Showing posts with label Pennsylvania. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pennsylvania. Show all posts
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Over 1 million gallons of frack fluid escaped during spill
Click here to view recent update on yesterday's gas well explosion in Clearfield County, PA: CHANNEL 6 NEWS FOOTAGE.
PA well explosion shoots gas, drilling fluid 75 ft into the air. DEP not notified until hours later, FAA restricts flights within 3 miles of site.
The authors mention that blowout preventers (like the one that failed in Louisiana) are typically used in situations like this so that workers can control the pressure inside. After reading this article, I'm still not clear on whether or not a blowout preventer was used. So did the contractors forget to install one or if they did...did it, too, fail?
Marcellus gas well blows out in Pennsylvania; gas, drilling fluid shoot 75 feet into air*
By Marc Levy and Jennifer C. Yates, AP
PENFIELD, Pa. -- An out-of-control natural gas well in a remote area of Pennsylvania shot explosive gas and polluted water as high as 75 feet into the air Friday before crews were able to tame it about 16 hours later.
The gas never caught fire and no injuries were reported, but state officials worried about an explosion before the well could be controlled. The well was brought under control just after noon after it started spewing gas and brine, said Elizabeth Ivers, a spokeswoman for driller EOG Resources Inc.
Houston-based EOG, formerly part of Enron Corp., was drilling into the Marcellus Shale reserve, a hotly pursued gas formation primarily under Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and Ohio that some geologists believe could become the nation's most productive natural gas field.
There are more than 1,000 Marcellus Shale wells in Pennsylvania alone, some of them within view of homes, farmhouses and public roads.
There were no homes within a mile of the well that blew out.
The accident happened just after the crew finished a process called hydraulic fracturing -- in which millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals are blasted underground to shatter tightly compacted shale and release trapped natural gas. They were clearing out debris from the well when gas shot out of it, said Dan Spadoni, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection.
Workers evacuated the site and contacted county authorities, said John Sobel, a Clearfield County commissioner. The DEP said it wasn't notified until 1:30 a.m. -- more than five hours after the blowout.
The polluted water flowing out of the well and into the woods was stopped by a trench and a pump installed by a contractor, Spadoni said. Companies that specialize in securing out-of-control wells were called in, he said.
The blowout could test the ability of state regulators, who promised an aggressive investigation into the accident.
"The event at the well site could have been a catastrophic incident that endangered life and property," Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger said in a statement. "This was not a minor accident, but a serious incident that will be fully investigated by this agency with the appropriate and necessary actions taken quickly."
If the agency finds that mistakes were made, it will take steps to prevent similar errors from repeating, he said. He said it was too early to tell the extent of any environmental damage.
Details about the accident were still sketchy, but the agency was told that unexpectedly high gas pressure in the new well prevented the crew from containing it, Spadoni said.
Ivers said she could not immediately respond to questions about how the accident happened. Public safety and protection of the environment are of the utmost importance, the company said in a statement.
David Rensink, the incoming president of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, said gas well blowouts are very rare and can be very dangerous to control, since a spark can set off an explosion.
Typically, a blowout preventer -- a series of valves that sit atop a well -- allows workers to control the pressure inside, he said.
Just such a device figured into the massive oil spill off the coast of Louisiana. The oil rig's blowout preventer was supposed to shut off the flow of oil in the event of a catastrophic failure, but it didn't work.
The Pennsylvania well is on the grounds of a hunting club in a heavily forested section of Clearfield County, near Interstate 80 -- about 90 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
On Friday afternoon, a worker blocked a dirt road to the site, while trucks hauling water tanks streamed past him. He said he was not allowed to talk about what had happened.
As a precaution, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a flight restriction Friday morning, saying no planes below 1,000 feet should go within three miles of the site. The restriction was lifted it shortly after the well was capped.
*This article appeared in Pressconnect.com of Greater Binghamton on 6.4.2010
Marcellus gas well blows out in Pennsylvania; gas, drilling fluid shoot 75 feet into air*
By Marc Levy and Jennifer C. Yates, AP
PENFIELD, Pa. -- An out-of-control natural gas well in a remote area of Pennsylvania shot explosive gas and polluted water as high as 75 feet into the air Friday before crews were able to tame it about 16 hours later.
