Waterdog Update

Here’s an update on the Waterdog training coming up this month. Don’t forget to call Erika and let her know you are coming to the training. Contact me if you need her number.

Hello Waterdogs,

I wanted to let everyone know that I have finally confirmed the location for the Advanced Waterdog Training!!  It is Saturday, February 27, from 9-12 at the Ives Run Recreation area at the Tioga Hammond Lakes.  It will be held in the Visitor’s Center/Ranger Station.

This training is for current waterdogs only – but I only have some of the emails!!  I will be mailing out other fliers for those that I don’t have emails – so if you could please send this on to someone that you know is already a waterdog I would really appreciate it.  Also I have cards for everyone – I have redone the cards if you have already received one – they are more wallet friendly!!  So please let me know one way or the other if you are coming to the training – if you are not planning to attend the training I will mail your Id card to you.

Thank you,

Erica Tomlinson

Watershed Specialist

Tioga County Conservation District

Gas vs Wine

In New York state’s Marcellus Shale region the Keuka Wine Trail may soon get a new neighbor: a disposal facility for toxic brine flowback from natural gas drilling. In his latest column about drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation, journalist Peter Mantius of Burdett writes that local government officials may face tough calls over which to favor: the natural gas industry or the wine industry….

To read the article, click here

http://www.odessafile.com/features-Mantius7.html

Marcellus Shale Coalition Releases the Facts on Flowback Water Treatment

CANONSBURG, Pa., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ — The Marcellus Shale Coalition today issued the following statement to provide the facts regarding water use and flowback water management in the development of natural gas from the Marcellus formation: ”Pennsylvanians deserve to get the facts about water management for Marcellus Shale development.  We need to put an end to the suppositions that could threaten our state’s ability to create jobs and investment here at home. ”Regulations governing the use and management of water needed to drill a Marcellus Shale well in Pennsylvania are among the most stringent in the nation, and ensure the protection of the Commonwealth’s water resources.  Water withdrawals from streams and rivers must be approved, including the withdrawal location and amount of water required for each well, as well as detailed storage and treatment plans. …

Some might ask how stringent are the regulations, and are they stringent enough. One of the regulatory agency representatives at a recent Marcellus Shale public meeting, said federal regulations are stronger than those in PA, but the feds only regulate a small portion of gas industry activities.

“The industry currently treats or recycles all of its flowback water. Recycling accounts for approximately 60 percent of the water used to complete Marcellus Shale wells, with greater percentages predicted for the future.  There are more than a dozen approved water treatment facilities available to treat flowback water, with plans for additional capacity in the future …

Some might ask what the nature of the treated or recycled end product actually is. How much of the original toxic materials and total dissolved solids (TDS) are removed by the treatment, and are ALL the permitted treatment facilities producing the same end product before discharge? Are some discharging only partly treated – or even untreated – fluid?  Is discharging any of the treated fluid into a waterway, injecting it deep into an abandoned well or burying it in a landfill environmentally benign and of no risk to public health? Also, given the number of wells currently producing flowback fluid, is a dozen treatment facilities adequate to protect the environment and public health?

“Claims about elevated levels of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in the Monongahela River from natural gas development have been refuted by studies that attribute a minimal amount of the total TDS levels to Marcellus Shale drilling activity. In fact, historical monitoring shows the variability of TDS levels in the Monongahela and other rivers to be a cyclical phenomenon over the past 30 years. …

Some might say that TDS is a scientifically-established environmental pollutant, known to damage freshwater aquatic organisms, endanger public health, interfere with potable water supplier’s services and with industries using water. They might ask whether adding more TDS to the Monongahela – or to any waterway – makes sense, regardless of whether the TDS comes from gas drilling activities or from some other source.

