Mixing Gas and Water: Drilling in the City's Watershed." Reuters, "U.S. Gas Drilling Boom Stirs Water Worries." THE RIVER REPORTER "New hazard of gas drilling: flow-back water." "Water Expert: Public Health is top drilling issue." "DRBC to find out: What’s in frack fluid?." "Gas drilling opponents hold mass meeting." "Congress investigates possible water contamination caused by gas well drilling." "Western PA landowners regret deep gas wells deals." "Local agencies allow gas drilling exemption." "Their money or your life." "…Nor any drop to drink."
Thursday, January 22, 2009 Monongahela River quality up after limits on Gas Drillers By The Tribune-Review The Monongahela River's levels of total dissolved solids -- which can affect the way water tastes and smells -- are much lower than in October, when state officials told sewage treatment plants to stop accepting water that natural gas drilling companies used to prepare wells in Marcellus Shale regions, the state Department of Environmental Protection said Wednesday. Lab data showed TDS levels as of Dec. 30 were 110 to 196 parts per million, compared to 438 to 908 ppm on Oct. 22, DEP said. The new numbers are well below the 500 ppm guideline set by state and federal officials. November 6, 2008 Marcellus growing pains lead to water-discharge woes for Pa. industry Katie Howell, Land Letter reporter A Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection mandate limiting the treatment of wastewater from oil and gas drilling sites at sewage-processing plants that discharge into the Monongahela River could have far-reaching effects on the development of the prolific Marcellus Shale natural gas reservoir that underlies most of the state. DEP, which has been investigating and attempting to dilute the levels of dissolved solids in the river, late last month ordered seven sewage plants that discharge into the Monongahela River Basin to significantly limit the amount of wastewater flow they allow through plants each day, a DEP spokeswoman said. Teresa Candori, the spokeswoman, said the department restricted sewage treatment plants from allowing more than 1 percent of their daily flow to be drilling wastewater until the levels of total dissolved solids fall. Prior to the restriction, the plants allowed 10 percent to 20 percent of their daily flow to be wastewater from drilling, Candori said. "We're very concerned about this. It has an immediate impact on Marcellus development," said Louis D'Amico, executive director of the Independent Oil and Gas Organization of Pennsylvania. "There are very few options [for wastewater disposal] once you start taking away sewage plants. It will have a tremendous impact on the industry." Natural gas producers have been flocking to Appalachia in the past year to tap the Marcellus reservoir, which could hold as many as 50 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, or one-fourth of total U.S. reserves. Geologists and engineers have long known about the prolific reservoir but lacked the technology and sustained high natural gas prices to make it profitable to explore (Greenwire, May 5). That changed as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology emerged, gas prices skyrocketed and Range Resources Corp. of Fort Worth, Texas, announced late last year that a Pennsylvania well was producing 3 million cubic feet of natural gas per day from the Marcellus reservoir. Now the state is experiencing growing pains as it welcomes an influx of industry. The state has opened up public lands for exploration, much to the chagrin of environmental groups. And it has worked to establish environmental protections to safeguard against the pitfalls of horizontal drilling. Hydraulic fracturing, the method of choice for producers looking to break apart the tightly packed shale and release the natural gas trapped in tiny pore spaces, requires pumping large amounts of chemically laced water into the ground. That wastewater is what DEP is concerned is adding to the dissolved solid levels in the Monongahela River, which runs through southwestern Pennsylvania -- the heart of Marcellus country. But industry officials say the water is not toxic and is not affecting the level of pollutants in the river, but experts say drilling wastewater from hydro-fracking is 10 times more toxic than industrial wastewater. "The water we're discharging is mostly [hydraulic fracturing] water. It's essentially freshwater with a little sand -- but hopefully that sand is left behind in the formation -- and some lubricants, but these are not toxic," D'Amico said. DEP said the oil and gas drilling -- and specifically the Marcellus exploration -- was not totally to blame for the dismal conditions in the Monongahela. Candori said acid mine drainage runoff and low flow rates as a result of little rainfall were also at fault. "Oil and gas drilling wastewater is not the primary source," Candori said. "It just happens to be the one thing we can control." Candori said the sewage-treatment plants are complying with the DEP mandate and some have stopped accepting oil and gas drilling wastewater altogether. D'Amico said the restriction is hampering the industry's efforts to explore in the region. "If disposal through sewage plants is off the table, the problem is, where