westmcg@gmail.com
* For articles and updates or to just vent, visit us on facebook;
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MarcellusWestmorelandCountyPA/
* To view past updates, reports, general
information, permanent documents, and meeting
information http://westmorelandmarcellus.blogspot.com/
* Our email address: westmcg@gmail.com
* To contact your state
legislator:
For the email address, click on the envelope
under the photo
* For information on PA state gas legislation
and local control: http://pajustpowers.org/aboutthebills.html-
To
read former Updates please visit our blogspot listed above.
WMCG Thank You
Contributors To Our Updates
Thank you to contributors to our Updates:
Debbie Borowiec, Lou Pochet, Ron Gulla, the Pollocks, Marian Szmyd, Bob Donnan,
Elizabeth Donahue, and Bob Schmetzer.
Thank you
To Stephanie Novak from Mt. Watershed Assoc., Carol
Cutler, and the Milburns for tabling and offering TDS water testing at the
Latrobe Farm Market. We had the opportunity to again talk to many interested people
about fracking.
A
little Help Please --Take Action!!
Tenaska Air Petitions—Please sign if you have not done so:
Please
share the attached petition with residents of Westmoreland and all bordering
counties. We ask each of you to help us
by sharing the petition with your email lists and any group with which you are affiliated.
As stated in the petition, Westmoreland County cannot meet air standards for
several criteria. Many areas of Westmoreland County are already listed as EPA
non-attainment areas for ozone and particulate matter 2.5, so the county does
not have the capacity to handle additional emissions that will contribute to
the burden of ozone in the area as well as health impacts. According to the American Lung Association,
every county in the Pittsburgh region except for Westmoreland County had fewer
bad air days for ozone and daily particle pollution compared with the previous
report. Westmoreland County was the only
county to score a failing grade for particulate matter.
The Tenaska gas plant will add tons of pollution to
already deteriorated air and dispose of wastewater into the Youghiogheny
River. Westmoreland County already has a
higher incidence of disease than other counties in United States. Pollution won’t stop at the South Huntingdon
Township border; it will travel to the surrounding townships and counties.
If you know of church groups or other organizations that will help with
the petition please forward it and ask for their help.
*********************************************************************************
Calendar
*** WMCG Group
Meeting We meet
the second Tuesday of every month at 7:30 PM in Greensburg. Email Jan for directions. All are very welcome to attend.
***Join the
People’s Climate March in New York City, Sept. 21. Peoples Climate March: http://peoplesclimate.org/march/
http://watchdisruption.com/
On September 21 in New York City
a quarter million citizens are expected to demand that the world's leaders take
immediate action on climate change.
The
Peoples Climate March will be held just before President Obama and his Chinese counterpart
attend the UN Climate Summit,
http://www.un.org/climatechange/summit/.
The
Sierra Club and Thomas Merton Center have hired two buses to leave early on the
Sunday morning and return late on Sunday night.
If you are interested in reserving a seat on the bus, please contact
Peter Wray with CLIMATE on the Subject line … pjwray@verizon.net.
ACTION: Register now for a seat
on one of the Pittsburgh buses.
Seats are Still Available for the Ride to the Historic
March
Yes! We have filled two
56-seat buses with people of faith, Sierra Clubbers, SEIU members, and more
than twenty students who want to be in the People’s Climate March and let the
World’s leaders know that we need CLIMATE ACTION NOW.
In response to this demand, the Allegheny
Group and Thomas Merton Center has just hired a THIRD BUS to travel to New York
on Sunday. Why not join the thousands from across the country and help make
history.
·
The three buses will depart Edgewood Town Center (off the Parkway East)
at 3 am.
· Arrive in New York in time for the 11:30
am start of the March.
· The March will be about three miles from
Columbus Circle, going over to Sixth Ave, across 42nd Street and finishing on
Eleventh Ave.
· Depart New York about 4 pm and arrive
back in Pittsburgh shortly after Midnight.
· The fare is $68 per passenger. Some
scholarships are available – contact Peter at pjwray@verizon.net.
Before our third bus fills
up, please RESERVE YOUR SEAT:
http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e9guul4x5f430e46&llr=nreqd8cab
See the film “DISRUPTION – A
Film About the People’s Climate March” at http://watchdisruption.com/
TELL YOU FRIENDS.
SPREAD THE WORD
Peter Wray
=======
***Conference-Shale
and Public Health Features Dr Paulson, Dr McKenzie, Dr Panettieri- Oct. 26/27
The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania's
Straight Scoop on Shale initiative will hold a conference "Shale and Public Health: Days of Discovery" on Sunday
afternoon October 26 and Monday October 27 at the Pitt University Club.
Featured speakers on Monday
October 27 include Dr. Jerome Paulson, Director of the Mid-Atlantic Center for
Children's Health and the Environment (MACCHE), and Dr. Lisa McKenzie of the
Colorado School of Public Health.
On Sunday afternoon October 26,
Dr. Reynold Panettieri of the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of
Medicine will present new research on the health impacts of shale gas
development.
The
conference is open to the public and free (with a small charge for lunch on
October 27), but pre-registration is required.
***Boston Art Show Utilizes Local Voices--
July 11, 2014 through January 5, 2015
Open to the public, Boston Museum
of Science
Several of us spoke to artist Anne Neeley about water
contamination from fracking. Excerpts of what we said about our concerns
regarding fracking will play in a loop along with music in the background as
people view Anne’s murals of water. The show is not exclusively about the
effect of fracking on water and includes other sources of pollution. (see sites
below).
Some of us were fortunate to see photos of Anne’s
murals. They are beautiful and very thought provoking. Jan
ANNE NEELY WATER STORIES PROJECT:
A CONVERSATION IN PAINT AND SOUND
July
2014 – January 2015, Museum of Science, Boston
“Water Stories: A Conversation in Painting and
Sound” is at the Museum of Science, Boston through January 2015. In recent
years I have conveyed ideas about water and the phenomena of water through
nature, the news, memory and imagination. These paintings explore the beauty
and foreboding of water, related to central themes, mostly manmade and thru
climate change affecting this country. Sound artist Halsey Burgund has created
a 35 minute audio composition that accompanies the paintings, comprised of five
sections grouped by thematic content: The Future, Stories, Bad Things, Science
and Cherish. The voices are edited and combined with water sounds and musical
elements and play in a continuous loop throughout the gallery. By placing this
work in this Museum of Science there is an extraordinary opportunity to clarify
and illuminate issues around water through visceral connections that paintings
often elicit from viewers while raising public awareness. My hope is that this exhibition will spawn a
new sense of ownership about not only the issues facing us about water but how
we use water on a daily basis.”
"Together, Anne and I
plan to explore big ideas about what’s happening with water in this country. In
the 2014, the Museum will exhibit Anne’s work and host a series of related
programs. At the Museum, we find that mixing art with our more typical
educational approaches works well. The art opens people to ideas, emotion,
scale, and import, in ways that more explicit techniques may not. It broadens
the audience, welcomes people who learn differently, and adds dimensions of
experience that are otherwise unavailable."
