Hydrofracking for natural gas in Catskills

[Raven]

Research Team Findings

Duke University research team finds:

-Water wells closest to drilling sites have significantly higher levels of methane than those farther away.

-Isotopic analysis suggests the shallow water wells (few hundred feet deep) are indeed being contaminated with methane coming from much deeper sources (thousands of feet deep).


http://www.npr.org/2011/05/13/136280456/study-links-methane-in-water-to-gas-extraction

 

[Raven]

EPA links fracking chemicals to groundwater contamination (released this week)

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday for the first time that fracking — a controversial method of improving the productivity of oil and gas wells — may be to blame for causing groundwater pollution."

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/08/143362512/epa-implicates-fracking-in-wyoming-pollution

 

[rup]

Regarding the quote on the JoEP piece, they literally FLOODED a half acre with a foot of fracking fluid. That should effect almost anything. Not espec a 'trace' study. I may have missed a decimal point, but probly not.

 

[IndianChris]

New York Times had article in Science section on Tuesday...fracking may cause earthquakes.

 

[1ADAM12]

Disturbing news

My mother and father-inlaw now have CH4 gas in their well water. The last few days they have noticed a strange odor and the fire department came out today. Sure enough the fumes are coming into the home. The EPA has been notified and they are sending someone out this afternoon to take a look. Less than a mile up the road is an active fracking site.

 

[Mike P.]

My mother and father-inlaw now have CH4 gas in their well water. The last few days they have noticed a strange odor and the fire department came out today. Sure enough the fumes are coming into the home. The EPA has been notified and they are sending someone out this afternoon to take a look. Less than a mile up the road is an active fracking site.

Sorry to hear about your parents home. Saddly nobody (or just the drillers) had baseline readings of what the conditions were before hand. In many cases, regulating local bodies have industry ties.

What I have a hard time understanding is how they can control what cracks underground when they frack. They should be (but have issues) able to create a safe cemeted vertical shaft. Once they go horizontal & blast the shale how do control how little, or how much will crack? My analogy is taking a piece of sheet rock, drawing a small circle (4" or so across) & hitting it with a hammer & being sure that you won't have any cracks outside the circle all the way through on both sides.

In the Bakken Shale, they are indeed creating jobs, they have openings for lawyers, bartenders, etc & more police also as the boom towns springing up with mostly men have plenty of bars. Apparently you can't get families to move to ND, sooo but hey, don't take it from me.....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/...ses-drunkenness-rowdy-behavior_n_1032326.html

 

[1ADAM12]

Well the EPA came out and they said there is no problem. Supposedly their gas meters did not register anything although the local fire department and a plumber friend of the family say otherwise. You have to love Government Agencies!

 

[Little Rickie]

Well the EPA came out and they said there is no problem. Supposedly their gas meters did not register anything although the local fire department and a plumber friend of the family say otherwise. You have to love Government Agencies!

Methane is not toxic; however, it is extremely flammable and may form explosive mixtures with air. Methane is violently reactive with oxidizers, halogens, and some halogen-containing compounds. Methane is also an asphyxiant and may displace oxygen in an enclosed space. Asphyxia may result if the oxygen concentration is reduced to below about 16% by displacement, as most people can tolerate a reduction from 21% to 16% without ill effects. The concentration of methane at which asphyxiation risk becomes significant is much higher than the 5–15% concentration in a flammable or explosive mixture. Methane off-gas can penetrate the interiors of buildings near landfills and expose occupants to significant levels of methane. Some buildings have specially engineered recovery systems below their basements to actively capture this gas and vent it away from the building

Sucks doesn't it? Time for documentation and persistence.

 

[eddie]

Sucks doesn't it? Time for documentation and persistence.

And a good environmental lawyer. Check with their neighbors too likely the same issue. Sorry and good luck.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I saw this piece on AlterNet related to fracking in New York State, and thought it would be useful to incorporate in this thread.

Anyone know if there's contingency planning underway regarding the pollution of the aquifers, both short- and longterm solutions?

 

[Puma concolor]

Seems the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has taken up the cause. For those interested in letter campaigns and such:

Dear Governor Cuomo ...

 

[Puma concolor]

An interesting an encouraging story on wet gas versus dry gas ...

ALBANY -- Energy companies swept through the Southern Tier and into the Catskills in 2008, eager to lease natural-gas rights from landowners sitting above the resource-rich, suddenly accessible Marcellus Shale formation.

Close to four years of regulatory review and a de facto moratorium later, New York’s portion of the Marcellus remains untapped by high-volume hydraulic fracturing. Now, natural-gas giants like Chesapeake Energy and Consol Energy are pulling back on shale-gas drilling in other states and focusing on “wet gas” not found in New York. It’s largely because natural-gas prices have dropped to lows not seen since 2002.

Marcellus Shale's Dry Gas ...

 

[IndianChris]

Major problems in Cooperstown!!!

Just read in the Yankee Brew News that the hydrofracking in NYS might affect the ground water being used by Brewery Ommegang to brew their Belgian style beers!!! This could lead to Ommegeddon!!!

Time to make a stand people!!!

 

[Chip]

group seeks preservation under historic designation;
http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/empire/2012/apr/16/historic-preservation-groups-weighs-fracking-new-york/

 

[Tim Seaver]

VT Bans Fracking

First state to do so.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012...gns-fracking-ban-into-law/UPI-30571337277432/

 

[Snowflea]

Ilovermont!!

 

[Neil]

Seen on a bumper sticker:

Keep the US out of VT!

 

[Puma concolor]

Seen on a bumper sticker:

Keep the US out of VT!

No offense to New Hampshire or Maine, but Vermont has been the coolest state in the Union pretty much forever.

On the NY side, there was a big fracking protest at the State Capitol in Albany on Tuesday, where the most recent Incredible Hulk actor (don't know his name) was among those speaking out against hydrofracking in the Empire State. More theatre than anything else but still nice to see.

 

[Puma concolor]

Mark Ruffalo is the actor I referred to in the above post. Here's a link to the story (with video) from the Legislative Gazette, which covers all things NY State Capitol related.

Hulk Leads Fracking Protest

 

[Peakbagr]

Just a reminder. The issue of hydrofracking is an issue important to NY and PA residents. I began the thread because of the potential environmental impact on the watershed, Catskill mtns, and a way of life along the Marcellus shale deposits in PA and NY.
So that we are not compelled to delete posts or kill the thread, pls keep your comments non political.

Please see the last line in the first post of this thread.