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Fracking Blowout Causes Massive Spill in Pennsylvania

9K views 58 replies 33 participants last post by  redrhino 
#1 ·
#2 ·
Greedy landowners and corporations

Heard about it today. The rancher lost so many cows and now the ones he has left he can't get a dime for at auction because people think they are contaminated too. Our country is going to hell by greedy corporations and land owners. This rancher saw the dollar signs and didn't do his homework. Now he pays for the next 50 or so years because his land will be unsaleable and he will not be able to water his livestock or drink it himself. The water table is poisoned for who knows how long if not for the next hundred years. What about all the farms and ranches down stream from the aquifer? Will they loose everything because this one guy was greedy? I fear this is just the beginning because hundreds of people are moving in to these towns for the big BOOM. When the corporations are done, they will leave behind a wasteland and the people's lives will never be the same again...........ever.
 
#3 ·
Aw, hell, it's just New York, nobody cares, right?...

Wastewater from Marcellus Shale drilling may contain unhealthy concentrations of radioactivity, and federal officials, researchers, the industry and the former head of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection have called for testing of drinking water sources and full disclosure of results.


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11060/1128778-455.stm

BUT, America's elite needs the gas, and the ethanol and the other carcinogens these millions of gallons of water injected into aquifers contain will only make a few thousand more two headed babies, so what's the big deal? And it's only affecting lesser people that can't afford bottled water, not the elite...
 
#5 ·
These elite you talk about, are these the same folks that are hiring people to work and paying them a good wage, the same people that are paying big money to people to drill on their land, the same folks that took a gamble and grew a company from scratch risking their own money. Are these Elite folks the ones that will end up paying a fine for this spill, The same folks that are working to bring us cheaper AMERICAN made fuel. Are these Elite folks the ones that are creating jobs for americans and buying america products .

I am just wondering who these Elite people are that you are talking about.

If you closed a business down every time they had an accident or started to create restrictive laws...you would end up driving companies out of american... WAIT - that is already happening... Never mind carry on...
 
#6 ·
How can fracking possibly be safe if the earth's crust is full of cracks from constant but slow movement? Anyone?

The premise of fracking is the earth's crust is solid, and there are no cracks in it at all, so the nasty chemicals will not escape. Has anyone ever taken 9th grade geology? Anyone?
 
#7 ·
We here in PA are gonna pay for this gas boom. It seems that the jackoff we elected to lead PA is in the pocket of the gas industry.

We had the same thing in the coal boom and we have all been paying for that since. My children and grandchildren will pay dearly for the greed of the landowners who have signed their land over to these gas companies.
 
#9 ·
I am all for harvesting our natural resources but if the costs outweigh the benefit then it makes no sense whatsoever. People still have to live in these areas.

American greed at its finest. This isnt about being a tree hugger this is about not craping in your front yard.
 
#11 ·
azb is right there has to be a balance. The thing people don't think about is what would the price of these commadities be if we went slower and tried for a balance. People like to complain but no one is willing to pay the higher prices. It's a catch 22 situation and I'm afraid we're really going to pay for all the shortcuts we have been and currently are still taking. Wish I knew some solutions.
 
#13 ·
I don't think you can blame the landowner too much. If you don't agree to lease your land, they will incorporate you. By doing this you lose your ability to negotiate your lease contract. I negotiated mine in Arkansas and by doing so got a little more per acre signing bonus, a little more royalty, but the big improvement was I had a no surface ops clause put in. The guy was surprised I didn't want the possibility of $20k for a well put on my land. I managed to protect my 44 acres a little by doing this. When they frack they'll still bust up all the bedrock though.
Last year gas pirates called me about a proposed pipeline they wanted to put across me. Already had the route picked out. I told the guy that where he wanted to put it was exactly where I was planning on building a house in a few years (it wasn't a lie). I wound up pointing out the terrain and suggesting a better route and asking for him to please not condemn my property so he could take it by imminent domain. I hope they took the other route. Property owners have rights, just not as much as you'd like to think. I kind feel sorry for the folks that get lured in by the money to let the pirates walk all over them, but I feel even more sorry for the people who try to fight it only to find they get incorporated and maybe then learn about imminent domain.
To be honest I really wish the worthless Arkansas land had really been as worthless as everyone used to think before they found gas.
 