The gas never caught fire and no injuries were reported, but state officials worried about an explosion before the well could be controlled. The well was brought under control just after noon after it started spewing gas and brine, said Elizabeth Ivers, a spokeswoman for driller EOG Resources Inc.
Houston-based EOG, formerly part of Enron Corp., was drilling into the Marcellus Shale reserve, a hotly pursued gas formation primarily under Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and Ohio that some geologists believe could become the nation's most productive natural gas field.
There are more than 1,000 Marcellus Shale wells in Pennsylvania alone, some of them within view of homes, farmhouses and public roads.
There were no homes within a mile of the well that blew out.
The accident happened just after the crew finished a process called hydraulic fracturing -- in which millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals are blasted underground to shatter tightly compacted shale and release trapped natural gas. They were clearing out debris from the well when gas shot out of it, said Dan Spadoni, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection.
Workers evacuated the site and contacted county authorities, said John Sobel, a Clearfield County commissioner. The DEP said it wasn't notified until 1:30 a.m. -- more than five hours after the blowout.
The polluted water flowing out of the well and into the woods was stopped by a trench and a pump installed by a contractor, Spadoni said. Companies that specialize in securing out-of-control wells were called in, he said.
The blowout could test the ability of state regulators, who promised an aggressive investigation into the accident.
"The event at the well site could have been a catastrophic incident that endangered life and property," Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger said in a statement. "This was not a minor accident, but a serious incident that will be fully investigated by this agency with the appropriate and necessary actions taken quickly."
If the agency finds that mistakes were made, it will take steps to prevent similar errors from repeating, he said. He said it was too early to tell the extent of any environmental damage.
Details about the accident were still sketchy, but the agency was told that unexpectedly high gas pressure in the new well prevented the crew from containing it, Spadoni said.
Ivers said she could not immediately respond to questions about how the accident happened. Public safety and protection of the environment are of the utmost importance, the company said in a statement.
David Rensink, the incoming president of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, said gas well blowouts are very rare and can be very dangerous to control, since a spark can set off an explosion.
Typically, a blowout preventer -- a series of valves that sit atop a well -- allows workers to control the pressure inside, he said.
Just such a device figured into the massive oil spill off the coast of Louisiana. The oil rig's blowout preventer was supposed to shut off the flow of oil in the event of a catastrophic failure, but it didn't work.
The Pennsylvania well is on the grounds of a hunting club in a heavily forested section of Clearfield County, near Interstate 80 -- about 90 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
On Friday afternoon, a worker blocked a dirt road to the site, while trucks hauling water tanks streamed past him. He said he was not allowed to talk about what had happened.
As a precaution, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a flight restriction Friday morning, saying no planes below 1,000 feet should go within three miles of the site. The restriction was lifted it shortly after the well was capped.
*This article appeared in Pressconnect.com of Greater Binghamton on 6.4.2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
PA: Vote, Baby Vote!
Take the time today to exercise your right to vote in PA's primary election. Who is for or against the natural gas drilling in PA? If this issue is important to you, then go into the voting booth knowing where your candidates stand.
The following are just a few resources:
Bucks County News Chart: Candidates for Governor & their stance on drilling
Senate candidates: PA the Saudi Arabia of natural gas?
Hoeffel and Sestak endorsed by "Protecting Our Waters."
Frack Mountain endorses Hoeffel & Sestak
The following are just a few resources:
Bucks County News Chart: Candidates for Governor & their stance on drilling
Senate candidates: PA the Saudi Arabia of natural gas?
Hoeffel and Sestak endorsed by "Protecting Our Waters."
Frack Mountain endorses Hoeffel & Sestak
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
GASLAND picked up by HBO!