—
David G. Rabkin, PhD, Director for Current Science and Technology, Museum of Science,
Boston, MA
Visit these sites for images
and more information:
http://www.anneneely.com/pages/mos.html
TAKE ACTION !!
***Letters to the editor are important and one of the best ways to share
information with the public. ***
***See Tenaska Petition at the top of the Updates
***- Pittsburgh’s
Air At Stake- Please Comment
Send Statement/Comment To Restrict Carbon
From Existing Power plants
Everyone Should Submit a Written Statement
We need to send a strong message to the EPA and Big Coal that there’s
overwhelming public support for national climate action –NOW! Big Coal and
their climate-denying allies are already trying to weaken the EPA’s historic
climate protection efforts.
Comments on the Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule must be received by October
16, 2014. You do not have to write a long statement. Any statement of support for
Carbon reduction is helpful and
there’s lots of data, just google climate change—flooding, storms, effects on
health, plant and animal adaptation, etc.
Send Your Comments To:
A: Comments on the EPA’s new
rule covering the carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants may be submitted via Email to:
A-and-R-Docket@epa.gov
With docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602 in
the subject line of the message.
Be sure to reference Docket ID:
EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602
For information about the
carbon reduction plan:
Opposition to the New EPA
Rules
The
Obama Administration clearly anticipates strong opposition to the new rules,
and the fight will take place on several grounds. Despite strong public support
for the EPA’s proposed rules, the climate change deniers were quick to claim
the rules were unnecessary. The national Chamber of Commerce said the costs
were exorbitant, but Nobelist Paul Krugman dismisses their argument. But it is
the legal challenges that will perhaps slow-down the implementation of the
EPA’s rules, a delay we cannot afford.
And From Public Citizen
See
the top 10 FAQs on the carbon pollution reduction plan.
***For Health Care
Professionals—Tell PA Dept of Health to Stop Ignoring Fracking Health Complaints
***Saving Pittsburgh Parks-
Needed: Registered voters in Allegheny
County Who Will Help
Please
read the message below and call me today to talk about this more:
Protect Our Parks submitted 5000 signatures to
County Council on May 6, calling for a no vote on drilling under Deer
Lakes. Unfortunately, council voted
anyway to go ahead with County Executive Fitzgerald's proposal to drill under
Deer Lakes Park.
Although we lost that battle, we have a new
campaign to protect the other 8 county parks.
And we need your help!!
This is basically a citizen’s initiative to
require Council to vote on an ordinance -- not a resolution, but an ORDINANCE
--which WE write. We've written an ordinance, to put a hold on activity in the
other parks --which we believe will be attractive to some of the council
members who voted yes last time. We need
signatures on a petition from 500 (really 750) registered voters in Allegheny
County.
Council will be required to hear public
testimony and vote within 60 days.
For this campaign to be successful we need
registered voters ( i.e. YOU) to circulate this ordinance/petition between
October 17 and Nov. 4. And we need
signatures from all over the county.
This petition is similar to the ones for
elected officials -- if you've ever seen those. The signers must be registered
votes in Allegheny County. And you must
get your petitions notarized.
Please give me a call today if you will
participate. October 17 is coming up soon.
Thanks,
Joni Rabinowitz
412-241-8359
***Toxic Tuesdays –Tell DEP’s Abruzzo--Do not approve paving
with radioactive drill cuttings
“The next 4 Tuesdays, starting
8/26, are Toxic Tuesdays. They're the days we're going to call PA DEP Secretary
Abruzzo to tell him that his agency should NEVER have approved Range Resources'
permit to experiment with using drill cuttings as a paving material for well
pads and access roads! We're going to tell him to reverse their decision.
The DEP gave Range Resources
permission to experiment with using radioactive drill cutting to pave well pads
and access roads. We have 30 days to appeal.
Call
Sec Abruzzo to reverse the decision 717- 787- 2814”
From:
Karen Feridan
***Petition- Help
the Children of Mars School District
Below is a petition that a group of parents in the
Mars Area School District are working very hard to get signatures. Please take a moment to look at the petition
and sign it. It only takes 5
minutes. We are fighting to keep our
children, teachers, and community safe here and across the state of
Pennsylvania.
Please share this with your spouses, friends, family,
and any organizations that would support this cause. We need 100,00 signatures immediately, as the
group plans to take the petition to Harrisburg within a week.
Your support is greatly
appreciated!
Best Regards,
Amy Nassif
***Food and Water Watch Asks For Your Story About Fracking Health
Complaints Earlier this summer,
StateImpact Pennsylvania reported that the Pennsylvania Department of Health
(DOH) has been willfully ignoring the health concerns and complaints connected
to drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations.
In
response, Food & Water Watch and our coalition partners, including Berks
Gas Truth, initiated a statewide listening project to collect the stories of
impacted Pennsylvanians who have personally contacted DOH to report their
families' health concerns. We have collected nearly a dozen stories from around
Pennsylvania thus far, but we know we are just scratching the surface.
Have you been directly
impacted by hydraulic fracturing? Did you reach out to DOH? Please let us know
by filling out the survey
Tell
us about your experience contacting Department of Health with a
fracking-related health complaint. Please share as many details about your
story as possible: When did you contact Dept. of Health? Why did you contact Dept.
of Health? How did you contact Dept. of Health? Did you contact them once, or
multiple times? Do you have any documentation of your attempts to contact?
***Clean Air Council--- Take the survey about the proposed
Shell ethane cracker plant.
Health
Impact Assessment: Ethane Cracker
Royal Dutch Shell has proposed a
new natural gas and chemical processing station in Monaca, PA, outside
Pittsburgh. The proposed site is currently held by Horsehead Corporation which
owns the inactive zinc smelting facility. The proposed facility, known as a “cracker”,
will separate natural gas and chemical feedstocks into different compounds used
primarily in the manufacturing of plastics.
Increased hydraulic fracturing and natural gas collection has led to
increased ethane available for “cracking”.
The
ethane cracker is one of a number of large projects that Shell is considering.
Although, Shell has already secured feedstock agreements with multiple
companies, and has bought other land near the site of the proposed “cracker”.
Shell signed an additional option agreement with Horsehead, will pay for the
demolition of the existing buildings, and be allowed to take more time before
making a final decision. Considering these factors, and the fact that Shell
recently scrapped plans for a similar cracker in the Gulf Coast that was
competing for Shell’s capital resources, the likelihood of this project coming
to fruition appears relatively high. Even if this particular project does not
come to fruition, most industry experts agree that a cracker will be built in
the region eventually.
In partnership with community residents,
industry professionals, and academics, Clean Air Council is conducting a Health
Impact Assessment of the environmental, social, public health, and economic
impacts of such a facility.
Please
take our anonymous public survey about the proposed cracker: www.surveymonkey.com/s/WZC3WX5
***Sign On To Letter To Gov. Corbett-- Urge Him to Implement
De Pasquale’s Recommendations
For DEP
“I know you are as concerned as I am about
the recent news out of Harrisburg regarding the protection of our drinking
water from the dangers of natural gas drilling. Then join me to take action
now.
