Westmoreland Marcellus Citizens’ Group Updates September
26, 2013
Giving Day Oct. 3rd!
Please remember to support those organizations ardently working to protect our environmental rights.
To view photos, please sign up for newsletter: westmcg@gmail.com
* For articles and updates or to just vent, visit us on facebook;
* To view permanent documents, past updates,
reports, general information and meeting information
http://westmorelandmarcellus.blogspot.com/
* Our email address: westmcg@gmail.com
*
To discuss candidates: http://www.facebook.com/groups/VoteProEarth/
* To contact your state
legislator:
For the email address, click on the envelope
under the photo
* For information on the state gas legislation
and local control: http://pajustpowers.org/aboutthebills.html-
WMCG
Thank You
*Thank
you to Allison Insley for conducting the Webinar regarding Health Effects from the
proposed Tenaska Generating Facility in Ruffsdale, South Huntingdon Township,
Westmoreland County and to Matt Walker of Clean Air Council for coordinating
the webinar.
*Thank you to contributors to our Updates: Debbie
Borowiec, Lou Pochet, Ron Gulla, Marian Szmyd, Bob Donnan, Gloria Forouzan, Amy
Arrendas, and Elizabeth Donahue.
Take Action!!
***Stop NPR from Accepting Natural Gas Industry $
(From Move on)
Petition Background
NPR receives underwriting funds from the
American Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA). In
exchange, NPR airs misleading ads promoting further development of natural gas,
which must now be mined by the environmentally damaging extreme extraction
process, “fracking”. This path would
commit the US to decades more of increasing dependence on fossil fuels. NPR refuses to disclose its policy on how
it selects sponsors from which to accept funding. (For a detailed account
of my two-year unsuccessful attempt to get through NPR’s corporate wall of
secrecy surrounding its underwriting practices go to http://wp.me/pJm45-33d.)
NPR (National Public Radio) should stop accepting funds and
airing underwriting announcements from the American Natural Gas
Alliance (ANGA). NPR must be transparent and accountable with its sponsorship
practices.
*** Stop Gag
Orders On Children Soon
after fracking operations started near
the Hallowich family farm in Mount Pleasant the family started experiencing
health problems like nosebleeds, sore throats, and unexplained headaches. They
were forced to abandon their home and to sue the gas companies, eventually
reaching a settlement that includes a standard gag order.
But in
an unprecedented move, the gas companies insisted the gag order extend to the
Hallowiches’ children, age 7 and 10 years old at the time, legally barring them
from talking about what happened to them -- and fracking -- forever.
Stop
silencing children. Take immediate legal action to remove the Hallowich
children from the gag order placed on their family, and ensure your company
does not include children in any future gag orders related to fracking.
The
Hallowich children suffered unexplained illnesses and were forced to move from
their childhood home. They will be processing these traumatic experiences for
the rest of their lives. Children should not be forced by fossil fuel
corporations to remain silent about issues that affect their health and
well-being.
Will you join me and add your name to
my petition telling Range Resources, Mark West Energy Partners, and Williams
Gas to legally remove the children from the gag order — and commit to never go
after kids again?
Thank you for your support.
Corinne Ball
*** Take Action on PA Endangered Species (Sierra Club)
Just
when you thought the special interests couldn't find another way to eliminate
environmental protection in Pennsylvania, "there they go again......"
This time they are going after the protectors of Pennsylvania's threatened and
endangered species, such as the osprey, the great egret, the bog turtle and the
banded sunfish.
The mining, gas drilling, and timber
industries want to undermine the independence of the PA Fish and Boat
Commission and the PA Game Commission to administer Pennsylvania's endangered
species laws.
House
Bill 1576 would send the Commissions' endangered species lists to the
Independent Regulatory Review Commission -- an agency dominated by the
legislature -- for additional scrutiny.
These
changes proposed in the bill blunt the effect of the Commissions' list of
threatened and endangered species of fish and wildlife, allowing more mining,
drilling and clear-cutting in Pennsylvania's lands. The Commissions would have
to go through a very cumbersome regulatory review process. To make matters even
worse, under the current versions of the bills the agencies would only be allowed
to protect fish and wildlife already listed by the federal government.
At the same time, permit applications for
mining, oil and gas drilling, and timbering would be approved, without any
on-the-ground check for their impacts on the PA endangered species.
This week, Sierra Club's
Conservation Chair Tom Au testified before a Joint House Committees hearing
urging opposition to HB 1576. He pointed out that the agencies' scientists are
better judges of the threats to wildlife and aquatic life. He explained that
the agencies make decisions proposals for protecting rare, threatened, or
endangered species in an open, transparent manner. The agencies publish the
scientific data collected, have it reviewed by other scientists, publish
proposed lists and protection plans, accept public comment, and hold public
hearings. It is hard to find fault with this deliberative process.
TELL
YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO OPPOSE HB 1576.
Don't let the mining,
drilling, and timber industries drive our precious wildlife, fish and plants
into extinction in Pennsylvania!
Thanks, Jeff Schmidt, Director, Sierra Club Pennsylvania
Chapter
***Ask Pres. Obama
to Resume Fracking Studies
From Food and Water Watch
“Last
week, there was breaking news from EPA whistle-blowers that in 2012 the EPA abandoned an investigation of
fracking-related water contamination in Dimock, Pennsylvania after an EPA staff
member raised the flag that it was likely caused by fracking¹.
There's
an unfortunate trend here, because they've also abandoned their
fracking-related water contamination investigations in Pavillion, Wyoming² and
Weatherford, Texas³. This is
unbelievable, and totally unacceptable.