To read the entire press release, click here:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/marcellus-shale-coalition-releases-the-facts-on-flowback-water-treatment-83561557.html

For those unfamiliar with what the Marcellus Shale Coalition is, click here: http://www.pamarcellus.com/

Law on gas drilling still in flux…

From The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA 1/29/10:

BENTON – With interest increasing in drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale, there’s a whole swirl of legislation related to it being considered in Harrisburg, but much of it comes down to money. “A lot of what goes on in Harrisburg is who’s gonna pay to make the pie and who’s going to get a piece,” said state Rep. Garth Everett, R-Lycoming. “The fight is how we’re going to divide up the pie. …

We want to see the Commonwealth get its fair share, but we also don’t want to … go New York on them and drive them away.” …  Everett described the intention and status of nearly 20 bills throughout the legislature, noting that they fit into four categories: taxation and where the money goes, water protection, access to information and surface-owner rights. While some likely won’t ever see a vote, Everett said a few will probably pass this session, including a bill that would require companies to release well production information within six months instead of the current five years. …

Robert Yowell, the director of the DEP’s north-central regional office, said the rush to drill in the shale happened so quickly that DEP is still trying to catch up with regulations. Likewise, he said, companies are still becoming acquainted with differences here from where they’re used to drilling. “When they first came to town, I don’t think they realized how widely our streams fluctuated,” he said. …

To read the full article, click here:

http://www.timesleader.com/news/hottopics/shale/Law_on_gas_drilling_still_in_flux__public_told_01-29-2010.html

DEP – Notice of new rulemaking for gas well construction

The following is an extract of a DEP release from January. You may already have seen this, but might not have considered officially commenting to DEP on their rulemaking. I urge you and any organization you represent to do so. Gas industry representatives may attempt to weaken or delete some – or all – of these regulations. Public input will help to support DEP’s efforts to put these regulations in place.

In order to protect Pennsylvania’s residents and environment from the impact of increased natural gas exploration across the state, Governor Edward G. Rendell announced today that the commonwealth is strengthening its enforcement capabilities…. … DEP’s work to amend Pennsylvania’s oil and gas regulations will strengthen well construction standards and define a drilling company’s responsibility for responding to gas migration issues, such as when gas escapes a well or rock formation and seeps into homes or water wells. Specifically, he said the new regulations will:

• Require the casings of Marcellus Shale and other high-pressure wells to be tested and constructed with specific, oilfield-grade cement;
• Clarify the drilling industry’s responsibility to restore or replace water supplies affected by drilling;
• Establish procedures for operators to identify and correct gas migration problems without waiting for direction from DEP;
• Require drilling operators to notify DEP and local emergency responders immediately of gas migration problems;
• Require well operators to inspect every existing well quarterly to ensure each well is structurally sound, and report the results of those inspections to DEP annually; and
• Require well operators to notify DEP immediately if problems such as over-pressurized wells and defective casings are found during inspections.

“These new draft regulations, which were developed through open meetings with experts in the industry, are designed to give Pennsylvanians peace of mind by bringing our state’s requirements up to par with other major gas producing states or, as in the case of the well casing requirements, to a level that is even more rigorous,” said Governor Rendell.

The new regulations will be offered for public comment on Jan. 29 before going through DEP’s formal rulemaking process.

In commenting to DEP about these new regulations, consider whether it is appropriate for  the industry to police itself when there have been so many documented instances of failure to do so in Pennsylvania and other gas-producing states.

Specifically, the regulations noted above that say the following are situations where a regulatory agency may be a more appropriate entity to oversee this aspect of drilling in order to protect the public and the environment.

- “Require well operators to inspect every existing well quarterly to ensure each well is structurally sound, and report the results of those inspections to DEP annually.”

- “Require well operators to notify DEP immediately if problems such as over-pressurized wells and defective casings are found during inspections.”

Consider the following with regard to the regulation that says: “Clarify the drilling industry’s responsibility to restore or replace water supplies affected by drilling.”

If a home’s water supply is damaged in quality and/or quantity by gas drilling – whether the supply comes from a private or public source – it should be replaced in toto. It’s unacceptable to replace only drinking water but not water that is needed for other household purposes, such as washing, or for irrigation. A property’s value can be significantly diminished by lack or water or water that is polluted. It appears that the regulation on this matter would insure appropriate replacement. Public input would underscore the importance of this regulation.

Consider whether the mechanism to determine whether a water supply has been adversely affected by drilling is fair to the property owner.

In order to comment on these regulations, here’s what DEP says.

Interested persons are invited to submit comments, suggestions or

objections regarding the proposed amendments to the Bureau of Oil and Gas, P. O. Box

8765, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8765 (express mail: Rachel Carson State Office Building,

5th Floor, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101-2301).

Comments submitted by facsimile will not be accepted.

Comments, suggestions or objections must be received by the Department by March 2, 2010.