It started with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection’s (DEP) acknowledgment that there have been 209 known cases of water
contamination from oil and gas operations since 2007.
http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/policy-powersource/2014/07/22/DEP-Oil-and-gas-endeavors-have-damaged-water-supply-209-times-since-07/stories/201407220069
If that wasn’t enough, Auditor
General Eugene DePasquale also released his much anticipated audit
http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/reports/performance/special/speDEP072114.pdf
of DEP’s ability to protect water quality in the
wake of escalated Marcellus Shale drilling. The report shows how the explosive
growth of shale development caught the DEP flat footed, how the agency is
underfunded, and slow to respond to monitoring and accountability activities.
Some of the more alarming findings where:
DEP would rather seek voluntary compliance and encouraging industry to work
out a solution with impacted homeowners instead of issuing violations for cases
where industry impacted a water supply.
There is no system in place for frequent inspections of drilling pads,
especially during critical drilling operations much less during the lifetime of
the well.
DEP relies on a voluntary
system of reporting where and how fracking waste is disposed, instead of using a system,
where regulators can see how waste is handled from well site to disposal.
DEP’s system to track complaints
related to oil and gas development is “woefully inadequate.”
In addition to his findings,
Auditor General DePasquale made 29 recommendations, 18 of which require no
additional funding, for how DEP can address these issues and improve
operations. Email Governor Corbett today and urge him to have DEP implement all 29 of
the Auditor General’s recommendations.
These types of events shake the
confidence Pennsylvanians like you have in our government’s ability to protect
our drinking water. However, they also serve as a call to action. DEP owes it
to you to do everything it can to protect water supplies and public
health, Contact Governor Corbett TODAY
and tell him to have DEP take steps to improve the protection of our drinking
water from natural gas drilling.
Best,
Steve
Hvozdovich - Campaign Coordinator
Pennsylvania
Office, Clean Water Action http://org.salsalabs.com/o/2155/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=16207
***TRI (Toxic Release Inventory)
Action Alert-Close the Loophole:
“We need your help!! Please send an email to the US EPA urging
them to "Close the TRI Loophole that the oil and gas industry currently
enjoys".
We all deserve to know
exactly what these operations are releasing into our air, water and onto our
land. Our goal is to guarantee the
public’s right to know.
Please
let the US EPA know how important TRI reporting will be to you and your
community:
Mr.
Gilbert Mears
Docket #: EPA-HQ-TRI-2013-0281 (must be included on all
correspondence)
Mears.gilbert@epa.gov
Some facts on Toxics Release
Inventory (TRI) – what it is and why it’s important:
What
is the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)?
Industrial
facilities report annually the amount and method (land, air, water, landfills)
of each toxic
chemical
they release or dispose of to the national Toxics Release Inventory.
Where
can I find the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)?
Once
the industrial facilities submit their annual release data, the Environmental
Protection Agency
makes
it available to the public through the TRI’s free, searchable online database.
Why
is this important?
The
TRI provides communities and the public information needed to challenge permits
or siting
decisions,
provides regulators with necessary data to set proper controls, and encourages
industrial
facilities
to reduce their toxic releases.
Why
does it matter for oil and natural gas?
The
oil and gas extraction industry is one of the largest sources of toxic releases
in the United
States.
Yet, because of loopholes created by historical regulation and successful
lobbying efforts,
this
industry remains exempt from reporting to the TRI—even though they are second
in toxic air
emissions
behind power plants.
What
is being done?
In
2012, the Environmental Integrity Project filed a petition on behalf of sixteen
local, regional, and
national
environmental groups, asking EPA to close this loophole and require the oil and
gas
industries
to report to the TRI. Although EPA has been carefully considering whether to
act on the
petition,
significant political and industrial pressure opposing such action exists.
What
is the end goal?
Our
goal is to guarantee the public’s right to know. TRI data will arm citizens
with powerful data,
provide
incentives for oil and gas operators to reduce toxic releases, and will provide
a data-driven
foundation
for responsible regulation.
What
can you do?
You
can help by immediately letting EPA know how important TRI reporting will be to
you and your
community.
Send written or email comments to:
Gilbert Mears
Toxics Release Inventory
Program Division, Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20460
mears.gilbert@epa.gov
Docket #: EPA-HQ-TRI-2013-0281 (please be sure to
include in all your correspondence)
From: Lisa Graves Marcucci
Environmental
Integrity Project
PA
Coordinator, Community Outreach
lgmarcucci@environmentalintegrity.org
412-653-4328
(Direct)
412-897-0569
(Cell)
Frack Links
**Democracy
Now! Naomi Klein discusses fossil fuels
She criticizes Nature
Conservancy for drilling on “preserved” land.
***Link to
Shalefield Stories-Personal stories of those affected by
fracking http://www.friendsoftheharmed.com/
***To sign up for Skytruth notifications of activity and violations
for your area:
*** List of the Harmed--There are now
over 1400 residents of Pennsylvania who have placed their names on the list of
the harmed when they became sick after fracking began in their area. http://pennsylvaniaallianceforcleanwaterandair.wordpress.com/the-list/
*** To See Water Test Results of the Beaver
Run Reservoir
IUP students test for TDS, pH, metals- arsenic, chromium, and strontium.
A group member who checks the
site still does not see testing for other frack chemicals including the BTEX
group or cesium for example. Here is a link to the IUP site:
***Video of a
Flare at a Pumping Station
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWKye3OA90k Sunoco Pipeline/Sunoco Logistics flare at a high pressure pumping
facility along the 3500 block of Watkins Road in Medina, Ohio. This video was
from an approximate distance of 900 feet. The gas was being flared from ground
level without a tower of any kind. They have since moved the flare to between
the buildings. This video link below will show you just how loud and powerful
the flaring of this product can be.
Local residents say, “It sounds like a jet engine running.”
***Video of
Pipeline Incidents since 1986
Frack News
All articles are excerpted
and condensed. Please use links for the full article. Special Thanks to Bob Donnan for many of
the photos.
***Another Violation
At Beaver Run Reservoir
(Comments on the
violation are made by a group member. jan)
http://alerts.skytruth.org/report/f186ff9f-60b6-3231-8ba3-d65e71b3b580#c=stae
Skytruth
Alert: PA Permit Violation Issued to Cnx Gas Co Llc in Washington Twp,
Westmoreland County 2014-08-11
Report
Details
Operator Cnx Gas Co Llc
Violation
Type Administrative
Violation
Date 2014-08-11
Violation
Code 78.56(1) - Pit and tanks not constructed with sufficient capacity to contain
pollutional substances.