1.
Parker County, TX – The EPA began an investigation after a homeowner reported
that his drinking water was bubbling like champagne. But after fracking company
Range Resources threatened not to participate in another study in March 2012,
the EPA set aside the "smoking gun" report connecting methane
migration to fracking. EPA halted 'fracking' case
after gas company protested. USA Today, January 16, 2013.
2.
Dimock, PA – The mid-Atlantic EPA began testing water in Dimock, PA after
residents complained that their drinking water was contaminated from nearby
fracking operations. But the federal EPA closed the investigation in July 2012
even after the staff members who had been testing the water warned of methane,
manganese and arsenic contamination. (Internal EPA report highlights
disputes over fracking and well water. LA Times, July 27, 2013.)
3.
Pavilion, WY – The EPA released a draft report in 2011 linking fracking to
contamination of an underground aquifer. After drawing criticism from the oil
and gas industry, the EPA handed the investigation over to the state of Wyoming
in June 2013 to be completed with funding from EnCana, the drilling company
charged with contaminating the water wells in the first place. (EPA Drops Fracking Probe in Wyoming. Wall
Street Journal, June 20, 2013.)
The
EPA abandoned citizens when they needed them most. This is no coincidence.
Tell
President Obama and the new EPA administrator, Gina McCarthy, to immediately
reopen these investigations and deliver safe drinking water to the residents of
these communities while the investigations commence.
We're
up against a powerful industry, but Americans know how dangerous fracking is —
and they're fighting back. Last month, along with our partners we delivered
over 600,000 petitions to President Obama to ban fracking on federal lands. In
the last two weeks, Los Angeles city council members introduced a fracking
moratorium and Highland Park, New Jersey became the first town in the state to
ban fracking. We're building a broad, powerful movement to fight back...and
win.
Will
you join me today in calling on President Obama and his new EPA administrator
Gina McCarthy to immediately reopen these investigations and deliver safe
drinking water to the residents of these communities while the investigations
commence?
Thanks
for taking action,
Sarah Alexander, Deputy Organizing Director, Food &
Water Watch”
***Sick of Dirty
Fossil Fuels? Consider Ethical Electric
From Sierra Club
“Would you rather power your home with dirty fossil fuels or
clean wind power?
Now you have a choice: Ethical Electric.
The
Sierra Club has partnered with Ethical Electric because they use only 100%
renewable energy and they stand with the Sierra Club fighting for clean air,
clean water, and protecting the environment.
Ethical
Electric recently started taking customers in Pennsylvania, and we’re
encouraging people like you to make the switch to clean energy now!
Ethical
Electric buys wind power from local sources and provides it to your utility who
then delivers it to you. You’ll take
thousands or even tens of thousands of pounds of climate-changing pollutants
out of the atmosphere every year that you power your home with Ethical
Electric.
And, since Ethical Electric obtains power from local wind
farms, you’re helping America shift to clean alternatives every time you pay
your electric bill.
Switching
to Ethical Electric is fast and easy. There’s no home visit. You get the same
bill, same service on the same power lines. The only thing that changes for you
is that your utility will be required to use local, clean electricity from our
new Sierra Club partner, Ethical Electric.
Enrolling
with Ethical Electric takes only a few minutes online through Ethical
Electric’s website. Or call 1-888-700-6547 to get started.
Make your choice for clean energy and switch to Ethical
Electric today.
Sincerely, Michael Brune, Sierra Club Executive Director
P.S. The more of us that switch to Ethical Electric, the
more demand there will be for clean, local power. Choosing an Ethical Electric
plan is fast and easy. Make the switch today!
Calendar
*** WMCG Steering
Committee Meeting Second Tuesday each month. All are
invited. 7:30 PM at Mike and Cindy’s, Greensburg. Email
jan for directions.
***Youth Power
Shift Needs Housing
“Dear Pittsburgh,
This fall, the largest gathering of social change makers in
2013 will happen in Pittsburgh at Power Shift 2013, and we could really use
your support. More specifically, support in housing participants. Youth leaders
from across the country are counting on the Pittsburgh community to make their
experience a welcoming and empowering memory.
On October 18th-21st,
Power Shift 2013 will have over 10,000 young people converge at the David L.
Lawrence Convention Center. For the first time ever, Power Shift is being
hosted outside of Washington, DC.
This year we are coming to Pittsburgh, a city at the
crossroads of the fight for a clean and just energy future – at the center of
building the green economy, yet also directly in the crosshairs of the coal and
fracking industries. At Power Shift we
will not just tackle environmental
issues, but also encompass other social movements from LGBTQ to student debt to
food politics to fight systemic oppression. Here’s how you can help:
Open your home.
Community is a huge focus at Power Shift and we want to
emphasize the importance of returning the empowerment attendees feel afterwards
to contribute to their communities. Pittsburgh’s collective power fighting for
clean energy is the same momentum we want our attendees to push when they
return home.
A housing board is set up for folks in the Pittsburgh
community who are able and willing to open their homes to Power Shift 2013
participants. A $10 discount code is now available for Pittsburgh locals
registering to attend Power Shift. Please push this housing board link out to
your network and connections: http://www.wearepowershift.org/travel/housing-board
Community
Spaces, Religious Institutions, etc.
Anybody
with connections to places with available floor space to house a larger group
of people over the weekend should get in touch with Jenna Grey Eagle our
coordinator for housing. We realize that requesting this type of space over
night can lead to extra work, so the option of requiring a fee is open. Any
available space would be posted on our website with information on what
supplies students should bring (sleeping bag, towels, etc.), what rules they
should abide by, payment options, and any other vital information to be
included.