do you dispose of water from that production?" he said. "If you can't come up with a solution, you've got to shut wells in -- and this is certainly not the time of year to shut in and cut off natural gas production." He said deep-well disposal is an option in some areas of the country, but in Pennsylvania, the geology prevents that. Deep-well disposal involves pumping the water back into the ground into deep rock formations and sealing them off so they cannot leak into groundwater reservoirs. Pennsylvania's limestone-rich geology is not ideal for deep-well disposal. Candori suggested some additional alternatives, including storing the water at an industrial facility or taking it to other sewage-treatment plants that do not discharge into the Monongahela. DEP will continue monitoring the total dissolved solids levels in the Monongahela and will allow sewage-treatment plants to process more wastewater from oil and gas operations once the pollutant levels drop. Thursday, October 23, 2008 "No" to gas wells in watershed: Rifle, Colorado city council vote denies Laramie Energy request. By HEIDI RICE, Citizen Telegram, Rifle, Colorado RIFLE, COLORADO - There was a long, pregnant pause before Rifle, Colorado Mayor Keith Lambert cast the deciding vote not to approve an application to drill five natural gas well pads and multiple wells within the city's Beaver Creek watershed district. Rifle, Colorado City Council members voted 4-3 at the Wednesday, Oct. 15 meeting to not approve the application submitted by Laramie Energy II out of Grand Junction. Laramie was seeking the permit application for an exploration drilling project within five miles of the city's Beaver Creek watershed district. However, there were concerns about the proximity of the Beaver Creek Road and the effects that truck traffic might have on the city's water supply or repercussions should there be an oil or grease spill. A proposed performance bond of $200,000 by Laramie was suggested by the city's water resources engineer, Michael Erion, of Resource Engineering, Inc. Other suggestions included realignment of the road so traffic would not be so close to the watershed. Councilor Jennifer Sanborn said she would like to see some kind of 24/7 alarm monitoring system that would alert city officials or personnel should some kind of accident occur due to the proximity to the road to the watershed district. "I'm just concerned that there should be some kind of alarm system if there's a problem," Sanborn said. Charlie Stevens, city utility director, acknowledged that it would take a few days to clean up if a major spill occurred in an incident where a truck tipped over. Sanborn backed up her position by citing the city's code. "As city council members, we're responsible for upholding the code," Sanborn said. "And that's why I wanted an extensive 24/7 monitoring system." Councilor Jeanette Thompson also expressed concerns about setting a precedent for others wanting to drill wells near the city's watershed. Before casting his vote, Lambert acknowledged that the city was very concerned about its water resources and the time it had spent on this particular water shed permit. “It's been a long, lengthy process," he said. "But water is our most precious resource. We take it very seriously." September 30, 2008 Judge backs local control in gas drilling. By AMANDA CREGAN Nockamixon took home a victory in court Monday over companies that want to drill for oil and natural gas in Upper Bucks. A Bucks County judge ruled against Arbor Resources and Pasadena Oil and Gas Wyoming, both of Traverse City, Mich., and Hook ’Em Energy Partners of Austin, Texas. Judge Clyde Waite sided with the township’s authority to enforce local ordinances to regulate natural gas and oil drilling in the township. The gas companies argued in a lawsuit filed in May that local ordinances are not binding because they are trumped by regulations already in place under Pennsylvania’s Oil and Gas Act. Arbor and its associates say they have met state drilling requirements. Waite’s ruling found the act gives exception to local ordinances pursuant to the state’s municipalities planning code. “The purposes of the Oil and Gas Act is to permit the development of oil and gas resources while at the same time protecting the health, safety, environment and property of the local citizenry,” Waite concluded. Nockamixon solicitor Jordan Yeager said the judge’s decision was an affirmation of local authority and ultimately allows township supervisors to enforce their ordinances. “Obviously the result is a significant result for the township,” said Yeager, a Doylestown attorney. “I think it’s a vindication for local interests.” Yeager argued before the judge last week that the gas companies’ first steps should be to appeal to the township’s zoning hearing board or the board of supervisors. “Our primary objection was that this matter was not appropriate in court,” he said. “When you are raising a substantial challenge to a zoning ordinance you’ve got to go there before going to court.” Amanda Cregan can be reached at 215-538-6371 or acregan@phillyBurbs.com. |
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DCS • Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, Inc. • P.O. Box 147 • Milanville, PA 18443