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Pavillion Area Concerned Citizens
Pavillion Area Concerned Citizens released this photo saying it shows a hydraulic fracturing drill site in the Pavillion/Muddy Ridge gas field. The group said it was taken from the porch of its chairman, John Fenton.
A controversial method of drilling for oil and natural gas appears to be the cause of groundwater pollution in a central Wyoming town, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday.
The EPA last month said it had found compounds associated with chemicals used in the drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the groundwater beneath Pavillion. Many residents say their well water has reeked of chemicals since the drilling began there and first complained to the EPA in 2008.
But until Thursday, the EPA said it could not speculate on where the contaminants came from.
In the draft report (.pdf) released Thursday, the EPA said that "the explanation best fitting the data ... is that constituents associated with hydraulic fracturing have been released into the Wind River drinking water aquifer."
Health officials had earlier advised residents not to drink their water after the EPA said it had found benzene and other hydrocarbons in wells it tested.
The process pumps pressurized water, sand and chemicals underground to open fissures and improve the flow of oil or gas.
The EPA emphasized that the findings are specific to the Pavillion area, noting that the specific type of fracking used there differed from fracking methods used elsewhere in regions with different geological characteristics.
The fracking occurred below the level of the drinking water aquifer and close to water wells, the EPA said. Elsewhere, drilling is more remote and fracking occurs much deeper than the level of groundwater that anybody would use.
The EPA is separately working on a national study of fracking.
Doug Hock, a spokesman for EnCana Corp., which owns rights to the Pavillion-area field, slammed the draft report. "The synthetic chemicals could just have easily come from contamination when the EPA did their sampling, or from how they constructed their monitoring wells."
Pavillion residents who organized to seek the tests welcomed the report.
"We are grateful to the EPA for listening to our concerns and acting on them," said John Fenton, chair of Pavillion Area Concerned Citizens.
Pavillion Area Concerned Citizens
Pavillion Area Concerned Citizens provided this photo of the home of John and Katherine Fenton. It said the haze was from fracking fluids vaporized in the drilling process and that it lasted for about 10 minutes. Similar releases happened a dozen times over 3 days, it added.
"This investigation proves the importance of having a federal agency that can protect people and the environment," added Fenton, whose home is across from one drill site. "We hope that answers to our on-going health problems and other impacts can now be addressed and that the responsible parties will finally be required to remediate the damages."
The industry contends that fracking is safe and its supporters were quick to blast the EPA.
"EPA's conclusions are not based on sound science but rather on political science," Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla, said in a statement. "Its findings are premature, given that the agency has not gone through the necessary peer-review process, and there are still serious outstanding questions regarding EPA's data and methodology."
"This announcement is part of President Obama's war on fossil fuels and his determination to shut down natural gas production," added Inhofe, the senior Republican on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Fracking has opened up areas that were previously considered too costly to drill. The most promising include the Marcellus Shale formation in the Northeast.
Development of the new shale deposits over the last few years has provided the United States with a century's worth of natural gas supply.
Pa. town near fracking fights to get bottled water back
In Pennsylvania, production from the Marcellus has led to an energy boom that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is keen to replicate by lifting an existing moratorium on using the fracking process.
But hearings on that proposal have been contentious.
At the last hearing last month, protesters gathered in downtown Manhattan to express concern about the safety of water supplies, holding signs saying "Governor Cuomo, don't frack it up" and "Don't frack with New York."
"We have to be literally insane to contemplate fracking," state Sen. Tony Avella told reporters outside the hearings. "Wake up Governor Cuomo, this is not going to provide jobs or revenue, but what it will do is poison the water supply for 17 million New Yorkers."
This article includes reporting by msnbc.com's Miguel Llanos, The Associated Press and Reuters.
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There has been a long history of people's unpolluted wells becoming polluted after fracking was done in their nearby area. The people there face the problem of proving that the drilling caused the pollution, since each companies particular recipe is considered proprietary, like Coke-Cola's is. Without being able to compare the pollution to the drillers mix, it's virtually impossible to prove. Still, the companies have made settlements with some people, with part of the settlement being that they can't tell the press anything. They have even set up water delivery in some cases at the companies expense. Livestock raised in the polluted area have to drink what comes out of the ground. Feel like a good steak?
benramz2
Since the EPA leadership was hand picked by President Obama and his czars, it makes me wonder about their loyalties. Since I do not trust President Obama to solve the economic problems, why would I trust the people he hired for the leadership of the EPA.
Less than one year until he is voted out of office and we can once again have a non-socialist in the White House.
ABO 2012
++++++++++++++++++++
Yet another idiot conservative parroting the "socialist"BS from the propaganda arms of the far right. i.e. Fox Lying News, Rush, Coulter, Savage, the American Enterprise Institute, etc, etc.