If
you are aware of other types of housing opportunities or have connections
within your community that can help out, please contact Jenna at
jenna@energyactioncoalition.org or <605-553-8327>
Be
a part in helping Shift the Power! We can’t do this without you!
*** Pittsburgh
Environment and Health Conference-Oct 25
Everyday,
we read or hear about how we need to protect our environment. What does that
really mean? What does this have to do with YOU? What does it mean to be green?
At the Pittsburgh Environment &
Health Conference we will answer these questions as we talk about the links
between the environment and your health. They don't just affect you; they
affect your entire community.
The conference includes lunch, and you will leave with
information that can help you live a greener, healthier life. With small
changes, you can help your kids and their kids live healthier.
Featuring
Keynote Speakers:
Nancy
Alderman - Environment and Human Health, Inc.
Cecil
Corbin-Mark - WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Lois
Gibbs - Center for Health, Environment and Justice
Edward
Humes - Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist & Author
Richard
Louv - Children and Nature Network
David
Orr - Environmental Studies Program, Oberlin College
Ted
Schettler, MD - Science and Environmental Health Network
During
afternoon workshops you will hear from and interact with local experts who will
address a series of environmental and health-related topics and describe the
work that is taking place right in our communities.
Space is limited! Click here to register
today! http://pittsburghenvironmenthealth.org/
Where & When
David
Lawrence Convention Center
1000
Fort Duquesne Blvd.
Pittsburgh,
PA 15222
October
25, 2013
8:30
am - 4:30 pm
*** Facing the
Challenges-- Duquesne University-- Nov 25, 26 Researchers present on: Air and water,
Animal and Human Health, Geological, Biological investigations.
For a full calendar of area events please see “Marcellus
Protest” calendar:
http://marcellusprotest.org/
Frack Links
***View From the
pads with Lee McCaslin- Video
*** Shale Truth
Series -- Dr. Anthony Ingraffea of Cornell University says the gas
industry has changed communities, and that many people who once lived in rural
or suburban areas now find themselves living in industrial zones.
In the
previous two segments with Dr. Ingraffea we heard him discuss shale gas
drilling and the unique dangers it poses to communities and their drinking
water. How the gas and oil industry will
leave Pennsylvania a polluted landscape after it finishes tapping the Marcellus
formation.
A new
Shale Truth segment can be seen on The
Delaware Riverkeeper Network's YouTube channel every Wednesday at http://bit.ly/ShaleTruth
***Pa has only
seen tip of Fracking Iceberg-Dr
Ingraffea
***To sign up for notifications
of activity and violations for your area:
***List of the Harmed--There are now
over 1600 residents of Pennsylvania who placed their names on the list of the
harmed because they became sick after fracking began in their area. http://pennsylvaniaallianceforcleanwaterandair.wordpress.com/the-list/
***Problems with
Gas?—Report It-from Clean Air Council
Clean
Air Council is announcing a new auto-alert system for notifying relevant
agencies about odors, noises or visible emissions that residents suspect are
coming from natural gas operations in their community.
Just
fill out the questions below and our system will automatically generate and
send your complaint to the appropriate agencies.
Agencies that will receive your e-mail: the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection (Regional Office of sender and
Harrisburg Office), the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Take Action Here
If you witness the release of potentially hazardous
material into the environment, please also use the National Response Center's
online form below:
Thanks for your
help.
Sincerely, Matt Walker, Community Outreach Director, Clean
Air Council
***Dr. Brasch
Hosts Fracking Program-- Dr. Walter Brasch, author of the critically
acclaimed book, Fracking Pennsylvania,
is hosting a weekly half-hour radio show about fracking. "The Frack Report" airs 7:30 p.m.,
Mondays (beginning July 29) and is re-run 7:30 a.m., Wednesdays, on WFTE-FM
(90.3 in Mt. Cobb and 105.7 in Scranton.) The show will be also be live
streamed at www.wfte.org and also available a day after the Monday night
broadcast on the station's website. He will be interviewing activists, persons
affected by fracking, scientists, and politicians. Each show will also feature
news about fracking and the anti-fracking movement.
***Preview
- Glass Half Empty: An American Water War
FRACK News
1. Air study
Air pollutant emissions from the development, production and
processing of Marcellus Shale natural gas
Anirban A. Roy, Peter J. Adams and Allen L. Robinson Center for
Atmospheric Particle Studies Carnegie Mellon University
“The Marcellus Shale
is one of the largest natural gas reserves in the United States; it has
recently been the focus of intense drilling and leasing activity. This work
describes an air emissions inventory for the development, production and
processing of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale region for 2009 and 2020. It
includes estimates of the emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), volatile
organic compounds (VOCs), and primary fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from
major activities such as drilling, hydraulic fracturing, compressor stations
and completion venting. Emissions were estimated for 2009 and projected to
2020, accounting for the effects of existing and potential additional
regulations.
In 2020, Marcellus activities are predicted
to contribute 6-20% (95% confidence interval) of the NOx emissions in the
Marcellus region, with an average contribution of 12% (100 tons/day). In 2020,
the predicted contribution of Marcellus activities to the regional
anthropogenic VOC emissions ranged between 6 and 31% (95% confidence interval)
with an average contribution of 12% (94 tons/day) . These estimates
account for the implementation of recently promulgated regulations such as the
Tier 4 off-road diesel engine regulation and the USEPA Oil and Gas Rule. These regulations
significantly reduce the Marcellus VOC and NOx emissions, but there are significant opportunities for further reduction in
Marcellus NOx emissions using existing technologies.