Don't worry if you didn't make tonight's showing of GASLAND in Williamsport. It's not only appearing in several other area towns in the next month (click HERE for the schedule), but HBO has picked it up as well! You can't ask for a bigger national stage than that! While HBO doesn't have any info on their own site yet, you can read about it HERE. Debut is scheduled for June 21st. Keep posted!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Video archive of Marcellus Shale town hall meeting
On April 22, M&T Bank hosted a town hall meeting on issues surrounding Marcellus Shale drilling in Pennsylvania. The meeting included a panel of representatives from legal, banking, state agency and gas industry professions; it was broadcast live and archived on PCNs (PA Cable Network) website. There doesn't appear to be direct links to the archived videos but to access them, go to www.pcntv.com/streaming/streaming.html , click on "Special Presentations" from the menu along the right, and scroll down until you find "April 22, 2010--Town Meeting--Marcellus Shale." Please note that there are parts 1 &2 and that you will need Quicktime on your pc to view the video. If your pc doesn't already have Quicktime installed, you will be prompted to do so. The program is free and legitimate.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
GASLAND Leads Critics Poll @ Sundance Film Festival
Hopefully this is the start of a huge spotlight on the careless--and in some cases outrageous--actions taken and decisions made in the rush to extract natural gas as quickly and inexpensively as possible. Kudos to PA native and filmmaker Josh Fox for drawing attention to the horrible reality that has come to so many communities in our area--and indeed across the country--all in the name of corporate wealth.
'GasLand' Leads Critics Poll - indieWIRE
'GasLand' Leads Critics Poll - indieWIRE
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Public Notice: Web seminar to cover issues related to natural gas leases
A Web seminar to address ongoing implications of natural gas leases will be available January 21 @ 1pm. While many landowners across Pennsylvania have signed lease agreements with natural gas exploration companies, new questions - which may or may not be clear in the original leases - continue to emerge. A discussion of these questions will be the focus of a free Web-based seminar titled, "Post Leasing - Considerations of What Happens Next, Lessons Learned to Date."
Sponsored by Penn State Cooperative Extension, the seminar will provide information about the scope of existing and additional lease agreements. The seminar will address some of the trends landowners have been observing as the gas extraction phase begins to ramp up in many parts of the state. Some of these trends include negotiations with landowners for siting the well pad, lease extensions, the addition of roads, pipelines, sound mitigation and the need for timbering. The seminar is available by going to PSU's Cooperative Extension events site. Online participants will have the opportunity to ask the speaker questions during the session.
The seminar is part of an ongoing series of workshops addressing issues related to the state's Marcellus Shale gas boom. One-hour seminars also will be held at 1 p.m. on the following dates:
Feb. 18: "Underground Injection Wells as an Option for Disposal of Shale Gas Wastewaters: Policies and Practicality." The presenter will be Karen Johnson, chief, Groundwater and Enforcement Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3
March 18: "The Impact of Marcellus Shale: What Do the Economic Impact Studies Imply?" Presenter will be Timothy Kelsey, Penn State Cooperative Extension state program leader.
For more information, contact Joann Kowalski, extension educator in Susquehanna County, at 570-278-1158 or jmk20@psu.edu.
Sponsored by Penn State Cooperative Extension, the seminar will provide information about the scope of existing and additional lease agreements. The seminar will address some of the trends landowners have been observing as the gas extraction phase begins to ramp up in many parts of the state. Some of these trends include negotiations with landowners for siting the well pad, lease extensions, the addition of roads, pipelines, sound mitigation and the need for timbering. The seminar is available by going to PSU's Cooperative Extension events site. Online participants will have the opportunity to ask the speaker questions during the session.
The seminar is part of an ongoing series of workshops addressing issues related to the state's Marcellus Shale gas boom. One-hour seminars also will be held at 1 p.m. on the following dates:
Feb. 18: "Underground Injection Wells as an Option for Disposal of Shale Gas Wastewaters: Policies and Practicality." The presenter will be Karen Johnson, chief, Groundwater and Enforcement Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3
March 18: "The Impact of Marcellus Shale: What Do the Economic Impact Studies Imply?" Presenter will be Timothy Kelsey, Penn State Cooperative Extension state program leader.
For more information, contact Joann Kowalski, extension educator in Susquehanna County, at 570-278-1158 or jmk20@psu.edu.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Gas drilling in PA state forests of great concern for conservation chief
Published December 13, 2009 in the Scranton Times Tribune.
Written by Robert Smith
HARRISBURG - As Pennsylvania prepares for what could be a 50-year period of drilling for deep natural gas pockets in its state forests, the long-term health of these previously damaged forests is on the mind of the state's top conservation official. John Quigley, the acting secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, is preparing to receive bids next month from drilling companies for 32,000 acres of state forest land in the Marcellus Shale formation.