Electronic Comments: Comments may be submitted electronically to the Department at

ra-epoilandgas@state.pa.us and must also be received by the Department by March 2,

2010.

A subject heading of the proposal and a return name and address must be included

in each transmission. If the sender does not receive an acknowledgement of electronic

comments within 2 working days, the comments should be retransmitted to ensure

receipt.

To read the original announcement, click here:

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/newsroom/14287?id=3115&typeid=1

To read the details of the rulemaking, deadline for public comments and where to send them, click here:

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/oilgas/Oil%20&%20Gas%20Documents/CHAPTER%2078%20Revisions%20January%2027%202010.pdf

DEP plugs 259 abandoned oil and gas wells

Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger today reported the department last year managed 14 project sites in nine counties that successfully plugged 259 abandoned oil and gas wells. That work, he said, is important not only to protect the environment, but the public’s safety, as well. “Abandoned wells create passageways for pollution to enter and contaminate drinking water. They also can allow natural gas to enter water supplies or build up in a home, which can create a dangerous enclosed space,” Hanger said…. Pennsylvania has the highest number of abandoned wells in the Appalachian region and is one of the top five states nationally. The department has documented more than 8,600 wells throughout the state that were abandoned prior to passage of modern oil and gas drilling regulations….

Some might ask what insures that the taxpayer won’t be footing the bill for plugging wells abandoned if currently operating companies go bankrupt?

To read the full article, click here:

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/newsroom/14287?id=8901&typeid=1

Largest Private Clean Air Fund in Texas Bans Nat’l Gas Projects

Stating that “it’s become impossible to ignore the incongruity of the claims of a ‘cleaner’ natural gas industry, versus the facts on the ground in our own backyard,” the grassroots directors of the largest private clean air fund in Texas have voted to suspend consideration of any further anti-pollution grants promoting the use of the increasingly controversial fuel and voiced support for a regional moratorium on new gas drilling….

… it’s become impossible to ignore the incongruity of the claims of a “cleaner” natural gas industry, versus the facts on the ground in our own backyard. Among the most important of those facts are:

1) The natural gas industry is poorly regulated.

2) The gas industry is adding to local air pollution problems.

3) The gas industry is consuming and contaminating large quantities of water.

4) The gas industry is abusing private property rights.

Could this be Pennsylvania in  few years?

To read the full article, click here:

http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=0011-u4wRWTE7TQUNuwD0BlMyMjUJwF130yNEAAQBxmklz9AdoTvSlsUAegNg2cypcqJ_cI3Rx2fHV6NKZTwiB-vnUfTVdIEfjMLQMsbc9L71YAW0Y7uDQsU71ZZCvt_C-C

Tuscarora Township Incident

From a report in thedailyreview.com on 1/29/10:

TUSCARORA TWP. – An accident Thursday at the Mowry natural gas well on Clapper Hill Road sent three people to the hospital and sparked an investigation into how the incident occurred. …Two employees of a contract company at the scene were transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment of non-critical injuries, according to the press release. They were later released after treatment. A third contractor, who also suffered non-critical injuries, was later taken the hospital for treatment as well, and remains hospitalized as of 6 p.m. Thursday. … In a press release issued by Chesapeake Energy, the accident occurred at approximately 4:30 a.m., and was caused by equipment failure that occurred during completion work on the well….

Read more at these sites:

http://thedailyreview.com/news/questions-remain-in-gas-well-accident-1.580356http://www.poten.com/NewsDetails.aspx?id=10333860

EPA Hydrofracking Study

From a member of representative Chris Carney’s staff:

EPA Administer Lisa Jackson minutes ago finished a news conference which highlights President’s Obama’s FY2011 budget as it pertains to EPA. I thought you’d be interested to know Ms. Jackson specifically mentioned that funding for the study on the affects of hydrofracing on drinking water is included in the $847 Science allocation. You may recall that Congress directed EPA to conduct this study last fall. You can view the entire news conference on the link below. Her comments on the hydrofracing study can be found at minute 8:00.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/4378451

Map of wells drilling in PA in 2009

Here is a link to a map of gas wells drilled in PA in 2009. This map is available at DEP’s wensite along witha couple of other maps about the Marcellus Shale in PA.

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/oilgas/photogallery/photo13295/2009%20%20Wells%20Drilled.jpg

Here’s a link to DEP’s page withh all the maps:

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/oilgas/PermitDrilledmaps.htm