Gas development,
production and processing activities can be a significant source of air pollution
(Archuleta, 2009; Katzenstein et al., 2003). In a large basin such as the
Marcellus formation, these activities involve a large number of relatively
small sources that are widely distributed in space. For example, drill rigs and
hydraulic fracturing (“fracing”) pumps powered by off-road heavy-duty diesel
engines emit oxides of nitrogen (NOx), fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (http://www.epa.gov/otaq/nonroad-diesel.htm,
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/locomotives.htm). Diesel-powered trucks used to bring
materials to and from the well site emit the same suite of pollutants
(http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/basicinfo.htm). Completion venting performed to
bring a well into production can be a significant source of VOCs (Bar-Ilan et
al., 2008; Grant et al., 2009, Armendariz, 2009). Natural-gas-fired compressors
used to maintain gas pressure emit NOx and VOCs (Bar-Ilan et al., 2008; Grant
et al., 2009). Speciation profiles like the USEPA’s SPECIATE database (USEPA,
2006) and natural gas source speciation profiles elsewhere (e.g.
Hendler et al.,
2009) indicate that VOCs emitted from
these sources include alkanes (diesel engines, venting and fugitives), alkenes
(diesel engines), aromatics (diesel engines) and aldehydes (diesel and natural
gas fired engines). NOx and VOCs react in the presence of sunlight to produce
ozone, which causes several health problems like asthma and decreased lung
function (Bernard et al., 2001; Levy et al., 2001; Godish et al., 2004). The
health effects of PM2.5 are well documented and include premature mortality
(Dockery and Pope, 1994; Kaiser, 2005). A major component of PM2.5 emitted by
diesel-powered engines is elemental carbon (EC), which may be an important
driver for climate change (e.g. Bond et al., 2004).
Previous
studies indicate that the aggregate emissions from shale gas activities can be
significant. For example, Armendariz (2009) estimated that the combined NOx and
VOC emissions from natural gas sources exceeded on-road mobile sources in the Barnett
Shale region. Furthermore, field and modeling studies have also shown that
these emissions can have important impacts on local and regional air quality.
Schnell et al. (2009) reported peak 1-hr ozone levels as high as 100 ppb in the
Jonah Pinedale region in Wyoming, which is a hotspot for gas development and
production. Elevated VOC levels were also found in large regions of Colorado,
Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, where there is significant gas production
(Katzenstein et al., 2003; Zielinska et al., 2011; Archuleta, 2008). Cook et
al. (2010) used a chemical transport model to predict that gas development in
the Haynesville Shale could increase the maximum daily 8-hr average ozone
levels by as much as 17 ppbv over parts of Louisiana and Texas. In order to
protect public health and welfare, the USEPA has promulgated National Ambient
Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone and PM2.5
(http://www.epa.gov/air/criteria.html). Many counties in the Marcellus region
currently violate these standards (http://www.epa.gov/oaqps001/greenbk/),
and Marcellus development may complicate these existing problems.
The goal of this
work is to develop an air emissions inventory for gas development, production
and processing activities in the Marcellus Shale region. Emissions were
estimated for a base year (2009) and then projected out to 2020 using well
drilling and production projections from the literature.
Impacts of emissions on regional air quality will be considered in a
future paper, but it should also be noted that there may be stronger impacts at
the local level when gas development is nearby.”
Conclusion
The inventory predicts that Marcellus development
will likely be an important source of regional NOx and VOC emissions. In 2020,
Marcellus development may contribute 12% (5-20) of NOx and VOC emissions in the
Marcellus region. The new Marcellus emissions may offset projected emissions
reductions in other sectors (mobile and electrical generating units). Given the
potential magnitude of NOx emissions in rural (NOx-limited) areas, Marcellus
development could complicate ozone management in this region. Marcellus
development is not predicted to contribute significantly to regional PM2.5
emissions. However, elemental carbon could be more of a concern, with Marcellus
development predicted to contribute 14% (2%-36%) of the regional elemental
carbon emissions.
To investigate benefits of existing and potential
future controls, the 2020 analysis considered three future control levels:
current, baseline, and tight controls. VOC emissions from the base and tight
control scenarios were quite similar (~ a factor of 2), indicating a high level
of control
An analysis was carried out to identify the major
sources of uncertainty. Truck traffic (distance travelled) and drilling (engine
on-time) were the key contributors to uncertainty in NOx emissions estimates.
VOC emissions uncertainty was driven by volume of gas vented during completion.
Because the major uncertainties in the inventory stem from activity data as
well as emission factor measurements, these results suggest that improved data
collection efforts could substantially constrain emissions estimates from
natural gas development.
The analysis does not consider the potential air
quality benefits of increased end-use of natural gas. For example, switching
electricity generating from coal to natural gas could offset much of the
increase in regional NOx emissions associated with gas development and
production. The impacts of the emissions from Marcellus development on regional
air quality will be presented in a forthcoming manuscript.”
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10962247.2013.826151
2. Report from Earthworks : Reckless Endangerment While
Fracking the Eagle Ford Shale
By: Sharon Wilson, Lisa Sumi, Wilma Subra
Texas Case is Part of Emerging National
Pattern: Regulators Actively Ignoring Evidence of Public Harm from Fracking
Pollution.