#14 ·
Many of the landowners have NO RIGHTS to what is under their house. Much of the land up in Towanda & Athens Pennsylvania and surrounding areas that is subterranean has been sold by previous land owners to large corporations because they know that there is mass reserves of natural gas, coal and oil (in form of oil shale).

Why are we hearing about them getting it out now?

Well because it is worth it due to high gas prices. Before the past three administrations reduced our dollar drastically in the global market the large corporations didn't touch the land due to the cost to benefit ratio.

I am not a fan of large corporations BUT the greed is everywhere... even LOCAL!

Btw, land used to be DIRT CHEAP up there until the survey of natural resources was released.
 
#16 ·
This, for me is a theoretical fight, I dont live in this area but I support anyone who wants to try and stop Big Biz from ruining an area they wont have to live in afterwards.

This isnt a right/left issue this is clearly a right/wrong issue. This is wrong.
 
#19 ·
Almost every single one of my neighbors have a gas well (the house we currently rent would have one too if there had been any gas under it). My grandparents turned down the offers, but the moral high ground didn't help them, their well water used to be some of the best around now their it is unusable (unfortunately my aunt and uncle are tied into it as well). My parents who live across the field from them and just 100 yards up the road from us had to overhaul their water softening system to cope with worstening of their well. What's worse is you cannot go more than a few houses in any direction where someone has not been diagnosed with cancer or abnormal growths. Just in our little neighborhood, my aunt and grandmother were both diagnosed with breast cancer, my husband had a rapidly growing pulminary nodule removed last summer, some of our close Amish neighbors rode along with my aunt for radiation treatments when she was going. Granted the connections cannot be proven, but I think the high incidence is a little odd...
 
#22 ·
BOY OH BOY!!!!! Hope I don't get dog-piled about this...but here goes....
I am in the frac business and I am here to tell you from first hand experience that there are soooooooooooooo many falsehoods out there about fracing for natural gas. And that loosely called "documentary" Gasland isn't helping any.
First....water IS used extensively in the fracing process. In fact, it is the PRIMARY fluid that is used.
Second...sand is also used extensively. It is the sand that is pressure pumped into the fractures that hold the fractures open so the natural gas can flow through up to the surface and then be compressed and then be shipped via pipeline to market. The natural gas flows because the sand is porous...it has gaps between the individual grains of sand...albeit small gaps, but gaps nonetheless.
Third...all of the concern about the chemicals is really unfounded. The simple mention of the word chemical gets everyone all riled up. Chemicals are a VERY SMALL portion of the fluid/sand mixture that is pressure pumped down the wellbore. The primary purpose of the chemicals in the fluid mixture is to stimulate the gas-bearing formation to release the natural gas so it can flow up to the surface. It is NOT used by the trainload. I can assure you of that because I am out there everyday and I work and talk with the chemical guys.
Fourth...when we are finished fracing a well...it is a very clean place when we leave. Granted, there are instances,few and far between, where spills have occurred, but they are promptly cleaned up.
Fifth...in my experience, the most shrill and loud opponents to fracing are really un-educated about the process in general and the industry as a whole.
Sixth...the so-called radiation levels you may have heard about are so blown out of perspective. The radiation source is used to accurately measure how much sand is being pumped into the wellbore. SERIOUSLY...it actually counts how many grains of sand pass by the radiation source...then that number is correlated into how many pounds go down the hole. What I mean is...each grain of sand actually has a measurable weight and can be calculated into ounces, pounds, tons. No kidding.

I will step back and see where this goes...hope it helps.
 
#23 ·
Could you please explain why folks have water that is perfectly fine for consumption but as soon as or shortly after the wells go in the water turns bad??

So tell us, What chemicals exactly are they pumping into the ground?? The fact is you dont know. The fact is even fracking companies dont know the contents of what they are using.


Here is part of the congressional report done last year. I am trying to find the complete report but havent been able to find it so far.