Violation
ID 702606
Permit
API 129-28811
Unconventional Y
County Westmoreland
Municipality Washington Twp
Inspection
Type Incident- Response to
Accident or Event
Inspection
Date 2014-08-11
Comments Inspection the result of a spill
reported by the Operator on 8/10/2014 at 21:45. The Operator reported a unknown
amount of flow back water spilled into containment, however the containment was
compromised, which resulted in a spill to the ground. At the time of inspection
the department observed a frac tank inside containment, The Operator pulled
back the containment in the area of concern. The Operator excavated to remove
approximately two 50 gallon drums of impacted material. The excavated area was
already backfilled at the time of the inspection. No waterways appear to be
impacted at this time. The Department suggests the
Operator take samples of the contents of the frac tank located onsite,
the impacted soil before and after excavation and a background sample to ensure
the affected material has been removed.
(SUGGESTS??!!! Are you kidding??!!)
Violation(s)
ID:
702606 Date: 2014-08-11 Type: Administrative
78.56(1) - Pit and tanks not
constructed with sufficient capacity to contain pollutional substances.
Enforcement
Action(s)
ID Code
314148 NOV - Notice of Violation
Monitor this location
View Nearby Alerts
ID: f186ff9f-60b6-3231-8ba3-d65e71b3b580
Source: http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/oil_and_gas_compliance_report/20299
Date: 2014-08-11 00:00:00
Location: 40.508225 -79.55868
Tags: PADEP, frack, violation, drilling
*** Grant Awarded WMCG was very pleased to be awarded
a $2000 grant from the Mt Watershed Association which will allow us to further
our efforts to educate the public about the harmful effects of fracking and to
provide TDS and radioactivity screening for interested homeowners.
***Appeal Filed: Range Resources research that would lead to
use of gas well drill cuttings in roads and well pads on gas sites
Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper, and
Earthworks File
Appeal of PADEP General Permit Supporting Use of Drill Cuttings in Pavement
Organizations object to research
and development by driller Range Resources that would lead to use of gas well
drill cuttings in roads and well pads on gas sites
Harrisburg,
PA - Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper, and
Earthworks filed an appeal on September 15 with the Pennsylvania Environmental
Hearing Board (EHB) of a Residual Waste General Permit issued to Range
Resources Appalachia and LAFARGE North America authorizing research and
development activities to support the beneficial use of drill cuttings for
pavement at gas well sites.
The General Permit allows the construction of a test well pad using
drill cuttings in place of cement and could result in a beneficial use
determination by PA Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) that will
allow its use in well pads and access roads at gas well sites in the state.
The test pad is located uphill from two exceptional value streams, Larry’s
Creek and Dog Run Creek.
The organizations petitioned the EHB based on the PADEP’s failure,
among other things, to analyze and address the long-term impacts of the project
on the community and the natural resources it depends upon and to review and
address the long-term and cumulative risks to groundwater and surface water
contamination. The petitioners asked
the EHB to reverse PADEP’s approval.
A
copy of the filing is available at: http://bit.ly/1oWAG7Y
Tracy
Carluccio
Deputy
Director
Delaware
Riverkeeper Network
925
Canal St., Suite 3701
Bristol
PA 19007
Phone: 215.369.1188 ext 104
Cell:
215.692.2329
Fax: 215.369.1181
www.
delawareriverkeeper.org
***Lawsuit: Kretschmann
Farm Challenges Compressor Station
Permit
“The owners of one of the region’s oldest and most
successful organic farms in New Sewickley Township, Beaver County, are
challenging the township land use ordinances that allowed a gas compressor
station next to their farm.
Don and Rebecca Kretschmann, who
have operated their 80-acre organic farm since 1979, filed the appeal in Beaver
County Common Pleas Court Friday.
The appeal alleges that the township’s zoning and oil
and gas ordinances fail to preserve and protect existing agricultural uses in
the rural community 25 miles north of Pittsburgh, and rely on portions of state
Act 13 -- the amendment to Pennsylvania’s oil and gas law -- that have been
declared unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court.
Township supervisors voted 4-0 on
Aug. 14, to approve a conditional use permit that will allow Cardinal Midstream
LLC, to build and operate the compressor
station in an area of the township zoned for agriculture.
”The Kretschmanns are concerned
that the industrial operation which will house four 1,340-horsepower
continuously operating compressors and emit 78 tons of nitrogen oxides, 24 tons
of volatile organic compounds and 98 tons of carbon dioxide, will pollute the
air, water and soil, and threaten the organic certification of their business
which delivers produce to more than 1,000 customers in Allegheny, Beaver and
Butler counties.
The
appeal states the supervisors’ decision constitutes “spot zoning,” and is
inconsistent with a stated objective of “A-1 agricultural districts to preserve
environmentally sensitive lands.”
http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/companies-powersource/2014/09/16/Beaver-County-farm-challenges-compressor-station-permit/stories/201409160162
***DEP Approves Controversial
Middlesex Permit Near Schools
“The
drill site, owned by Bob and Kim Geyer, has been a source of controversy in the
southern Butler County area, being only about three-quarters of a mile from the
Mars
Area
School District campus. Residents had been battling approval of the permits,
saying that the well would endanger school children.
Amy Nassif, a member of the Mars
Parents Group, said of the approval, “We are extremely disappointed. We worked
very hard and we gave substantial research and information to the DEP that was
basically ignored.”
Read
more:
http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/6784977-74/approval-area-energy#ixzz3D8MIZ8Gl
************
This message is from the Mars group:
Craig
Lobins of DEP called a member of the Mars Parent Group
(www.marsparentgroup.com) to let her know the
permits have been issued and he stressed that they are safe.
She
reminded him of the one-mile evacuation last week in Mercer County due to a
well fire: http://triblive.com/state/pennsylvania/6747150-74/story
- axzz3D7XP0O9B
Please
call Craig Lobins TODAY and ask him if the DEP GUARANTEES the safety of 5 schools
in a known and recent evacuation zone? What about the kids with asthma? What about 10 yrs from now? What if there is a trucking accident? How can
he guarantee their safety? We need answers.
DEP: 814-332-6855
Craig
Lobins, Environmental Program Manager
***Gas Well Pad Approved
in Butler, Residents Loudly Voice
Opposition
Kim
Paskorz, Butler Eagle Staff Writer
(The
reasoning of the supervisors does not make sense. They are allowing a gas well
in an area zoned residential yet they are saying they can do nothing without
changing their ordinance. Jan)
“Rex Energy received approval
Monday night to build a gas well pad on the property of Krendale Golf Course by
a unanimous vote of the township commissioners.
However, that's not the same as
saying the well pad got the board's blessing.
The
vote followed more than an hour and a half of discussion among residents,
commissioners and company representatives on the potential imminent and
long-term dangers of a well pad as well as the proximity of it to homes,
businesses and schools.
Representatives of Rex Energy
said the pad would be accessed from Route 68 and would be capable of housing up to nine wells.
It
will have no buildings and be on a portion of the 239 acres that is zoned multifamily residential and is not
used by the golf course itself.
More than 60 people attended the
meeting and 15 spoke. Of them, 14 spoke against the well pad, citing concerns
about water, air and noise pollution as well as a probable increase in traffic.
Drive resident Richard Forsythe was the lone
person to speak in favor of the wells, saying they were cleaner than other
energy sources, like coal. “This is part of the free market,” Forsythe said.