“A
new report released today, September 19th, provides an important window into a
disturbing national pattern regarding the oversight of fracking-enabled oil and
gas development: regulators, charged
with protecting the public, are actively avoiding evidence that fracking is
harming the public. The report focuses on Karnes County, TX in an attempt
to illuminate a growing national pattern of absentee regulators.
“This
isn’t living anymore. It’s just existing, and wondering what you are going to
breathe in next,” said impacted Eagle Ford Shale resident Mike Cerny in his
interview with the report author.”
3. Report: U.S. Geological Survey Documenting Land Disturbance From Natural Gas Drilling
The United
States Geological Survey (USGS) published a pair of reports today, which are
part of larger series aimed at documenting and quantifying the landscape
disturbance from Pennsylvania’s natural gas drilling industry. The USGS-funded project has been underway
for a little over two years and has documented a reduction of Pennsylvania’s
interior forests– habitats for sensitive plant and animal species. So
far, the federal government has examined 14 Pennsylvania counties where
drilling is occurring and plans to publish several more reports before the end
of the year.
Milheim says the biggest
change they’ve documented is the reduction of interior forests. Forest
fragmentation can occur with the development of drilling infrastructure like
roads and pipelines. “While [sites are] under development, there’s a lot of
equipment,” she says, “It can change the forest. Some species do not survive
well in disturbed areas and will leave the area if there is development.”
Link to PDF for Landscape Consequences in Westmoreland County: Landscape
Consequences of Natural Gas Extraction in Somerset and Westmoreland Counties,
Pennsylvania, 2004–2010
By L.E. Milheim, E.T.
Slonecker, C.M. Roig-Silva, and A.R. Malizia
4.
7,500 Songbirds Killed At Gas
Plant In Saint John, Canada
About
7,500 songbirds, possibly including some endangered species, were killed while
flying over a gas plant in Saint John late last week, officials have confirmed.
It appears the migrating birds flew into the gas flare at Canaport LNG between
Friday night and Saturday morning, said Fraser Forsythe, the company's health,
safety, security and environmental manager.
The
birds were drawn to the flame like moths, an extremely unusual event, according
to Don McAlpine, the head of zoology at the New Brunswick Museum. "They
would circle in around that and of course with a large flame like that and high
temperatures, they wouldn't need to get terribly close to become singed or
burned." The weather conditions were foggy and overcast at the time, which
may have contributed to the incident, said McAlpine. The flare tower at the Canaport
liquefied natural gas receiving and regasification terminal is about 30 metres
tall and the size of the flame varies, depending on weather conditions. It is
typically higher amid low-pressure systems.
5. Report:
Social Costs of Fracking on Rural
America
DeSmogBlog
By Sharon Kelly
“A new report
by Food and Water Watch (FWW) examines the social impacts of fracking;
comparing traffic, crime and sexually transmitted infections in rural
Pennsylvania counties. Using a decade worth of county-level data, they compare
the differences between counties with substantial fracking and without, and how
these counties have changed over time, from before the boom until after it set
in.
“Pennsylvania’s natural gas boom has brought thousands of
new gas wells, a number of transient workers and a host of social problems,”
the report says. “This study is the first detailed, long-term analysis of the
social costs of fracking borne by rural Pennsylvania communities.”
FWW documented sharp differences
in traffic accident rates, petty crimes and sexually transmitted infections.
According to the report:
*Fracking is associated with more heavy-truck crashes: Heavy-truck crashes rose 7.2 percent in
heavily fracked rural Pennsylvania counties (with at least one well for every
15 square miles) but fell 12.4 percent in unfracked rural counties after
fracking began in 2005.
*Fracking is associated with more social disorder arrests: Disorderly conduct arrests increased
by 17.1 percent in heavily fracked rural counties, compared to 12.7 percent in
unfracked rural counties.
*Fracking is associated with more cases of sexually transmitted infections: After fracking, the
average increase in chlamydia and gonorrhea cases was 62 percent greater in
heavily fracked rural counties than in unfracked rural counties.
FWW
researchers reviewed 10 years of annual, county-level data for heavy-truck
accidents, disorderly conduct arrests and cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia,
dividing the data into two periods: before fracking (ie 2000 to 2005) and after
the boom set in (ie 2005 to 2010). For arrests and for sexually transmitted
infections, the report primarily focused on the number of arrests or cases, but
the researchers added that controlling for population differences “yields
similar results.”
6. PA Boosts Gas Industry
By Giving $2M for Fuel Stations
“Pennsylvania’s
economic development team wants drivers to start filling up their cars with
natural gas – and they’re willing to hand out taxpayer money to
kickstart the trend. The Commonwealth Financing Authority awarded more than $2
million in grant money plus a $169,000
loan for five natural gas fueling stations at its Tuesday meeting.
The goal is that
incentivizing fueling stations will, in the long term, continue to grow the
state’s Marcellus Shale-related job markets, said Steve Kratz, spokesman for the
Department of Community and Economic Development.”