Much of the acreage in Northcentral Pennsylvania targeted for drilling was owned in the 19th century by timber companies, which clear-cut trees and left millions of acres of denuded and vulnerable to erosion. The state purchased that land 100 years ago for the public benefit, and professional foresters nurtured the second-growth hardwood forests that exist today. "The forest you see there is 100 years old," said Mr. Quigley in an office interview last week. "It recovered from the denuded landscape. We have to make sure we don't go back to that."
To read the entire article, click HERE.
Written by Robert Smith
HARRISBURG - As Pennsylvania prepares for what could be a 50-year period of drilling for deep natural gas pockets in its state forests, the long-term health of these previously damaged forests is on the mind of the state's top conservation official. John Quigley, the acting secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, is preparing to receive bids next month from drilling companies for 32,000 acres of state forest land in the Marcellus Shale formation.
Much of the acreage in Northcentral Pennsylvania targeted for drilling was owned in the 19th century by timber companies, which clear-cut trees and left millions of acres of denuded and vulnerable to erosion. The state purchased that land 100 years ago for the public benefit, and professional foresters nurtured the second-growth hardwood forests that exist today. "The forest you see there is 100 years old," said Mr. Quigley in an office interview last week. "It recovered from the denuded landscape. We have to make sure we don't go back to that."
To read the entire article, click HERE.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Recent Bradford County spill results in $52/gal fine. Company investigated by US Dept of Justice, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Back in February of this year, an estimated 295 gallons of hydrochloric acid spilled from a tank located at a well site in Asylum Twp, Bradford County. On Monday, December 7, PA's Department of Environmental Protection issued a press release stating the two companies involved--Chesapeake Appalachia LLC and Schlumberger Technology Corp of Midland TX would each be fined $15,557 (or roughly $50 per gallon spilled). According to the PRESS RELEASE, clean up involved the following:
- A contractor "removed free-standing acid from the ground with absorbent pads"
- Trenches were excavated to contain the spill
- Contaminated soil was neutralized with "soda ash and hydrated lime"
- Approximately 125 tons of contaminated soil had to be excavated
- Nearly 14,000 gallons of hydrochloric acid and water mixture were removed from the site
- An additional 11,000 gallons of acid was transfered from the faulty tank to temporary tanks
- that of a team led by Erin Brockovich (remember the movie?) for a spill in Midland, TX. You can see footage of Brockovich on a CBS appearance HERE
- STC is suspected to be the cause of 16 cattle dropping dead in a field recently in Louisiana after drinking a mysterious fluid in a field next to a drilling rig.
- recently been investigated by the US Dept of Justice for having violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in their oil & gas business in Nigeria.
- Investigated and fined by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for having "willfully failed to perform required radiation surveys" in Montana resulting in the exposure of 31 workers to hazardous radioactive material. Read the full Notice of Violation HERE.
Gas leases in Wellsboro, PA filed illegally
WELLSBORO -- A WENY-TV News investigation shows that there could be a large number of natural gas leases in Pennsylvania that were filed illegally. The legality of the leases is linked to the process taken by natural gas companies when the leases are signed.
See video and full story on WENY's site.
See video and full story on WENY's site.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Reminder: training to be held tomorrow (Tue) evening in Wellsboro
Please note that the location has been changed to the Deane Center in Wellsboro. You can view the original blog post with all the details here. For directions to the Deane Center, you can enter your home address and obtain directions via this googlemaps link. If you are so inclined, please share any important information you might obtain either here or on our Facebook page. Many thanks!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Training to be held at Wellsboro's Penn Tech College, December 8
The Pine Creek Headwaters Protection Group is holding its second training workshop for Waterdogs to help document and record possible environmental violations at Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling operations in the Bradford, Susquehanna and Tioga county area. The training session will be held on December 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Pennsylvania College of Technology, North Campus on Route 6 east of Wellsboro.
While the Department of Environmental Protection is responsible for permitting and inspecting these Marcellus Shale drilling sites, DEP personnel cannot maintain a watch on the activity of all the people, rigs and trucks contracted and subcontracted to produce the gas. Many contractors and companies brought in from outside the state are not yet familiar with our regulations regarding water usae, erosion and sedimentation, and waste disposal. The region is too large and the resources of the regulators too limited to effectively keep track of the exponential growth inactivity taking place.