Other speakers used words like
“insane,” “crazy” and “disaster waiting to happen” to describe the plan.
Occasionally people shouted negative remarks out of turn.
More people would have stepped up
to the podium, but the commissioners declined to hear from people who do not
live in the township.
“I'm mortified,” said Aaron
Edwards, noting that his 9-month-old son attends school at the nearby Lifesteps
building.
“Any damage caused by this pad
will be directly linked to your ordinance,” warned resident Joseph McMurry.
Throughout the meeting, the
commissioners expressed their individual concerns about the well pad but
acknowledged in their vote that Rex's proposal meets all of the ordinance
requirements.
“We want to change our ordinance, but it's too late for this one. Isn't
it?” asked commissioners Chairman
Joe Hasychak.
Township officials said they have
hired a consultant to look at making changes to zoning ordinances. But
solicitor Larry Lutz told the crowd it could be a complicated process because
some property owners in the township already have made leases with oil and gas
companies based on the ordinance, which was passed in December 2012.
The commissioners during the
meeting quizzed the Rex Energy officials no fewer than three times about moving
the location of the pad.
Duane Maust of Rex Energy said
the location decision is based on geology, the amount of leases in the area,
topography and the golf course owners' wishes. The pad will be on a 3-acre
gravel area but will disturb about 14 acres.
Mark Krenitsky, one of the owners
of the golf course, attended the meeting but did not speak. Afterward, he said
that as it stands, the proposal will not affect the 27-hole golf course.
“This is on an unused piece of
property,” Krenitsky said.
The proposal came to the
commissioners without a recommendation from the township planning commission. The planning commissioners refused to vote
in favor or against the project. Hasychak said the planning commission
disappointed him by failing to vote.”
Kim
Paskorz, Butler Eagle Staff Writer
*** Donegal Families
Fight for Water
“From January to June, Ken and
Mildred Geary had to use bottled water to cook, clean and shower because a leak
from a gas drilling company's impoundment pond contaminated their well water.
The DEP has ruled their well was
contaminated by a nearby WPX fracking operation.
Mildred Geary first noticed the
tap water smelled rotten and felt slimy. Running hot water in the kitchen would
fill the interior of their home along Route 711 in Donegal Township with a
horrible odor, she said.
WPX
eventually agreed to supply them with
cases of bottled water.
“It was a pain. We had to keep a
big bottle of water handy all the time,” said Geary, 76. “We couldn't shower or
anything because we didn't have decent water. We used the bottled water and
just washed off.”
Since 2007, natural gas drilling
has contaminated 243 wells in Pennsylvania, according to DEP.
The department has ordered WPX to
provide the Gearys and two other affected households with a permanent source of
clean water, finding that “WPX is
responsible for the pollution of the water supply” and failure to provide an
alternate source constitutes “a public nuisance and unlawful conduct.”
The Gearys are the third family
to receive a report from the state that their well water was contaminated by a leak in WPX's impoundment
pond, on the Kalp well pad. The DEP ruled the impoundment contaminated the
water of Joseph and Sonja Latin, who live next door to the Gearys, and of Ralph
and Sonya Brown. The homeowners and
WPX are battling on multiple fronts, including lawsuits in Westmoreland County
Common Pleas Court and an appeal before the state Environmental Hearing Board.
In its appeal of the Latins'
ruling, WPX claims the water quality is “naturally resolving over time without
the need for intervention or permanent replacement” and supplying bottled water
“is adequate for the purposes served by the water supply.”
“We want (each family) to have
access to water in their house, turning on taps. ... Nothing short of that is
acceptable,” said John Poister, a DEP spokesman.
WPX forwarded a
statement prepared in July, in which spokeswoman Susan Oliver said the company
is working with the families and the DEP, but
contesting DEP's test results on the water quality.
She claimed the company's water
tests show the Latins' and Gearys' water had “issues of odor, taste and visual
appeal; (but) at no time were the families facing a health impact concern.”
The impoundment pond, closed and
filled in, held recycled water the company used in hydraulic fracking in 2011.
In September 2012, the Browns' water was found to be contaminated with various
pollutants, including manganese and sodium, according to a lawsuit the
couple filed in September 2013 against WPX and its subcontractors.
While humans need small amounts
of manganese and sodium daily, studies show exposure to high levels of manganese can cause damage to the central
nervous system in adults and can
lead to cognitive impairment in children, who are more sensitive to the
element, according to reports prepared for the federal government. Continued
exposure to high levels of sodium can
lead to high blood pressure, according to a report to the Environmental
Protection Agency.
The Browns' suit, which is
pending, claims the contamination caused their property value to decrease while
inflicting personal discomfort and annoyance. The Browns have been receiving
water through an outdoor water tank supplied by WPX, according to the company.
The Latins filed a lawsuit
against WPX and its subcontractors on Sept. 4. It claims that last year their
water was contaminated with manganese. The suit makes similar claims regarding
decreased property values and quality of life.
For now, the Gearys have a large
round water tank behind their house that connects to faucets and showers. The
tank, in use since June, is filled weekly at WPX's expense, at about $500 a
week, said Dolly Coffman, a daughter who is helping the Gearys navigate the
process of winning back clean water.
“That's not a way of living,”
Coffman said. “All they want is good water. It ain't like they want a million
dollars.”
Permanent outdoor water tanks are
not an acceptable fix, Poister said.
“An important thing to realize is that bottled water is not an answer,”
Dr. Cynthia Walter, an associate professor of biology at St. Vincent College.
Walter said. If people shower in contaminated water, “you end up breathing
water droplets and any contamination in the water enters your lungs.”
Read
more:
http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/6758466-74/wpx-company-contaminated#ixzz3DisVQGwM
***DEP Fines Range
Resources $4.15 Million for Violating Environmental
Regulations
Consent order and agreement
will close five Washington County impoundments
“ The DEP today announced it has
signed a wide-ranging consent order and agreement with Range Resources for
violations at six of its Washington County impoundments.
The consent order requires the
company to pay a $4.15 million fine, the largest against an oil and gas
operator in the state’s shale drilling era, close five impoundments and upgrade
two other impoundments to meet heightened “next generation” standards currently
under development at DEP.
“This action reaffirms the
administration’s unwavering commitment to protecting Pennsylvania’s soil and
water resources,” DEP Secretary E. Christopher Abruzzo said. “This landmark
consent order establishes a new, higher benchmark for companies to meet when
designing future impoundments, which is an environmental win for Pennsylvania.”
Violations at the impoundments include various
releases of contaminants, such as leaking flowback that affected soil and
groundwater.
To date there has been no impact
on drinking water from any of these impoundments.
Under the consent order, Range
Resources will immediately begin the closure of the Hopewell Township 11
(Lowry), Cecil Township 23 (Worstell), and Kearns impoundments. Range Resources
will also continue the closure of the Yeager impoundment. The company must close
the Hopewell Township 12 (Bednarski) impoundment by April 1, 2015.