7. PA College/University Faculty Oppose Fracking
Of University Lands
By Wendy Lee
“My union--APSCUF
(Associated Pennsylvania College and University Faculty), which represents the
faculty of 14 state universities (3500 faculty and 120,000 students) passed by
a hefty margin a union policy statement opposing SB 367--the Frack U. bill that
would allow frack operations on state university lands and properties. While
the policy is specifically tailored to PASSHE (PA State System of Higher Education)
properties, it's broader intent is clear and uncompromising. Industrialized
extraction is patently inconsistent with the intent and mission of higher
education.. Here's the policy:
The ad hoc committee, by majority, supports the position that PASSHE campuses
are not appropriate locations for hydraulic fracturing (fracking), that given
the environmental and health hazards of the fracking process, including all of
its infrastructure and associated enterprises, its presence on PASSHE campuses
is inconsistent and potentially deleterious to the PASSHE educational mission
as well as to the health and welfare of PASSHE community members. A growing
body of research is beginning to quantify and characterize the negative
environmental, societal, economic, and ecological impacts on those close to
such activities. Local impacts include but are not limited to gas migration,
air pollution, and surface and near-surface water quality degradation as well
as potential chronic impacts to air, water, landscapes, habitat, and
ecosystems. Soeder (2012, Shale gas development in the United States) states,
“Having one of these sites near a home, school or business can be distracting,
inconvenient, annoying, and disruptive.” Moreover,
APSCUF opposes SB 367--the Indigenous Mineral Resources Development Act--as
inconsistent with the PASSHE education mission for the same reasons and because
it effectively pits some PASSHE campuses against others for revenue which could
accrue to the permitting of fracking operations on PASSHE lands. Such potential
competition, or implementation of SB 367 in any form, could accelerate the
presence of such operations--including
pipeline construction, compressor infrastructure, waste management, heavy
industrial truck traffic, and thereby increase exposure to pollution and
hazards for members of PASSHE communities. Lastly, APSCUF takes a position
against a PASSHE contribution to climate change, as induced by increased
greenhouse gas emissions, as this is also inconsistent with a mission committed
to the educations and welfare of future citizens of the Commonwealth.”
8. NC Returns EPA Grant For Baseline Water Testing
“The N.C. Department
of Environment and Natural Resources had itself recommended last year that baseline water-quality data be
collected where drilling might occur. The information would help document any
problems linked to drilling.
But under new
leadership appointed by Gov. Pat McCrory, the department now says it doesn’t want the $222,595 grant from the
Environmental Protection Agency. The department also returned a second grant of
$359,710 for wetlands monitoring.”
http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/09/24/3224863/state-returns-epa-grant-for-fracking.html
9. Quantity of Frack Chemicals Used
“Of all
the issues about natural gas drilling, perhaps the one which has garnered the
most media attention is water contamination and just what is in the fracking
“water”. According to who in the
industry you listen to, the amount of chemicals added to water and sand are
between 0.5% – 0.9%. Each “frack” in
the Marcellus Shale uses between 5-7 million gallons of water.
Let’s do some math.
Using the low end numbers:
5 million gallons of
water X 0.5% = 25,000 gallons of chemicals per frack.
A well
pad may contain multiple wells, each requiring fracking. Multiply 25,000 gallons of chemicals by the
number of wells.
Per September 2011 Research & Policy Brief by Penn
State:
While
multi-well pads have increased over the past five years, the overall ratio of wells-per-pad remains low.
Since 2006, over 1,553 Marcellus well pads have been developed to support 3,279
Marcellus wells in Pennsylvania indicating a well-to-pad average of 2.11. The data show that this ratio is
increasing: in 2009 the average was 1.53 wells per pad, and in 2010 the average
was 2.15.
While the amount may
be mind boggling, it raises a more important question of what chemicals are
being used.”
http://blog.shaleshockmedia.org/2013/09/23/dont-know-frack-part-1/
10. Range Doesn’t Know What
Chemicals Are Used
Kiskadden vs. DEP and Range Resources
“A Motion for
Contempt and for Sanctions in the Form of An Adverse Inference with the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board, Docket No. 2011-149-R
has been filed this past week. This
involves the lawsuit of Loren Kiskadden VS Department of Environmental
Protection and Range Resources.
The motion is a follow up on previous
motion requesting Range Resources to reveal ALL of the fracking chemicals used
on the Yeager site near the Kiskadden property.
Range Resources
has failed to do this despite an extension of time. What we are learning from
the current motion is Range Resources doesn’t know what chemicals are being
used. And neither does the DEP. Yet both
Range Resources and DEP BOTH ran tests on the Kiskadden water and determined
gas drilling activities were not the cause.
http://blog.shaleshockmedia.org/2013/09/23/dont-know-frack-part-1/
From Part 2, Shaleshock
Media: As the filed motion
shows, Range really doesn’t know what it is putting down the well bores. Range
admitted it did not have an all-encompassing knowledge of the complete chemical
make-up of each chemical product used at the Yeager site.
Big Question – if Range doesn’t know what is in the
fracking cocktail, how can they claim transparency and how can they test for
the unknown chemicals to determine if their operations contaminated a water
supply? This is not CSI episode
where a lab tech is able to pour a mixture into some sort of machine and have
it identify all the chemicals.
There are specific
tests to detect the presence or absence of a given chemical. You need to know what chemicals you are
looking for in order to test for them.
Furthermore, Range
Resources and all the drillers operating in the Marcellus Shale are required to
disclose the components of the fracking fluid to the DEP. If the disclosure is
inadequate and incomplete then how can the DEP make the determination that a
given water supply has NOT been contaminated by a driller’s activity?
THE FRACK FAIRY’S
MAGIC
Paragraph 35 of the
motion highlights a Range Resources and the DEP’s lack of knowledge of what is
in fracking fluid regarding a KNOWN chemical:
Acetone was detected.
Range Resources
denied it was utilized at the Yeager Site.
Both Range and DEP dismissed the presence of Acetone, and yet a study conducted by the DEP and Gas
Technology Institute concluded that ACETONE is regularly found in flowback
water.
ACETONE is NOT a
naturally occurring chemical. It is a
produced substance, it is manufactured.