This training will show participants how to document and record important observation information and who to call in the event of envirnmental harm or public safety issues. Those completing the training program will be provided with a bumper sticker, registration card and logbook for recording observations. There is a $10 registration fee to cover cost of materials. There is a limited of 35 Waterdog trainees for this class. Call 724‐1801x118 to register.
While the Department of Environmental Protection is responsible for permitting and inspecting these Marcellus Shale drilling sites, DEP personnel cannot maintain a watch on the activity of all the people, rigs and trucks contracted and subcontracted to produce the gas. Many contractors and companies brought in from outside the state are not yet familiar with our regulations regarding water usae, erosion and sedimentation, and waste disposal. The region is too large and the resources of the regulators too limited to effectively keep track of the exponential growth inactivity taking place.
This training will show participants how to document and record important observation information and who to call in the event of envirnmental harm or public safety issues. Those completing the training program will be provided with a bumper sticker, registration card and logbook for recording observations. There is a $10 registration fee to cover cost of materials. There is a limited of 35 Waterdog trainees for this class. Call 724‐1801x118 to register.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
This Thursday: Info session on what drilling means for Tioga County
Thurs., DEC. 3, 2009
7:00 PM
Hubbard Auditorium
56 Main Street, Owego, NY
"Marcellus Gas Drilling--What it means to Tioga County"
Chris Burger will present a slide show and talk about what changes we may see in Tioga County when gas drilling begins in the Marcellus Shale. It is especially timely in view of the DEC public hearings on the supplemental DEIS. As president of the Carantouan Greenway I have seen presentations in schools, businesses and churches. Chris's presentation highlights how the impacts of gas spacing, road and pipeline construction affects you - me - us, and is a presentation you do not want to miss.
Chris Burger is chair of the Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition, served on Cornell University's Eco-Justice Project, a former Broome County Legislator and chaired the Soil and Conservation District and the Sourthern Tier East Regional Planning and Development Board.
This program is sponsored by the Carantouan Greenway.
Thanks to http://splashdownpa.blogspot.com/ for the program info! Be sure to check out this blog based out of Bradford County, PA.
7:00 PM
Hubbard Auditorium
56 Main Street, Owego, NY
"Marcellus Gas Drilling--What it means to Tioga County"
Chris Burger will present a slide show and talk about what changes we may see in Tioga County when gas drilling begins in the Marcellus Shale. It is especially timely in view of the DEC public hearings on the supplemental DEIS. As president of the Carantouan Greenway I have seen presentations in schools, businesses and churches. Chris's presentation highlights how the impacts of gas spacing, road and pipeline construction affects you - me - us, and is a presentation you do not want to miss.
Chris Burger is chair of the Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition, served on Cornell University's Eco-Justice Project, a former Broome County Legislator and chaired the Soil and Conservation District and the Sourthern Tier East Regional Planning and Development Board.
This program is sponsored by the Carantouan Greenway.
Thanks to http://splashdownpa.blogspot.com/ for the program info! Be sure to check out this blog based out of Bradford County, PA.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Pipe Dreams in Pennsylvania?
Marcellus Shale: Pipe dreams in Pennsylvania?
A region is discovering that the price of the economic boom from natural gas drilling may be irreversible environmental damage and residents' peace of mind.
A region is discovering that the price of the economic boom from natural gas drilling may be irreversible environmental damage and residents' peace of mind.
...[W]ith nearly 700 Marcellus wells drilled throughout the state, the environmental costs of drilling are becoming clear. The gas in the Marcellus "play" may ameliorate the United States' energy needs, but the technique to extract it has damaged streams, water supplies and Pennsylvania's famous forests. It has transformed some of the state's most beautiful landscapes into industrial zones and brought hardship to some who thought it was their lifeline.... 'The regular folk out here will never see the compensation they deserve, and their original water supply is forever gone,' Switzer said. 'I'm never going to make any money on this. All I've lost is my soul.'"