Additionally, the consent order
also directs Range Resources to upgrade two other impoundments. The liner
systems at the Chartiers Township 16 (Carol Baker) and Amwell Township 15 (Jon
Day) impoundments will be completely redesigned and rebuilt to meet “next
generation” standards currently under development at DEP.
When upgrading the two impoundments, Range Resources
will install thicker liners than are currently required, an electrically
conductive geomembrane that will allow better identification of potential leaks
and a real-time leak detection system. Range will also fully investigate and
remediate any groundwater contamination caused by the previous operation of the
impoundments.
Another impoundment, Mount
Pleasant Township 17 (Carter), will be limited to storing only fresh water for
as long as it remains in service. Range will also install a groundwater
monitoring well network at the impoundment now and will perform an
environmental site assessment at this impoundment once it is permanently
closed.
The company will be required to
report to DEP quarterly on the progress of the shutdown and remediation of the
sites.
The consent order also requires
Range Resources to immediately begin soil and groundwater investigations at
each of the closed impoundments to determine what, if any, impact there was
from their operation of the impoundments. If contamination is found, the
company is required to remediate the sites.”
www.depweb.state.pa.us<http://www.depweb.state.pa.us>
E.
Christopher Abruzzo
Secretary<http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/secretary>
***Those Living
Near Fracking Report Health Problems
“Stephanie Tiongco, of New
Milford, PA, says she knew something was wrong when her long, chestnut hair
started falling out. Around the same time, she says, seven alpacas on her small
farm mysteriously died.
She
blames both problems on one thing, an industry that’s contentious in her rural
town and in Washington: fracking. “I used to sit on my front porch and look out
at all this beautiful country. Now all I see is a gas pad.”
Tiongco, 57, recently filed a
lawsuit against Arkansas-based Southwestern Energy that drills land a
quarter-mile from her property. Southwestern Energy, she said, moved in two
years ago and swiftly destroyed her livelihood: the alpaca farm and the dolls
she handcrafts from alpaca fleece.
Southwestern Energy spokesperson
Christina Fowler would not comment on the lawsuit but said the company “meets
or exceeds” federal standards.
“I can’t relax ever,” Tiongco says. “They’re tearing everything up.
They’re putting something in the water that hurt my hair and killed my
animals.” She’s seeking at least $75,000 in damages.
.
The National Institutes of Health unveiled the largest
independent study to investigate the impact of fracking on nearby residents. The
survey of residents of southern Pennsylvania found that people with ground-fed
water wells living near hydraulic fracturing sites are twice as likely to
report skin and respiratory problems.
The survey does not establish
causation —Among the most common complaints in these areas: unexplained hair
loss, persistent rashes, sore throats and nosebleeds.
Fracking
proponents call the Yale-led study baseless.
Residents less than a mile from
fracking sites, researchers found, sought more medical attention for skin and
respiratory maladies than those who live farther away.
And
it may provide some explanation for why doctors found undiagnosable skin
lesions in Avella, Pennsylvania, to name one prominent example.
“This is just the start,” Stowe
said. “More research is needed down the road.”
Recently in Texas, a family wracked with migraines and nausea won $2.9
million in an unprecedented fracking lawsuit. Tiongco hopes her court
battle, one of several in Pennsylvania, will help her move.
She’s trying to sell her farm but
worries that the fracking next door has reduced its value. At a local hair
stylist’s recommendation, she recently installed a $1,500 water filter. Still,
Tiongco dreads showering and drinks only bottled water.
“I can’t believe I have to live
like this,” she said, “but I don’t trust what comes from the ground anymore.”
She gave the rest of her alpacas
to friends in upstate New York. Luckily, her barn contains enough fleece to
stock her Etsy shop with dolls for the next two years.
By then, she plans to live on new
land.”
***Waste Firm
Agrees to Stop Discharging Frack Waste Water
Into Allegheny River
Thank you Clean
Water Action
“The Allegheny River is the
drinking water source for 560,000 people, including the city of Pittsburgh.
Thank
you, Clean Water Action, for continuing to pursue this when DEP dropped the
ball.
A Warren County waste treatment
firm has agreed to build a state-of-the-art treatment facility to settle a federal lawsuit alleging it had illegally
and repeatedly discharged Marcellus Shale gas drilling wastewater containing
high concentrations of salts, heavy metals and radioactive compounds into the
Allegheny.
Under terms of the settlement
agreement with Clean Water Action, a statewide environmental organization,
Waste Treatment Corp. has agreed to stop discharging
up to 200,000 gallons a day of shale gas drilling wastewater. Within eight
months, it will build the new treatment facility that will have the ability to
remove more than 99 percent of the pollutants...
“Part of the reason we continued to pursue our suit was that DEP was
dragging its feet and we couldn’t wait for them to actually follow through and
address the contamination,” Myron Arnowitt said in the
group’s news release.
In 2011, the DEP fined Waste
Treatment $100,000 for violating its water discharge permit, which does not
permit it to treat oil and gas wastewater. And in 2012, DEP water testing found
levels of chloride, bromide, lithium, strontium, radium-226 and radium-228
downriver from the treatment plant that were more than 100 times higher than
those found upriver from the plant.”
***Mercer County Well Forces Evacuation Of Homes
“A Saturday morning fire at a
Mercer County gas well forced the evacuation of more than a dozen homes, an
emergency dispatch supervisor reported.
The fire started around 5:45 a.m.
at a Hilcorp Energy well pad in Shenango, the supervisor said.
A separator at the well site
ignited, said Justin Furnace, corporate manager, external affairs. A separator,
used to separate oil, gas and water, was housed in a metal building at the edge
of the well pad, he said.
Shenango firefighters
extinguished the fire by 8:20 a.m. The fire was confined to the separator, the
company said. No injuries were reported.
Emergency workers temporarily
evacuated 15 to 20 residents located within a 1-mile radius of the site. Those
residents since have returned home.
Houston-based Hilcorp has a field
office in New Castle. Furnace said the cause of the fire is undetermined, and
it is investigating. The state DEP has been notified.” http://triblive.com/state/pennsylvania/6747150-74/story#axzz3D7XP0O9B
***The Urgent Case For a Ban On Fracking
“The
term “fracking” has come to mean far more than just the specific process of extracting
gas by injecting large volumes of water, sand and chemicals deep underground,
at extreme pressure, to create fractures in targeted rock formations. Today, the term “fracking” represents the
host of problems that this dangerous practice entails. This report details
evidence on the many reasons why fracking should be banned, including:
Producing massive volumes of
toxic and radioactive waste.- The unregulated disposal of this waste is causing
earthquakes and putting drinking water resources at risk.
Pumping
hazardous pollutants into the air. Fracking utilizes over 100 dangerous
chemicals known to cause life-threatening illnesses, including cancer.
Destabilizing the climate.-
Fracking wells release large amounts of methane gas, which is known to trap 87
times more heat than carbon in the atmosphere and contributes greatly to global
warming.
Disrupting local communities.-
Fracking presents a broad number of consequences for people living in areas
where it is occurring, including damage to public roads, declines in property
value, increased crime and an increased demand on emergency services.
