Fracking cracks the public consciousness in 2011

PROPUBLICA-- This was the year that "fracking" became a household word.

It wasn't just that environmental concerns about the underground drilling process finally struck a mainstream chord -- after three years of reporting and more than 125 stories. For the first time, independent scientific investigations linked the drilling technique with water pollution, and a variety of federal and state agencies responded to the growing apprehension about water contamination with more studies and more regulation.

The most important development -- and perhaps a crucial turning point -- was in December. In a landmark finding, the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that hydraulic fracturing was the likely culprit in a spate of groundwater contamination that had forced residents to stop using their water in dozens of homes in central Wyoming. The agency had been investigating since 2008.

Read the remainder of the article...

Philly Inquirer runs in-depth series on fracking

If you haven't yet seen the Philadelphia Inquirer's recent investigative series on fracking in PA, be sure to check it out.  The newspaper has also collated all make and manner of resources, graphs, timelines, maps and an archive of previous stories about all aspects of drilling the Marcellus Shale.  Click HERE to read the series and access the links to all other resources.

PA's Dept. of Health keeps no database of health complaints.

So when I saw the following article by Michael Rubinkam of the AP, I shouldn't have been surprised.  The Pennsylvania Department of Health has no centralized database...no central location...where they're tracking health complaints related to gas drilling.  Why?  Because there's no proven link between health problems and gas drilling.  Really?  Well....I guess it will stay that way, won't it?  Since the Department of Health is a government agency and the current administration was bought and paid for by the oil/gas companies (see Marcellus Money), it really makes perfect sense if one thinks about it.


ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- The Pennsylvania Department of Health said Friday that it does not formally keep track of citizens' health complaints about gas drilling and has not, as a result, linked drilling to any health consequences.

"We have not made a conclusive link between an individual's health and natural gas drilling," agency spokeswoman Brandi Hunter-Davenport said in response to an Associated Press inquiry. "The Department will continue to monitor any citizen complaints which come to our attention."

The AP asked the health department for data on the number of drilling-related complaints it has received from citizens - and whether the agency has ever made a finding that drilling impacted human health - in the wake of claims by a northern Pennsylvania hairdresser who says that a gas well near her home made her sick.

Though gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale has boomed since 2009, with more than 3,200 wells drilled to date, Hunter-Davenport was unable to say this week how many health complaints the agency has received and investigated.

"Currently, we do not have a centralized database but are working with the Marcellus Shale (Advisory) Commission and anticipate that in moving forward we will be more systematically engaged in addressing the health aspects," she said via email Friday.

To read the remainder of the original article, please click HERE.

Top House Democrat outraged over admissions in today's NYTimes.

The front page story in today's New York Times caught the eye--and the ire--of Massachusetts Representative Ed Markey who promptly fired off a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson demanding immediate action.  As referenced in our previous post, the NYTimes investigative report discloses information from internal reports and studies by not only the EPA, but the drilling industry itself.  Read all about it--including portions of Markey's letter, by clicking HERE.  To read the previous post from this blog--which includes the link to the New York Times article--click HERE.

"A catastrophe waiting to happen"

LinkTV, an independent media orgranization whose mission is to "engage, inform and inspire viewers to become involved in the world," recently posted an in-depth investigation into Marcellus drilling activity--based in large part in Bradford County, PA.  The report seems to have its basis in the fact that natural gas drilling is planned for large parts of Europe.  It's an excellent piece of investigative journalism--I urge you to take the time to watch!

Don't inhale.

So what exactly is floating about in the air that we breathe....if we happen to live near gas drilling operations?  A news channel out in Pittsburgh investigated.  Wait till you see the video; the company who owns the compressor station shown in the video says they are "in full compliance" with all regulations.  Click HERE to see the clip and read the accompanying story transcript.  

Even more disturbing....the DEP admits they have no idea what the emissions are but that said, their findings of a 5 month study "did not indicate a potential for major air-related health issues associated with the Marcellus Shale natural gas activities."  Huh?  I particularly enjoyed the part of the clip where the guy from Range Resources states, "what we need is a more comprehensive policy that encourages natural gas use."  WHAT?  If I didn't know any better, I'd think they take us all for idiots.