A Frack Fairy did
not appear, wave her wand and **Abracadabra** there’s acetone in the water
supply. Its presence in the flowback water indicates it originated as part of the
fracking cocktail.
BIGGER IMPLICATIONS
What is being revealed in the motion has much bigger implications for
the natural gas industry and its impact on our communities. It is more than just Range Resources because
it raises the serious question of how many other natural gas drillers “Don’t
Know Frack”, and by extension how many state environmental agencies also “Don’t
Know Frack”.
For Pennsylvania and
other states with a Medical Gag on fracking fluids, it becomes very scary
because even if a physician were to
contact a driller and comply with signing a non-disclosure form and ask what’s in the fracking fluid, the information
the physician will receive is probably incorrect and incomplete. How do you treat a patient for chemical
exposure when you don’t what chemical is causing the problems?
We are being told
everyday by the Natural Gas Corporations it’s safe. We are being told by their trade groups it’s
safe. We are being told by their front
groups, their public relation campaigns, their lobbyists, our elected
officials, by our state’s environmental agencies, by federal agencies, by
professors and scientists each and every day that it is safe. Yet, none of these are willing or able to
tell us exactly what is in the fracking cocktail.”
11. Boom In Unregulated Gas
Pipelines Poses Risk
“There are
currently 240,000 miles of specialized "gathering lines" at gas sites across the country, and only 10 percent of them are regulated.
Since they're unregulated, operators aren't required to report leaks or spills
when they occur. In most cases, state and federal officials don’t even know
where these lines are located.
Thousands of miles
of pipelines are being built at natural gas drilling sites throughout the
nation without supervision or regulation by state or federal authorities.
These specialized
pipelines, gathering lines, carry gas
from wells to nearby separation facilities for processing. Many of the pipes are as large as regulated
pipelines and operate at the same or higher pressures. Some run close to
homes and businesses.
"Since
they're unregulated, no one has to report them to anybody," said Carl
Weimer, executive director of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Pipeline Safety Trust.
His organization has asked the federal
Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to give all
gathering lines the same scrutiny it gives transmission lines, which carry gas
to refineries.
Pipeline accidents involving natural gas are among the most feared
industry accidents, because gas is so explosive. When a poorly maintained
natural gas distribution pipeline exploded in San Bruno, CA. in 2010, eight
people died and 38 homes were destroyed.
To try to prevent
such tragedies, PHMSA has traditionally focused on regulating transmission
lines, which carry gas to refineries, and distribution lines, which carry gas
to businesses and homes. Until the early 2000s, that approach seemed to make
sense. Earlier gathering lines were much
smaller and operated at far lower pressures than transmission and distribution
lines. Most were also in rural areas, where mishaps would be less likely to
cause widespread damage or loss of life.
But fracking has
changed that equation. To accommodate
the volume and pressure of the gas coming out of fracked wells, gathering lines are now 12 to 36 inches in
diameter, instead of 2 to 12 inches. They operate at much higher pressures,
too.
When an unregulated
gas gathering line blew up several hundred yards from a compressor station near
Alice, Texas last year, neither PHMSA nor the Texas Railroad Commission, which
is in charge of pipeline safety in Texas, investigated the incident. The
pipeline operator, Copano Energy, which has since been acquired by Kinder
Morgan, didn’t submit an incident report to either agency.
"Since
[operators] are not required to submit data, we don't have any data," said
Damon Hill, a PHMSA spokesman.”
12. Victory: Pennsylvania Sunshine Solar Rebate Program
From Penn
Future
“Did you know you
can still take advantage of free rebate money from the DEP toward the cost of
installing solar energy on your home or business? It's called the Pennsylvania
Sunshine Solar Rebate program and it's a victory for the Keystone State.
Pennsylvania's
Sunshine Solar Rebate program and the DEP have distributed nearly $112 million
to solar projects across the state. Rebates ranged from $7,500 for a
residential system (maximum 10 KW) to $52,500 for a small commercial system
(maximum 100 KW). The rebate program has contributed greatly to the 179 MW of
installed solar capacity that our state now enjoys.
PA Sunshine, as it's
commonly known, was one of the centerpieces of the Alternative Energy
Investment Act, passed by the State Legislature on July 4, 2008. The Act
authorized $650 million in total funding for a menu of energy programs. Some
veteran PennFuture staffers called it "Energy Independence Day." Yep,
there was a lot to celebrate as we reaped the fruits of our labor on behalf of
legislation that has offered ongoing support for solar.
The provision
included $180 million for solar energy, as referenced above for residential and
small commercial solar through PA Sunshine, and for larger projects through the
Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA). Combine that with declining solar costs
and Pennsylvania's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS), and we've seen
an explosion of solar in Pennsylvania. Just look at the "solar
progress" western Pa. has made.”
13. Smith Township, PA- Hearing on Wastewater Facility
“Smith Township officials
are holding a public hearing before considering whether to allow a Marcellus
Shale wastewater and fluid recycling facility to be built in the municipality.
According
to the original zoning application filed by the company July 8, the recycling
facility would allow for “mechanical and chemical transportation of raw
materials or substances (drilling fluids) into new products or other raw
materials (reuse drilling water, salt, filter cake).”
Zoning Officer
William Tohey rejected the original application July 16 because it was not a
conforming use of the industrial zoned area. However, the company applied for
the conditional use of the location July 18.
“The facility will accept transported water
from oil and gas drilling industry, filter and treat the water to an acceptable
level to be transported to the well pads,” the application states.