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/...nies-Cant-Identify-All-the-Chemicals-They-Use


Sun Apr 17, 2011 at 02:54 PM PDT
Leaked Congressional Report: Even 'Fracking' Companies Can't Identify All the Chemicals They Use

Between 2005 and 2009, the 14 oil and gas service companies used more than 2,500 hydraulic fracturing products containing 750 chemicals and other components. Overall, these companies used 780 million gallons of hydraulic fracturing products – not including water added at the well site – between 2005 and 2009.

Some of the components used in the hydraulic fracturing products were common and generally harmless, such as salt and citric acid. Some were unexpected, such as instant coffee and walnut hulls. And some were extremely toxic, such as benzene and lead. Appendix A lists each of the 750 chemicals and other components used in hydraulic fracturing products between 2005 and 2009.

The most widely used chemical in hydraulic fracturing during this time period, as measured by the number of compounds containing the chemical, was methanol. Methanol, which was used in 342 hydraulic fracturing products, is a hazardous air pollutant and is on the candidate list for potential regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Some of the other most widely used chemicals were isopropyl alcohol (used in 274 products), 2-butoxyethanol (used in 126 products), and ethylene glycol (used in 119 products).

Between 2005 and 2009, the oil and gas service companies used hydraulic fracturing products containing 29 chemicals that are (1) known or possible human carcinogens, (2) regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act for their risks to human health, or (3) listed as hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. These 29 chemicals were components of more than 650 different products used in hydraulic fracturing.

The BTEX compounds – benzene, toluene, xylene, and ethylbenzene – appeared in 60 of the hydraulic fracturing products used between 2005 and 2009. Each BTEX compound is a regulated contaminant under the Safe Drinking Water Act and a hazardous air pollutant under the Clean Air Act. Benzene also is a known human carcinogen. The hydraulic fracturing companies injected 11.4 million gallons of products containing at least one BTEX chemical over the five year period.

In many instances, the oil and gas service companies were unable to provide the Committee with a complete chemical makeup of the hydraulic fracturing fluids they used. Between 2005 and 2009, the companies used 94 million gallons of 279 products that contained at least one chemical or component that the manufacturers deemed proprietary or a trade secret. Committee staff requested that these companies disclose this proprietary information. Although some companies did provide information about these proprietary fluids, in most cases the companies stated that they did not have access to proprietary information about products they purchased “off the shelf” from chemical suppliers. In these cases, the companies are injecting
fluids containing chemicals that they themselves cannot identify.
 
#24 ·
Yeah you being in the "frac business" sure you are, like the water boy is the essential part of any football game.

That where you want to go?
 
#28 ·
Reminds me of that part in Ed Abbey's Monkeywrench Gang where the local industrial stooge wanted to demonstrate that uranium mining was safe, so he ate some carnotite.

This goes far beyond safety, as with nuclear power.

The crux of the issue here is who gets to decide, and for whom. I'm perfectly happy if the guy next to me wants to drink frack-contaminated wells, eat carnotite, raise GMO's, risk a nuclear meltdown, etc. But I don't want him making that decision for me. When corporations start asserting THEIR comfort levels (or lack thereof) onto people who may disagree, that's where the problem starts. They should limit their damage, risk, practices to people who don't care. And if the practice is innately widespread, transcending private property lines, etc. it should be abandoned.
 
#30 ·
I am far from an industrial stooge. Just calling BS when I see it. Only an idiot would drink from a contaminated well. The point is that 99.999999% of wells fraced have absolutely no affect on the water in the area. However, the uninformed masses would rather demonize an entire industry rather than point out the ineptidude of a few companies, or even a few individuals within those companies. :rolleyes:
 
#39 ·
Sorry but despite seeing the Gas land documentary, I've looked extensively into Fracking because I want this country to become less oil dependent, but Fracking is way too dangerous, way too hazardous for the environment, and it just plain ruins, when you see Gas pipes across a once beautiful land with water you can set on fire, I'd much rather find a better way. and while you say a 'small' portion is the chemicals, it adds up enough that nearby vegetation dies in addition to people having many additional health problems near the gas wells along with the other equipment used in fracking.
 