Read the article in its entirety in the Bay Journal from the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Read the article in its entirety in the Bay Journal from the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
December 1st forum @ Cornell University
On Tuesday, December 1st, Cornell University's Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science, the Paleontological Research Institution, the Cornell Water Resources Institute and Cornell Cooperative Extension will host a panel discussion entitled “The Marcellus Shale: Energy, Environment and the Public Interest.” The forum will be hold in Uris Hall Auditorium from 4:45-6:45.
This forum is intended to inform the Cornell faculty on the broad range of energy and environmental issues that underlie the current controversy regarding extraction of shale gas from the Marcellus Formation in southern N.Y. and northern Pennsylvania. Cornell experts in geology, energy, groundwater, and public policy will be present to help answer questions regarding the potential risks and benefits associated with this national energy resource.
This forum is intended to inform the Cornell faculty on the broad range of energy and environmental issues that underlie the current controversy regarding extraction of shale gas from the Marcellus Formation in southern N.Y. and northern Pennsylvania. Cornell experts in geology, energy, groundwater, and public policy will be present to help answer questions regarding the potential risks and benefits associated with this national energy resource.
For more information, see shaleshock.org
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Lawsuit could be the 1st to prove link between "fracking" and water contamination--and set a precedent for future lawsuits to come
PA lawsuit says drilling polluted water
Mon Nov 9, 2009 9:37am EST
By Jon Hurdle [excerpts below; click title for full text]
AVELLA, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania landowner is suing an energy company for polluting his soil and water in an attempt to link a natural gas drilling technique with environmental contamination. George Zimmermann, the owner of 480 acres in Washington County, southwest Pennsylvania, says Atlas Energy Inc. ruined his land with toxic chemicals used in or released there by hydraulic fracturing. Water tests at three locations by gas wells on Zimmermann's property -- one is 1,500 feet from his home -- found seven potentially carcinogenic chemicals above "screening levels" set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as warranting further investigation.
Jay Hammond, general counsel for Atlas, said Zimmermann's claims are "completely erroneous" and that the company is in compliance with Pennsylvania's gas-drilling regulations. Hammond said Atlas will "vigorously" defend itself in court and declined further comment. But Zimmermann says he has evidence that chemicals used by Atlas contaminated his land. "There are substances that can't be made by nature and that's what's in the ground," he told Reuters during an interview in his 12,000-square-foot house on a remote hilltop.... If Zimmermann wins his case, it would be the first in America to prove that hydraulic fracturing causes water contamination.
PERFECT BASELINE TESTS
Baseline tests on Zimmermann's water a year before drilling began were "perfect," he said. In June, water tests found arsenic at 2,600 times acceptable levels, benzene at 44 times above limits and naphthalene five times the federal standard. Soil samples detected mercury and selenium above official limits, as well as ethylbenzene, a chemical used in drilling, and trichloroethene, a naturally occurring but toxic chemical that can be brought to the surface by gas drilling.... Companies are not required to disclose the composition of the fluid because of an exemption to a federal clean water law granted to the oil and gas industry in 2005.
Many local residents have been deterred from fighting the gas companies by the expense of legal action and water testing. Zimmermann says he has spent about $15,000 on water tests and will spend whatever it takes to prove his case. Rural residents who live near gas drilling say their water has become discolored, foul-smelling, or even flammable because methane from disturbed gas deposits has migrated into water wells.
DEATHS, MUTATION OF LIVESTOCK
Farmers in southwest Pennsylvania blame cattle deaths and mutations on local fracking. Other complaints attributed to tainted water include children's sickness, skin rashes and neurological disorders.
The industry says the chemicals used in fracking are injected through layers of steel and concrete thousands of feet below aquifers, and so pose no threat to drinking water. Spokesman argue there has never been a documented case of water contamination as a result of fracking.
On Zimmermann's property, the presence of water and soil contaminants that exceed EPA screening levels risks wider pollution of drinking water supply, wrote Cleason Smith, a consultant with Hydrosystems Management, which tested the soil and water, in a letter explaining the test results. Atlas rejected Smith's report, saying in court documents that the findings were inadmissible....
Zimmermann's suit says his land has become "virtually valueless" because it is permanently contaminated with toxic chemicals as a result of the 10 wells that Atlas has drilled. The suit accuses Atlas -- which is able to drill on the land because it acquired the mineral rights from a previous owner -- of negligence. It is seeking an injunction against further drilling, and unspecified financial damages.