It’s not known what
conditions township officials might set for the recycling facility if it’s
approved. Smith Township Board of Supervisors Chairman Tom Schilinski did not return
a phone call to discuss the public hearing.
According to its
application, the facility will have gravel access roads and a concrete pad area
to load and unload materials. The area would also have water storage tanks with
containment berms and liners to prevent leaks. The company plans to build a
temporary structure to hold processing equipment.”
14. PA Well Site Is Focus of
Fierce Legal Battle
Katherine Kane
Charges Exxon
“HUGHESVILLE,
Pa. - The Marquardt well site is indistinguishable from most Marcellus Shale
drilling locations: It encompasses about five acres of graded farmland, covered
with gravel, containing two active natural gas wells. But this well pad was the
scene of a crime, according to state Attorney General Kathleen Kane's office,
which on Sept. 10 announced charges
against a subsidiary of the oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. for a spill that
occurred here in 2010. A stream and a spring below the site tested positive for
pollutants from gas-drilling wastewater - strontium, chloride, bromide, barium,
and total dissolved solids.
Three years ago, the site contained about 50 steel storage
tanks, parked side by side, including some that held toxic drilling wastewater
to be treated and recycled. The state says that more than 50,000 gallons -
about 10 tractor-trailer loads - leaked through an open valve, flowed through a
ditch, and polluted an unnamed creek. Exxon Mobil's subsidiary, XTO Energy
Inc., is mounting a fierce legal and public-relations defense, saying the
criminal charges are "unprecedented, baseless, and an abuse of
prosecutorial discretion."
15. DEP Fines Environmental Laboratory $60,000 for Various
Violations
“ DEP announced it has signed a consent order
and agreement with Microbac Laboratories of Pittsburgh, which requires the lab
to pay a civil penalty of $60,000 and to conduct an independent review of its
laboratory in Baltimore, Maryland.
Microbac provides
testing and analytical support for a variety of clients who seek DEP permits
and authorizations. DEP uses such reports from independent laboratories to make
regulatory decisions.
“Accredited,
independent laboratories are the centerpiece upon which all environmental
protection programs depend,” DEP Bureau of Laboratories Director Martina
McGarvey said. “Ensuring that labs are of the highest quality is important to
the decisions we make.”
Microbac Baltimore
was accredited under DEP’s National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation
Program to test and analyze drinking water, non-potable water, and a variety of
soils, chemicals and liquids.
During a DEP inspection in April 2013, DEP found a number of
violations, such as failure to properly calculate holding times for samples;
overall failure of management to provide proper quality control oversight; and
not having sufficient corrective action protocols in place to address the
violations.
As a result of DEP’s
determination that these and other violations had not been addressed, Microbac
agreed to voluntarily relinquish its accreditations and thus immediately ceased
analyzing samples for environmental compliance purposes.
Microbac has agreed
to replace its laboratory supervisor for its organics section and has already
begun an independent third-party audit of the lab’s abilities to meet the
conditions of its accreditation. Any issues the independent auditor’s report
uncovers must be corrected.
“DEP’s intent in
this enforcement action is to have Microbac correct its violations, ensure no
future violations occur, and through the audit, become a much better
environmental laboratory,” McGarvey said.”
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/newsroom/14287?id=20196&typeid=1
16. Solution to
Pollution: Sautner Home in Dimock Demolished
by Cabot
“After
years of controversy, Cabot last year paid an undisclosed amount to owners of property
of Craig and Julie Sautner, to settle claims that drilling contaminated their
water well. As part of the deal, Cabot
acquired the 3.6-acre property, the status of which remained a matter of
speculation until last week The
arrival of the demolition crew marked a concluding chapter of a conflict that
began in September, 2008, when the Sautner’s water suddenly went bad after
Cabot crews drilled a nearby gas. Under oversight by the PA DEP, Cabot
attempted to restore the Sautner’s water with a system of filters and tanks,
which took up a substantial part of the basement. The system proved
ineffective, and the company began delivering bottled water to the house.
Since
then, the three-bedroom ranch has become a symbol of the anti-fracking movement
in the heart of Cabot’s most prolific well field.
As
drilling intensified in the area, Cabot
began dealing with similar water complaints at dozens of other homes in the
Carter Road area. After investigating the complaints, the DEP held Cabot
drilling operations into the Marcellus Shale responsible for methane
contamination in 18 water wells, and eventually ordered the company to install
an $11 million pipeline to deliver water to the homes. Cabot resisted, and the
DEP’s order caused a political fracas that split the community. A group of
residents, including those receiving royalty payments and other compensation
from the company, sided with the industry and characterized those demanding the
water line as malcontents. Plans for the water line were dropped after Tom
Corbett, a gas-drilling proponent, was elected governor in 2010. But the DEP continued to enforce a ban on drilling in a 9-square mile
area around Carter Road where problems persisted. The primary constituents affecting the wells
– methane, arsenic, barium and other metals -- are naturally occurring, and
also a product of drilling.”
http://tomwilber.blogspot.com/2013/09/cabot-demolishes-home-central-to-dimock.html
Westmoreland Marcellus Citizen’s Group—Mission Statement
To raise the public’s general awareness and
understanding of the impacts of Marcellus drilling on the natural environment,
health, and long-term economies of local communities.
Officers:
President-Jan Milburn
Treasurer and Thomas Merton Society Liason-Lou Pochet
Secretary-Ron Nordstrom
Facebook Coordinator-Elizabeth Nordstrom
Blogsite –April Jackman
Science Subcommittee-Dr. Cynthia Walter
To receive our news updates, please email
jan at westmcg@gmail.com
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