#42 ·
you cant tell me WHY are peoples wells going bad around these sites. If its not from the facking then what is it?? Are telling me its a coincidence?

You guys can spout what the company wants you to tell everyone but we arent buying it. It only takes a little common sense to see what is happening to peoples water because of fracking, and thats not even getting started on the air pollution.


So lets hear it, lets hear you defend all of these claims
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/oct2010/2010-10-25-091.html

Now scientists at the State University of New York at Buffalo have found that a chemical everyone recognizes - uranium - also can be released by fracking in Marcellus shale and that it too may pollute groundwater.

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_dish_1011.20536a999.html


http://energy.about.com/b/2011/03/26/air-toxics-found-at-barnett-shale-gas-drill-sites.htm
Ouch!!! MEK is some bad stuff. Ive worked with it before, I sure as hell wouldnt want to be breathing it in constantly.

Fort Worth's latest air pollution study, released in an interim format in February 2011, detected numerous volatile organic compounds and other toxics in the air around the region's many shale gas wells. For example, these hazardous compounds were detected at levels of up to (in parts per billion by volume):

* Acetone 8.2 ppbv
* Carbon Disulfide 1.64 ppbv
* Methyl Ethyl Ketone 8.85 ppbv
* Toluene 12.6 ppbv
* Xylene, m,p- 3.12 ppbv
A University of Texas at Arlington environmental engineering professor and other experts ran computer models. Their models showed that within one mile of two test sites, carbon disulfide -- a neurotoxic -- was present in the air at many times the short term health benchmark.

http://www.fwweekly.com/index.php?o...&catid=30:cover-story&Itemid=375&limitstart=2


n Louisiana’s Caddo Parish in April 2009, 17 cows died within four hours of drinking frac water that had leaked from a Chesapeake rig onto a pasture. The gas company admitted the leak, denied that the leaked fluid killed the cows, but paid the farmer for his losses anyway.
In Pavillion, Wyo., where gas drilling is booming, the online investigative publication ProPublica recently reported, the EPA last August recommended local residents no longer drink or cook with their foul-smelling well water because of high levels of methane, benzene, and low levels of a compound utilized in the drilling process. Showering with the water might be OK, the EPA said — but only if bathrooms were well ventilated to prevent the methane in the water from building up and exploding.
 
#48 ·
you cant tell me WHY are peoples wells going bad around these sites. If its not from the facking then what is it?? Are telling me its a coincidence?

You guys can spout what the company wants you to tell everyone but we arent buying it. It only takes a little common sense to see what is happening to peoples water because of fracking, and thats not even getting started on the air pollution.


So lets hear it, lets hear you defend all of these claims
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/oct2010/2010-10-25-091.html




http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_dish_1011.20536a999.html


http://energy.about.com/b/2011/03/26/air-toxics-found-at-barnett-shale-gas-drill-sites.htm
Ouch!!! MEK is some bad stuff. Ive worked with it before, I sure as hell wouldnt want to be breathing it in constantly.






http://www.fwweekly.com/index.php?o...&catid=30:cover-story&Itemid=375&limitstart=2
It is no secret that there are radioactive metals in the Marcellus and other zones as well. It is not going to spread through the various layers up to the surface for the reasons I have already tried to explain. Do you ever wonder why all of these articles use words like “may, possibly, can be, potentially could” when they are talking about polluting the water? No **** something “could potentially” pollute a water source if you spill frac fluid into a creek. Newsflash… don’t drink frac fluid, or gasoline, or bleach, or any number of other solutions. I guess we should just ban all substances that are harmful if swallowed.

I have already tried to explain how bad cement around the casing can cause peoples well water to be ruined. Another company called Cabbot is the one that polluted 30 or 40 wells like that in an area that is documented in the Gasland movie. The commentator won’t explain that because he has an agenda to demonize rather that actually inform people. What Cabbot did sucks and you won’t find me defending them at all. But I suppose instead of actually addressing the bad practices of a few companies we should just shut down an entire industry. :upsidedown:
 
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