EPA Finds Groundwater Contamination from Fracking

Following report after report on the part of natural gas companies and gas industry lobbyists claiming there has never been a proven and recorded case of groundwater contamination related to hydro-fracture natural gas drilling, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) "released the latest data from Pavillion-area domestic and monitoring wells at a public meeting on November 9, 2011" describing high levels of cancer-causing compounds (including acetone, toluene, naphthalene and traces of diesel fuel) and at least one chemical commonly used in hydraulic fracturing [2-Butoxyethanol (2-BE).] 


In short, after sampling water from Wyoming 42 homes located in close proximity to drilling sites, the EPA went on to drill 2 monitoring/test wells. The monitoring well sample results include (preliminary report quoted from EPA website):

• Elevated ppH– rang g ging from 11.2-12
• Potassium (8-18x) and chloride (18x) significantly elevated 
• Synthetic organic compounds including glycols, alcohols and 2-butoxyethanol
• Methane at near-saturation levels (up to 19 mg/L)- similar isotopic signature to production gas 
• Other petroleum-related detections– BTEX (including benzene at 50x the MCL), phenols, trimethylbenzenes,, DR

The EPA plans to release an official report in late November, though all of this information is currently available on their website.

EPA Effort to End Brine Dumping in Ohio's Mahoning River

For the last year, the city of Warren has been exercising the benefit of a permit allowing them to dump 100,000 gallons of fracking brine into the Mahoning River every day.

When the city appealed the permit, asking permission to allow even more brine to be dumped into the waterway,   Ohio's Attorney General and EPA Director stepped in and are working to repeal the permit altogether.

The practice of river-dumping the toxic fracking brine is expected to end soon as it is replaced with dumping into injection wells.

Is the practice of injection well dumping safer for stakeholders? 

No one actually knows! Some of the injection wells are near streams and in watersheds, but dumping the brine into the ground offers the illusion of safety, and it's out of site - out of mind - at least until people in the surrounding area start getting sick.

For now, though, it's a small victory for people living downstream from Warren, Ohio, that someone is working to protect them from the brine toxins currently being dumped in Warren.

Public Hearings About the USEPA's Proposed Regulations to Reduce Air Pollution From Fracking

This week, September 27, 28, & 29, 2011, the United States Environmental Protection Agency is holding public hearings about their proposed air rules for reducing air pollution from fracking.

The hearings will be held in Pittsburgh, PA on the 27th, Denver, CO on the 28th, and in Arlington, Texas on the 29th.

Addresses for the hearings, and phone numbers are included in this document .

According to the EPA's document, this is a chance to be heard and have your input considered if you are able to attand one of these meetings.

This is a direct quote from the document,
"The three public hearings will convene at 9:00 a.m. and wille until 8:00 p.m. (local time). The EPA will make everyl speakers that arrive and register before8:00p.m."

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