Turning homes into explosive
hazards.- Contaminating water wells with methane and other flammable gases from
fracking puts families’ health, safety and property at high risk.
Causing thousands of accidents, leaks
and spills.- More than 7,500 accidents related to fracking occurred in 2013,
negatively impacting water quality in rivers, streams and shallow aquifers.”
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/reports/the-urgent-case-for-a-ban-on-fracking/Sanda
Everette
***Michigan Landfill Taking Rejected PA Radioactive
Waste Has History Of Violations
“Wayne
Disposal’s owner, USEcology, cited its record of “safe, secure and compliant
disposal” as a reason why it’s an appropriate site for out-of-state,
radioactive fracking waste.
But violations cited by
regulators from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the EPA,
revealed incidents including a leak in the hazardous waste landfill’s primary
protective liner; toxic leachate spills into surface water; improper venting
and monitoring of stored underground hazardous waste; disposing of hazardous
waste in nonhazardous landfill locations, and failing to control chemical
reactions during processing that caused fires on-site. DEQ records show at
least nine fires have started in Michigan Disposal’s processing facility in the
past nine years as a result of toxic chemicals reacting with each other during
treatment.
Despite
the violations and mishaps, the Wayne Disposal landfill got DEQ permission in
2012 to just about double its size,
to a total capacity of nearly 22.5 million cubic yards.
The landfill drew attention with the revelation
last month that it planned to receive up to 36 tons of low-activity,
radioactive fracking sludge from a Pennsylvania oil and gas driller. The waste had earlier been rejected by
landfills in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The current
standard for placing TENORM in landfills is to reduce its radioactivity to 50
picocuries per gram or less. USEcology has asked the DEQ to revise its waste
analysis plan to allow it to increase the radiation limit tenfold, to 500
picocuries per gram. The DEQ is analyzing the request.
Wayne
Disposal is one of 17 hazardous waste-permitted facilities in the country — and
one of only three east of the Mississippi River.
But fires have been an alarmingly regular occurrence
at USEcology’s Van Buren Township facilities — at least nine fires in the past
nine years, ranging from small, candle-like flames in a treatment tank where
hazardous waste was being mixed, to an Aug. 9, 2005, explosion and fire that
burned for three days and forced the evacuation of about 900 homes in nearby
Romulus and Wayne. The latter explosion rained small pellets of metal and other
material from the landfill down on homes and yards within a mile radius.
In another fire in the
fall of 2010, hazardous waste being dumped from a trailer truck into a
treatment tank at Michigan Disposal reacted chemically and caught fire, burning
the tank and truck.
It takes thousands of years for radium 226’s
radioactivity, the kind found in TENORM waste, to reduce itself back down to a
natural background level, Lodge said.”
http://www.freep.com/article/20140907/NEWS06/309070083/radioactive-fracking-landfill-disposal-TENORM-waste
***Fracking's Financial Losers: Local
Governments
Localities are forced to deal with much of the problems
associated with fracking, while states and the federal government rake in all
the revenue.
“The shale gas market is an economic boon for
the 30-odd states that permit fracking. The severance tax states impose on the
process adds up. In 2010, it generated more than $11 billion. The flow of that
revenue goes straight into state and federal piggy banks, as does increased
corporate income tax revenue from energy companies profiting from fracking.
Localities,
however, enjoy no such benefits. Instead, they get stuck with all the fracking
problems: noise from blasting, storage of toxic chemicals, degraded water
sources and heavy truck traffic, as well as the rising costs of cleaning up the
detritus fracking leaves behind. North
Dakota counties affected by hydraulic fracturing have reported to the state
Department of Mineral Resources’ Oil and Gas Division that traffic, air
pollution, jobsite and highway accidents, sexual assaults, bar fights,
prostitution and drunk driving have all increased.
In
addition, fracking, in many cases, negatively impacts property values, which in
turn depresses property tax revenue. For property owners who own the rights to the oil and gas on their land,
the effects of drilling can be offset by royalty payments. But localities have
no revenue offset if properties lose value.
The financial risks posed by
fracking have become significant enough to capture the attention of mortgage
bankers and insurers, who appear to be adopting guidelines that forbid mortgage
loans or insurance coverage on properties affected by drilling.
According to a 2013 survey by business researchers at the University of Denver,
persons bidding on homes near fracking locations reduced their offers by as
much as 25 percent. In North Texas, the Wise County Central Appraisal Review
Board reduced the appraised value of a family’s home and 10-acre ranchette more
than 70 percent. The board agreed to the extraordinary reduction as a result of
numerous environmental problems related to fracking just one year after the
first drilling rig went up on the property.
While
a number of states continue to push to expand fracking, localities have some
leverage. They control land use policies, zoning and property rights. Ironically, one of the earliest local-state challenges came from Exxon’s
CEO. As a homeowner in an upscale community in Bartonville, Texas, the CEO
found himself at odds with a local fracking operation.
He filed suit to block
construction of a water tower near his home -- a tower that would increase fracking
in the area -- alleging it would create “a noise nuisance and traffic hazards.”
The
dispute in Texas is only the tip of the derrick, as it were. In New York,
the state’s highest court upheld the right of two local governments to
establish zoning laws that keep out fracking companies. The court’s 5-2
decision was based solely on reaffirming the towns’ rights to make their own
zoning choices. In its ruling, the majority noted that the towns had engaged in
a “reasonable exercise” of their zoning authority, that they had “studied the
issue and acted within their home-rule
powers in determining that gas drilling would permanently alter and adversely
affect the deliberately cultivated small-town character of their communities.”
In
Colorado, where the cities of Boulder, Broomfield, Fort Collins and Lafayette
have adopted antifracking measures, Gov. John Hickenlooper recently announced
the appointment of a task force to develop recommendations that would reduce
land use conflicts when oil and gas facilities are located near homes, schools,
businesses and recreation areas. He
would also ask the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission to dismiss
litigation challenging the city of Longmont’s ban on hydraulic fracturing and
call on all parties to withdraw ballot initiatives on the topic. The task
force will make recommendations to the legislature and issue majority and
minority opinions.”
http://www.governing.com/columns/public-money/gov-frackings-financial-losers.html
***State
Department Sold Fracking to the World
A trove of secret documents details
the US government's global push for shale gas.
“
The State Department hosted conferences on fracking from Thailand to Botswana. It sent US experts to work alongside
foreign officials as they developed shale gas programs. And it arranged for
dozens of foreign delegations to visit the United States to attend workshops
and meet with industry consultants—as well as with environmental groups, in
some cases.
US oil giants, meanwhile, were snapping up gas leases in far-flung places. By 2012, Chevron had large shale concessions in
Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, and South Africa, as well as in Eastern
Europe, which was in the midst of a claim-staking spree; Poland alone had
granted more than 100 shale concessions covering nearly a third of its
territory. When it lit its first gas flare atop a Halliburton-drilled well that
fall, the state-owned gas company ran full-page ads in the country's largest
newspapers showing a spindly rig rising above the hills in the tiny village of
Lubocino, alongside the tagline: "Don't put out the flame of hope."