Progressives are idiots. They are the ones who believe we can spend without limit with no consequences.
Fox has more credibility that all other network news combined and the viewers to show for it. All the leftist propaganda in the world won't change that.
So does the World Weekly News, right?
Okay, EPA doing it's best to place contamination on "fracking" Odumbo holding up on the Canadian pipeline to our Texas refineries, millions in guaranteed loans to solar panel industry....which one of his "buddies" stands to profit the most from the destruction of the oil, natural gas and coal industries? He already stated when he was campaigning in 2008 that he was going after coal fired electric plants. Just like his aid to Brazil for off shore drilling was going to advance the investments made by Soros in the Brazilian National Oil Company! This man and his appointments and hires are the epitome of sleaze! America is doomed with a second term for this charlatan!
you realize the REPUBLICAN governor of nebraska asked for the pipeline to be delayed, dont you? which one of his buddies stands to profit most from the delay? lol.
as far as the brazilian aid, you mean this: "
Analysis: Politics as usual. President Obama signed no such executive order.
In April 2009, the U.S. Export-Import Bank, whose stated mission is "to assist in financing the export of U.S. goods and services to international markets," approved a preliminary commitment to lend at least $2 billion to Petrobras, Brazil's national oil company, to fund the purchase of equipment and services from American companies. The commitment was approved by the Export-Import Bank's bipartisan Board of Directors before any Obama appointees joined the agency."
there are 3 ways frack water can enter the drinking water. 1. spillage on the surface before the frack water enters the well. 2. someone dumping the frackwater instead of treating it. 3. the containment pipes that direct the frackwater down to the gas rock is corrupt. ( but usually they have 3 layers of pipe to make sure this doesn't happen. the idea that frack water "seeps" up to enter the drinking water if not true. if the earth was that porous the gas/oil/whatever would be seeping and contaminating the drinking water all the time. plus this problem would have been more prominent when they were drilling and fracking shallow gas wells not the mile plus wells that they are drilling now
The failures of the Republicans party trying to take away SS and Medicare so they can give their wealthy Blackmailers more money...To hell with the poor and needy. Let them freeze in the winter and stave the old and babies,let them die from bad water, do away with the EPA and thats what you'll have, just like all you Teabaggers want...You make me sick with your Me Me Me altitude. It just a matter of time before the masses raise up against you . Greedy and you all call yourself Christains. What a laugh: Your no better than the Muslims you all hate. Wake up America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WAKE UP: " Don't FRACK THIS UP"
For every one of you whining liberal idiots complaining about fracking, please quit driving your cars, flying on planes, using ANY gas to heat your house, or any other form of petroleum products. Oh, I forget, then you wouldn't have a life!! I read a different article on this very issue earlier this morning and it's amazing how different it can be when a liberal nut case rights their slant on the story. NOWHERE did the EPA say fracking was the cause, just on person made some personal comment WITHOUT scientific data to back it up. that's the real story.
And for all you anti-oil and gas nut jobs, please go back and do some scientific research. How the heck do you think we "discovered" oil in the first place. It leaks out on it own. It occurs naturally every day all over the world. It seeps up from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico daily. All these things are naturally occurring, so of course there are going to be the occasional "breakout" of some of this. But most of the breakouts are Natural! Occasionally, they might be ascerbated by drilling but the network has to already be there according to the info I have. I sympathize with the families whose wells are affected but as someone who grew up with a water well, I KNOW the hazards of water wells. The worst hazard is from HUMAN WASTE from sewage or septic tanks leaching into the ground and traveling to the well. So get off your anti-drilling high horse and realize sometimes this stuff just happens.
And btw, for those going on and on and on about all these other "green" sources of energy, WHERE ARE THEY? There isn't enough wind in the entire world to power up the US. Solar either. I'm all for finding alternative energy and cleaner ways but there also has to be some common sense about it. But then again, why am I trying to explain things to libs who wouldn't listen to common sense anyway. They know nothing about common sense or common decency.
You been drinking to much of that water...go take your meds.
That must explain the BP oil spill. We had nothing to do with it after all.
And I don't know about enough wind to power the USA, but there's definitely enough hot air blowing from you to do the job.
"The total annual energy consumption of the United States in 2007 was approximately 100 Quads,[6] less than 0.5% of that theoretically available from sunlight."
hmm..guess there IS enough solar to power us.
try again?
The sun is the biggest source of energy in our solar system.
Clearly not enough to power the USA.
Ok, Okie-mom, go poison your own kids with that nasty well-water. When they sicken and die, you can put your defense of corporate greed and denial on their tombstones.
Call me selfish, but I want to live in a country where the water is clean and drinkable.
But that will never happen as long as republicans keep fighting for deregulation. Republicans only exist to serve their 1% corporate masters, but they should be driven to extinction after the Dems sweep the next election with a two-thirds majority of both houses of congress.
