EPA Implicates Fracking In Wyoming Gas Field Groundwater Pollution Finding

EPA Implicates Fracking In Wyoming Gas Field Groundwater Pollution Finding

www.huffingtonpost.com

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today 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.
The draft finding could have a chilling effect in states like Pennsylvania trying to determine how to regulate the process.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.pennlive.com
usnews.msnbc.msn.com
www.usatoday.com

This is good news! Good news indeed! Not for the people already affected by fracking, as they are already affected. However, it could help those who are not yet affected!

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 would normally be used.

This EPA finding may lead to regulation as to how deep they have to frack to ensure groundwater is not contaminated. .

Now if only they would do a little more research to determine if fracking actually causes earthquakes as well!! I'm confident they do, but not enough research has been done to tell definitively. Oklahoma used to average ~50 eq's each year.. In the past year there have been roughly 1,000!

I think the practice is disgusting, and I'm glad the EPA is moving forward to correct this industry.

www.huffingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by lurker007

Who needs the EPA though, right? < sarcasm off >

It is good to see some confirmation about this issue, so things can move forward with either restricting the practice or optimizing the safety and ecological standards, with no shortcuts.

Now if only they would do a little more research to determine if fracking actually causes earthquakes as well!!

Here is some good info regarding potential earthquake correlations.

ARKANSAS EARTHQUAKE AND DRILLING HISTORY

When comparing Arkansas’ earthquake history with its drilling history, a causative correlation becomes obvious.
The entire 19th century saw 15 recorded earthquakes and none in the first decade of the new century. A total of 694 quakes rocked Arkansas in the 20th century. That number was surpassed in 2009-2010, with the bulk (483) occurring the last three months of 2010. Table 1 was prepared using complete quake data thru 2009 [15], complete data from August thru December, 2010 [1], and just North Central Arkansas quake data from January thru July, 2010. [16]
Arkla, Inc., through its many morphs, mergers and acquisitions, is and has been a key gas driller in Arkansas. Between 1975 and the early 1980s, the company found more gas than it produced. By 1982, Arkla was able to sell Central Louisiana Electric Company more than 100 million cubic feet of gas daily. By the early 1990s, it operated the sixth-largest pipeline system in the United States and was among the ten largest operators of natural gas reserves. [17] Its production timeline coincides with the massive jump in earthquakes in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, 37 companies drill for gas and oil in Arkansas. [18]

coto2.wordpress.com...

Peace,
spec

ETA: Some of these drills reach 10,000 feet down into the ground too, then spread horizontally for fissuring and chemical blasting. They wells are being laid out at a rampant pace too, this is the new gold.

this is great news, they just voted in my slate to NOT disclose whats in the fracking fluid they are using hopefully more states start to wake up to this pollution!

thanks for posting this S&F

reply to post by lurker007


60% of our state income is from gas, oil, coal, and uranium here in Wyoming. And even though the EPA study found the water in Pavillion to be the PH of bleach, Benzene at 50 times the maximum concentration for safety, and methane high enough to be very dangerous and at least partially the same isotope of the fracking chemicals, our very own Republican Governor Matt Mead, a local lawyer and grandson of former Governor and Senator Cliff Hansen, says it needs more study. Isn't it great that Profit can be more important than the safety of the Public? Hooray for Profit!
I was through Pavillion a few months ago on my way to Riverton and Casper, from Jackson, and thought about this situation. Home owners and land owners don't own mineral rights here, as in much of the West. This means that companies can drill on Your Land and damn the consequences. Salty water is also used in fracking at times. Fracking uses a great deal of water; something in short supply in much of the West. This water spreads over the land and makes it untenable for cattle and horses and alfalfa and all kinds of land use by owners and ranchers. There's something wrong with this picture as well. Imagine looking out your window and seeing a drilling rig on your land with trucks running day and night. Annoying? Irritating? Infuriating? Ah, but we must feed our voracious appetites! And if you own that land.... tough luck! You MIGHT get some royalties, or maybe not. Depends on the situation. Either way,....... polluting the ground aquifer in the fairly dry West is suicidal! To have the nerve to dis-associate fracking and the unclean water in Pavillion is criminal and insane. What natural causes would create the situation there? None. But it being caused by fracking? Needs More Study!

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


yeah theres been lots of studies and even a UK fracking firm admitted it causes earthquakes

articles.businessinsider.com...

I read an article but can't find it now but scientists are starting to link fracking to EQ's here in the US

a simple google search of 'fracking oklahoma' will bring up numerous articles relating to the fracking and recent eq's in oklahoma, including the 5.6 back in early november

However, the finding the EPA released wasn't reguarding earthquakes, only pollution caused by shallow fracking :-(

reply to post by jaxnmarko


yes I agree. . .. it's not about safety, it's about money money money!
very sad times we live in

reply to post by -W1LL


no states have agreed thus yet. . . texas and colorado I think are on the verge of disclosure -- but the delay currently is "how quickly will this proprietary information have to be disclosed" . . . .the 12 current fracking companies don't want anyone else in this game or it means less profits for them!

money money money!!