To read the full text of the DEP's report, click HERE.

Gas drilling isn't as "clean" as previously thought

Really?  Anyone who lives in an area where they're drilling has known this since Day 1.  The industry has spun a marvelous tale of how natural gas is the second coming--describing it as "clean" and even "green."  If I see another commercial about it I just may throw my tv out the window!  Natural gas might burn cleanER than oil but now there is finally evidence showing that when taking into account the entire lifecycle from extraction through burning, the benefits of natural gas are negligible at best.  Click HERE to read the latest chapter in Abraham Lustgarten's provocative series on the natural gas industry for ProPublica: "Climate Benefits of Natural Gas May Be Overstated."

So instead of investing billions of dollars and destroying millions of acres, decimating property values (not to mention any tourism industry that might have existed pre-drilling), ruining wells, and risking the health and well-being of people, wildlife, and pets....WHY aren't those billions of dollars being invested in something that does none of the above: solar power, wind power or something yet to be discovered?  Last night's State of the Union address touched upon how the United States needs to out-educate, out-innovate, and out-build; we can't expect to lead the pack again if our focus is on the fossil fuels of last century.

  

CNN in Dimock, PA

"'Fracking' yields fuel, fear in Northeast."

 For the full story, click HERE.

Yet another shale gas summit bites the dust.

First it was on, then it was relocated, then it was off.  Now it may be on again, but who knows where.  I'm talking about the EPA's public fracking meeting--the last of 4 held across the country.  First it was to be in Binghamtom, but was cancelled only days before--this after a large number of protestors (some traveling long distances) promised to make their presence known.  The EPA cited logistical & contract issues.  One would think these would have been worked out months ago rather than left to mere days before the event.  At any rate, it was relocated to Syracuse and now Syracuse, too, has pulled the plug.  Now there's talk of it being back in Binghamton, but the EPA is keeping their options open.  You can read more about the ongoing saga HERE.

Now it seems the massive gas shale summit scheduled for October 1st in Pittsburgh (it would have included Pennsylvania politicians in addition to gas company executives) has not only been cancelled--it's as if the thing was never even scheduled in the first place.  Again, a large contingent of protesters were planning to attend; the event was mentioned just a few weeks ago on our blog. As journalist Chris Potter writes, the event hasn't just been cancelled, "it's as if the summit was never scheduled at all."  On August 18th, Potter posted the following article on the Pittsburgh City Paper's website.

(Thanks to one of our FB fans for the "heads up" on this!)

Marcellus Shale Coalition cancels summit where protest was planned

The Marcellus Shale Coaltion has quietly cancelled a "shale gas summit" originally planned for Oct.1.

And by "quietly," I mean that for all appearances, it's as if the summit was never scheduled at all. The coalition Web page that once touted the summit now produces a 404 error. (Though a cached version of it can be found here.) No other mention of it appears on the site.

The summit was billed as a chance for "key stakeholders to showcase and highlight the Marcellus Shale’s economic and energy production potential." It was said to be attracting CEOs from big gas producers like Chesapeake Energy and Range Resources. It was also, however, likely to attract a sizable protest from people opposed to natural-gas drilling in the state.

Travis Windle, a spokesman for the coaltion, confirms that the event has been cancelled. What role did the protest play in that decision? "None whatsoever, actually," he says.

Instead, he says, the event was called off due to "a host of logistical issues" including several competing events. Chief among them is the "DUG East" convention being held in Pittsburgh just over a month later. That event is slated to include at least one of the same keynote speakers -- Range Resources CEO John Pinkerton -- and Windle says the events would "be pulling from the same pool of attendees" as well. Another shale event is slated for a few days before the DUG conference.

This still raises the question about why the event was not so much cancelled as "disappeared." You might expect the Coalition to notify people that their event had been called off -- rather than, you know, simply scrubbing the website and acting as if it never happened.

Windle says that those who were interested in the event were notified, but "we didn't think it was necessary to issue a statement" beyond taking the web page down.