VOTE DEMOCRATIC - 2012!
She must be reading "The Onion" for her news source...someone should tell her that those aren't true stories, it's supposed to be a joke.
WOW!
okmom - this is the second time today your brain has made my brain hurt.
That's why Rick Perry would get rid of the EPA. I guess all of the GOP candidates would get rid of the EPA. They can't let anything like carcinogens get in the way of Big Oil profits.
Oh, Miss Debbie...
Do you plan to WALK to the grocery store? Or maybe you have one of those ridiculous $40,000 elec. cars?
Lucky you! WOW..you can drive 34 miles on your EXPENSIVE plug-in charge! Too funny!
Carcinogens? When was the last time you built a fire in your fireplace??? When was the last time you cooked a steak on your Grill??
Even the American Indians cooked over fire....oh my....put yourself in a glass room and hate everything!
Patty, I plan on walking to my local drug store and buying strychnine so I can go out on my own terms rather than suffer from a long, slow death that right wingers like yourself will condemn the rest of us to. But Virginians admire that whack-job Cuccinelli the epitome of the Republican science hater.
Unless (generally) heavy-set Republicans, I can bike to the store.
Unlike*
I totally fail at spelling today :(
R U Kidding Me:
I hope you are kidding me and not planning on checking out.
Parrot head ,I live in the Fort Worth Basin, The birthplace of Shale production. A test bed and proving ground for producing natural gas. This is an area that for over ten years, going on fifteen, that has had 2000hp rigs drilling with a record of safety rivaling the aviation industry. I bet you have never endured living without electricity. Everybody that is forced to do so.Will be screaming for more drilling and fracking. Don't deny it.
Bravo "Jeff"
YOU get it!
Let's just keep buying Oil from the RICH ARABS (who hate our guts and lets piss off and insult Canada (our previous friends) who now will probably sell their oil to China! (Don't blame them!)
The "supposed" EPA findings are maybe, possible,........B u!! Sh!t.....
BTW...all you electric car lovers......where do you think electricity comes from to CHARGE those stupid $40,000.00 toys?? Gas, Coal, etc. (wait til you see your electric bill.(to drive 34 miles) ..you'll be praying for gasoline!)
Or the wind farm in the next county.
"Ruken"
You obviously don't understand the physics of WIND.
I have friends in Richmond, VA that wanted to try "wind power" and paid a company to research Wind turbines. Even though they have 178 acres...because of trees and forests....they cannot even get enough wind to produce ANY power!
And Richmond does NOT even have hills, much less mountains!
Wind? It's what Iowa has an abundance of, which is why there are a f*ckton of wind turbines here. But you're right, they must be for show.
And I don't understand the "physics" of wind, eh?
http://en.openei.org/wiki/Map_of_Wind_Farms
There you go, knock yourself out. You see that giant cluster between MN and IA? There's clearly no wind there.
Or maybe hydroelectric power like we use here in the good old Northwest. There are multiple forms of alternative energy that don't require fossil fuels, however, none of those can be really pushed, studied, or started because the oil lobbyists are paying the republicans enough money to keep any alternative energy legislation from making it anywhere.
so what if the water get contaminated we need the fuel for energy the people can move or drink beer if they don't like it.
What do you propose we water the crops with? Would beer be applicable in that case as well?
Who played that whiney character on saturday night live??? I think it was A gal with a last name of Dratch or something like that????? You could probably help me out Ruken, your eleven or twelve aren't you?
Harrykid:
A pox on your water supply. Hey, just move - no big deal.
beer would be just fine for growing crops and drinking , the best would be Coors lite
I think someone should blame Obama :)
This is Dick Cheney's doing, look it up.
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We destroy what we love to get what want.
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Thanks Dick...Cheney :-(
The contamination of the drinking water comes not only from the fractures running vertically and bypass routes around the exterior of the casing described earlier, but also from ground seepage from pools of the chemically tainted water left over from the process, which is often left at the site upon completion of the process. This last source can be mitigated, but is most often not being done currently.
There is also the matter of the physical destruction done to once pristine areas where these operations take place, with large trucks and other vehicles driving into areas on barely adequate roads and huge areas clear cut and left unrestored after the process.
Then there is the issue of increased seismic activity associated with fracking as well. This was observed by the U.S. Army over 40 years ago and led them to stop doing deep well injections because their studies showed the dangers it created. So our government and Corp of Engineers has known about at least some fo the risks for decades, yet has done nothing to stop this process. Some may argue that this increase in earthquakes is overall beneficial, relieving stress before it becomes too great and causes the "big" one, but this only looks at part of the picture.