With a wife, an eight-year-old son and eight-month-old twins, Zimmermann, 66, worries about air and water quality. He said he has invested about $11 million in the estate, which includes a winery and an heirloom-tomato business, but he now just wants to walk away because he believes it has been ruined by gas drilling. He rates his chances of selling the property as "slim to none" in light of the proven water contamination.
"I don't want to live here any more," Zimmermann said. "I'm afraid of the chemicals."
(Editing by Mark Egan and Philip Barbara)
© Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved.
Mon Nov 9, 2009 9:37am EST
By Jon Hurdle [excerpts below; click title for full text]
AVELLA, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania landowner is suing an energy company for polluting his soil and water in an attempt to link a natural gas drilling technique with environmental contamination. George Zimmermann, the owner of 480 acres in Washington County, southwest Pennsylvania, says Atlas Energy Inc. ruined his land with toxic chemicals used in or released there by hydraulic fracturing. Water tests at three locations by gas wells on Zimmermann's property -- one is 1,500 feet from his home -- found seven potentially carcinogenic chemicals above "screening levels" set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as warranting further investigation.
Jay Hammond, general counsel for Atlas, said Zimmermann's claims are "completely erroneous" and that the company is in compliance with Pennsylvania's gas-drilling regulations. Hammond said Atlas will "vigorously" defend itself in court and declined further comment. But Zimmermann says he has evidence that chemicals used by Atlas contaminated his land. "There are substances that can't be made by nature and that's what's in the ground," he told Reuters during an interview in his 12,000-square-foot house on a remote hilltop.... If Zimmermann wins his case, it would be the first in America to prove that hydraulic fracturing causes water contamination.
PERFECT BASELINE TESTS
Baseline tests on Zimmermann's water a year before drilling began were "perfect," he said. In June, water tests found arsenic at 2,600 times acceptable levels, benzene at 44 times above limits and naphthalene five times the federal standard. Soil samples detected mercury and selenium above official limits, as well as ethylbenzene, a chemical used in drilling, and trichloroethene, a naturally occurring but toxic chemical that can be brought to the surface by gas drilling.... Companies are not required to disclose the composition of the fluid because of an exemption to a federal clean water law granted to the oil and gas industry in 2005.
Many local residents have been deterred from fighting the gas companies by the expense of legal action and water testing. Zimmermann says he has spent about $15,000 on water tests and will spend whatever it takes to prove his case. Rural residents who live near gas drilling say their water has become discolored, foul-smelling, or even flammable because methane from disturbed gas deposits has migrated into water wells.
DEATHS, MUTATION OF LIVESTOCK
Farmers in southwest Pennsylvania blame cattle deaths and mutations on local fracking. Other complaints attributed to tainted water include children's sickness, skin rashes and neurological disorders.
The industry says the chemicals used in fracking are injected through layers of steel and concrete thousands of feet below aquifers, and so pose no threat to drinking water. Spokesman argue there has never been a documented case of water contamination as a result of fracking.
On Zimmermann's property, the presence of water and soil contaminants that exceed EPA screening levels risks wider pollution of drinking water supply, wrote Cleason Smith, a consultant with Hydrosystems Management, which tested the soil and water, in a letter explaining the test results. Atlas rejected Smith's report, saying in court documents that the findings were inadmissible....
Zimmermann's suit says his land has become "virtually valueless" because it is permanently contaminated with toxic chemicals as a result of the 10 wells that Atlas has drilled. The suit accuses Atlas -- which is able to drill on the land because it acquired the mineral rights from a previous owner -- of negligence. It is seeking an injunction against further drilling, and unspecified financial damages.
With a wife, an eight-year-old son and eight-month-old twins, Zimmermann, 66, worries about air and water quality. He said he has invested about $11 million in the estate, which includes a winery and an heirloom-tomato business, but he now just wants to walk away because he believes it has been ruined by gas drilling. He rates his chances of selling the property as "slim to none" in light of the proven water contamination.
"I don't want to live here any more," Zimmermann said. "I'm afraid of the chemicals."
(Editing by Mark Egan and Philip Barbara)
© Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved.
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