So if I'm a protester, I guess, I'm sending out "change the date" cards and planning my activities on Nov. 3-4 instead. And I'm hoping that gas wells are as easily dispensed with as the Oct. 1 conference was.

HERE.

PA fracking documented in Vanity Fair magazine

Vanity Fair magazine recently featured an online story detailing the concerns and fears of residents in PA--and in other areas in the country--regarding the fracking process.  The article includes documentation of fracking gone wrong and the subsequent consequences including environmental destruction, property devaluation, livestock deaths, and serious health problems for people and their pets.  Click here to read A Colossal Fracking Mess by Christopher Bateman.

Next week: SPLIT ESTATE comes to Gaines, PA.

Wednesday, May 19 @ 7pm there will be a community showing of the riveting documentary SPLIT ESTATE..  The event will take place at the Pine Creek Methodist Church in Gaines, PA.  The church is located on the north side of US route 6 between Gaines and Galeton, PA, just east of the Potter/Tioga county line. 

Governor of New Mexico and former presidential candidate Bill Richardson had this to say about the documentary:  “’Split Estate’ is an eye-opening examination of the consequences and conflicts that can arise between surface land owners in the western United States, and those who own and extract the energy and mineral rights below. This film is of value to anyone wrestling with rational, sustainable energy policy while preserving the priceless elements of cultural heritage, private enterprise above-ground, and the precious health not only of people but the land itself.”

New blog telling our stories

Elizabeth Berkowitz, blogger for "How Should We Do The Mountain?" (and whom Protect the Endless Mtns recently joined forces with on our Facebook page), has a fantastic new blog entitled "Faces of Frackland."  Her new blog tells the stories of 20+ people and growing--stories documenting how the natural gas industry which has invaded our state is affecting actual local residents.  For her efforts, Elizabeth was recently interviewed on WENY.

Journalist documenting dangers of hydraulic fracturing wins prestigious George Polk Award for Environmental Reporting

The 2009 George Polk Awards for journalism were announced today and the award for Environmental Reporting will go to Abrahm Lustgarten of ProPublica. Mr. Lustgarten "documented the deadly side effects of hydraulic fracturing, a natural gas-drilling process involving water — laden with carcinogenic contaminants — being shot underground to blast away at gas-bearing rock. His articles turned hydraulic fracturing into a national story and shifted the focus of the coverage from local business issues to safety concerns.

He traveled to five states where hydraulic fracturing is taking place and interviewed affected residents, doctors, scientists and rig workers. Mr. Lustgarten also pored over scientific papers and massive government reports, identifying a pattern of water contamination and raising questions about the science and safety of such drilling. Finding that pollution-reducing measures often are ignored and are not even required by many states, his series shed light on a new topic that could become a major issue as the country strives to develop more efficient ways to produce energy." [Press release]

View an interview on Democracy Now by clicking  HERE.

Read Mr. Lustgarten's extensive reporting @ ProPublica by clicking HERE. 

Congratulations to Mr. Lustgarten for bringing much deserved attention to this issue!

EPA unveils toll free hotline to report suspicious oil & gas well activity

"Concerned about the environmental effects of well drilling and pipeline construction in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and West Virginia, EPA has announced the start of its "Eyes on Drilling" line at 1-877-919-4372 (toll free), and an e-mail address eyesondrilling@epa.gov where citizens can report non-emergency well development actions that appear to be illegal. These may include the drawing of water from water courses, the illegal disposal of well wastewater or other questionable activity."  According to EPA spokesperson David Sternberg, the EPA has "definitely received reports of improper disposal of drilling wastes." 

For emergencies related to a well drilling operation, the EPA advises individuals to call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802. Individuals may leave anonymously tips.


If possible, reports should include the location, time and date of the suspicious activity, as well as the materials, equipment and vehicles involved and any observable environmental impacts.


The information gathered from the tipline may be shared with the state agencies that regulate drilling - in Pennsylvania, it is the Department of Environmental Protection - and may be used by the EPA in investigating the practices of the industry, he said.  

For full article, click HERE.