This whole process is currently under EPA/government review, but won't be completed until probably late next year. IMHO, they should STOP all such activities until the study has been completed, but sadly that is not likely to happen. Too much money to be made in the short term for that. We as citizens of this country are being raped and pillaged every day. Our mineral rights for National lands are being sold for pennies on the dollar to developers to go and take this money with no regard for the consequences to the rest of us, all in the name of greed and no one is stopping them... makes me sick to my stomach.
The problem is on both sides of the aisle, but IMO it's worse on the Republican side currently. I used to abhore the thought of "straight ticket" voting earlier in my life, but have found myself voting that way the past decade. Unfortunately here in Texas, many positions go uncontested to Republicans, so by default I'm voting for some of them, but at least mostly just local officials.
Coming to your community next. If the republican's have their way there won't be a single place left in this country safe for people to live. This is another corporate America dream of greed by the wealthy at the cost of human beings. This article states "the responsible parties will finally be required to remediate the damages" I have news for you in the Midwest, once the damage is done there is no turning back. Already people are being given free bottled water; my question is what about the livestock and other animals of the area? Are we going to start or have we already found contaminated meat from these areas? We need to put a stop to all drilling in all areas. The wealthy are bound and determined to destroy this earth just because of their greed and ignorance.
They're doing this in more areas than just the midwest. It's very popular in Pa and upstate NY right now and i'm sure in other areas as well.
"This announcement is part of President Obama's war on fossil fuels and his determination to shut down natural gasproduction," added Inhofe, the senior Republican on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
This is one of the dumbest statements I ever heard. Thank God you don't represent Wyoming, you'd be out on your ear.
Let's see how fox and all the rightwing nut bags who are supposed to protect big oil spin this. Too bad we couldn't pump this water into all the drinking fountains at foxnews headquarters.
Seriously, Republicans have a pathological aversion to science, don't they? Everything is political with these folks - health, the environment, workplace safety, education.... Is there anything that affects the well-being of people that Republicans like or accept?
They like the poor to get poorer and the environment to get more polluted...just as long as the rich get richer!
nope
You can live without natural gas, but you can't live without water......when are people going to get wise to allowing their water to be polluted by commerce.....jobs won't help when there is no potable water.....time to look for cleaner energy.
Uh-oh. Here we go. Let the War On Science begin. I'm sure the teabirthers won't disappoint me.
If obama and his people say it is unsafe then you know it is a lie! When he parks AF-1, and starts driving one of those $10,000.00 golf carts the tax payer footed the bill on we'll reconsider his objectives!
typical. keep toeing the line and voting against your self-interests!!
I don't know about you, but I don't want to drink flammable water. Check out the award winning documentary Gasland trailer 2010 on Youtube. At the end, a guy is able to show how he can light the tap water that runs from his faucet. That's what can happen when fracking is in your neighborhood.
Inhofe received over 1 million in campaign funding from the oil and gas industry. It is amazing that this same man sits on the Com mittee on Environment and Public Works. He is such a conflict of interest that he needs to step down and recuse himself.
The depth of drilling as absolutely no relevance (to those industry shills that state it is thousands of feet below the aquifer) because up to 60% of this toxic brew comes back up through the well bore back to the surface, back through the aquifer layer. It burps up gallons per day for the life of the gas well. Cement and steel don't hold up over time and being that this stuff is highly corrosive, will no doubt eat away at any type of protection at the aquifer layer over time (waste water treatment plants complained that this stuff was eating their equipment as it was so corrosive with sodium bromide).
Check out the emissions in the picture in the background. Egad, what are we doing to ourselves.
The energy co.'s want the price of natural gas to go up, that's how they make money.
BOYCOTT NATURAL GAS - it worked in the 70's on sugar, it can work here now. WATER AND AIR IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT.
No Fracking way man. This is just another fracked up way for the Obamanites to frack us over.Do you people really believe anything you read in the liberal media these days.If our communist in chief had it his way we would all be driving in a horse and buggy.But of course he and Michelle will need thier jets,and limos for the numerous vacations they need to relieve the stress of all those state dinners. At least his fracking golf cart is electric.I think.
I am not familiar with the geological formation in Wyoming. I can tell you with assurance that the Eagle-Ford" formation in South Texas is 4 miles deep and separated from the 300' water sands by impervious layers of all sorts of rock. I would suggest that "fracking" is not for everyone, but where it is applicable, it is a wonderful technology. In our world the problem is the amount of water that is used in the process, millions of gallons per well. Down here, I'm not saying its dry, but its an established fact that when it rained 40 days and 40 nights during Noah's flood, South Texas got 1/2 inch. I have faith that all these bumps in the road will be ironed out and those abusing the system will be dealt with. But that's just little old optimistic me. Let the congregation say AMEN!
Amen! Harmless Old Man, Hang in there. The industry is rapidly moving towards the recycling of frac water. At least cleaning it up to a point of industrial re usability.