Politicians promised that Poland would soon break free of its nemesis, Russia,
which supplies the lion's share of its gas. "After years of dependence on
our large neighbor, today we can say that my generation will see the day when
we will be independent in the area of natural gas," Prime Minister Donald
Tusk declared. "And we will be setting terms."
But shale was not the godsend that industry
leaders and foreign governments had hoped it would be. For one, new research
from the US Geological Survey suggested that the EIA assessments had grossly
overestimated shale deposits: The recoverable shale gas estimate for Poland
shrank from 187 trillion cubic feet to 1.3 trillion cubic feet, a 99 percent
drop. Geological conditions and other factors in Europe and Asia also made
fracking more arduous and expensive; one industry study estimated that drilling
shale gas in Poland would cost three times what it does in the United States.
By 2013, US oil giants were abandoning
their Polish shale plays. "The expectations for global shale gas were
extremely high," says the State Department's Hueper. "But the
geological limitations and aboveground challenges are immense. A handful of countries
have the potential for a boom, but there may never be a global shale gas
revolution."
"They're desperate," says Antoine Simon of Friends of
the Earth Europe. "It's the last push to continue their fossil fuel
development."
The
politics of fracking overseas were also fraught. According to Susan Sakmar, a
visiting law professor at the University of Houston who has studied fracking
regulation, the United States is one of the only nations where individual
landowners own the mineral rights. "In
most, perhaps all, other countries of the world, the underground resources
belong to the crown or the government," she explains. The fact that
property owners didn't stand to profit from drilling on their land ignited
public outrage in some parts of the world, especially Eastern Europe. US
officials speculate that Russia also had a hand in fomenting protests there.
"The perception among diplomats in the region was that Russia was
protecting its interests," says Mark Gitenstein, the former US ambassador
to Romania. "It didn't want shale gas for obvious reasons."
Faced
with these obstacles, US and European
energy companies launched a lobbying blitz targeting the European Union. They
formed faux grassroots organizations, plied lawmakers with industry-funded
studies, and hosted lavish dinners and conferences for regulators. The
website for one industry confab—which, according to Friends of the Earth
Europe, featured presentations from Exxon Mobil, Total, and Halliburton—warned that failure to develop shale gas
"will have damaging consequences on European energy security and
prosperity" and urged European governments to "allow shale gas
exploration to advance" so they could "fully understand the scale of
the opportunity."
.
….These strategies appeared to pay off: The commission's recently released
framework for regulating fracking includes recommendations for governments but
not firm requirements. "They chose the weakest option they had," says
Simon of Friends of the Earth Europe. "People at the highest level of the
commission are in the industry's pocket."
Goldwyn
was also busy promoting fracking overseas—this time on behalf of industry.
Between January and October 2012, his
firm organized a series of workshops on fracking for officials in Bulgaria,
Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine, all of them funded by Chevron. The
events were closed to the public—when Romanian journalist Vlad Ursulean
tried to attend the Romanian gathering, he says Goldwyn personally saw to it
that he was escorted out.
In some cases, the State Department had a
direct hand in negotiating the deals. Gitenstein, then the ambassador to
Romania, met with Chevron executives and Romanian officials and pressed them to
hand over millions of acres of shale concessions. "The Romanians were just
sitting on the leases, and Chevron was
upset. So I intervened," says Gitenstein, whose State Department
tenure has been bookended by stints at Mayer Brown, a law and lobbying firm
that has represented Chevron. "This
is traditionally what ambassadors do on behalf of American companies."
In the end, Romania signed a 30-year deal with Chevron, which helped set off
massive, nationwide protests.
….The
strategy did little to soothe the public's ire. When Chevron finally did
attempt to install the rig in late 2013, residents—including elderly villagers
who arrived in horse-drawn carts—blockaded the planned drilling sites. The Romanian Orthodox Church rallied behind
them, with one local priest likening Chevron to enemy "invaders."
Soon, anti-fracking protests were cropping up from Poland to the United
Kingdom. But Chevron didn't back down. Along with other American energy firms,
it lobbied to insert language in a proposed US-EU trade agreement allowing US
companies to haul European governments before international arbitration panels
for any actions threatening their investments. Chevron argued this was
necessary to protect shareholders against "arbitrary" and
"unfair" treatment by local authorities. But environmental groups say
it would stymie fracking regulation and point to a $250 million lawsuit
Delaware-based Lone Pine Resources has filed against the Canadian province of
Quebec for temporarily banning fracking near a key source of drinking water.
The case hinges on a similar trade provision.
Despite the public outcry in Europe, the State Department has stayed
the course. Clinton's successor as secretary of state, John Kerry, views
natural gas as a key part of his push against climate change. Under Kerry,
State has ramped up investment in its shale gas initiative and is planning to
expand it to 30 more countries, from Cambodia to Papua New Guinea.
Following
the Crimea crisis, the Obama administration has also been pressing Eastern
European countries to fast-track their fracking initiatives so as to be less
dependent on Russia. During an April visit to Ukraine,
which has granted concessions to Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell, Vice President Joe Biden announced that
the United States would bring in technical experts to speed up its shale gas
development. "We stand
ready to assist you," promised Biden, whose son Hunter has since joined
the board of a Ukrainian energy company. "Imagine
where you'd be today if you were able to tell Russia: 'Keep your gas.' It would
be a very different world."
This story was supported by the Fund
for Investigative Journalism.
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/09/hillary-clinton-fracking-shale-state-department-chevron?page=2
Donations
We are very appreciative of donations, both
large and small, to our group.
With
your help, we have handed out thousands of flyers on the health and
environmental effects of fracking, sponsored numerous public meetings, and
provided information to citizens and officials countywide. If you would like to
support our efforts:
Checks to our group should be
made out to the Thomas Merton
Center/Westmoreland Marcellus Citizens’ Group. And in the Reminder line please
write- Westmoreland Marcellus Citizens’ Group. The reason for this is that
we are one project of 12 at Thomas Merton. You can send your check to:
Westmoreland Marcellus Citizens’ Group, PO Box 1040, Latrobe, PA, 15650.
Or
you can give the check or cash to Lou Pochet or Jan Milburn.
To make a contribution to our group using a credit card, go to www.thomasmertoncenter.org. Look for the contribute button, then scroll
down the list of organizations to direct money to. We are listed as the
Westmoreland Marcellus Citizens’ Group.
Please be sure to write Westmoreland Marcellus Citizens’ Group
on the bottom of your check so that WMCG receives the funding, since we are
just one project of many of the Thomas Merton Center. You can also give your
donation to Lou Pochet or Jan Milburn.
Westmoreland Marcellus Citizen’s Group—Mission Statement
WMCG is a project
of the Thomas Merton Society
• 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 Liason-Lou Pochet
Secretary-Ron Nordstrom
Facebook Coordinator-Elizabeth Nordstrom
Science Advisor-Dr. Cynthia Walter
To receive our
news updates, please email jan at westmcg@gmail.com
