Haliburton Introduces ‘CleanStim’ Fracking Solution & Gas Worker Takes a Drink: Environmental Groups Weigh In
A liquid concoction, often laced with toxic chemicals, is a central villain in the controversy over extracting natural gas by fracturing rock beneath the earth’s surface. Opponents fear this fracking fluid may foul water supplies, endangering human health and the environment. Adapting, the industry is responding to public concern. Giant energy services company Halliburton, in a safety demonstration at an August 3 industry conference in Colorado, had an employee demonstrate just how palatable fracking fluid can be. He drank it.
1987 EPA Report Provides Evidence for Water Contamination from Fracking
In 2006 — according to a ProPublica report — a residential drinking water well in Garfield County, Colo., spewed gas and polluted water into the air after a nearby gas well was hydraulically fractured. Tests detected a chemical called 2-butoxyethanol (2-BE), commonly used in hydraulic fracturing, in the drinking water well. The EPA never studied the case, and Colorado officials did not pursue an in-depth investigation before the gas company reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with the homeowner that included nondisclosure agreements.
VIDEO: The Pros and Cons of Natural Gas Development
In this special report, energyNOW! Chief Correspondent Tyler Suiters interviews residents of Bradford County in northern Pennsylvania, the heart of the Marcellus Shale. The residents blame nearby gas drilling for methane contamination in their water wells, while the energy companies say they aren’t responsible. One family tells Suiters they are ready to leave Pennsylvania for good because of their water problems. Suiters also meets a doctor from the University of Pennsylvania who is searching for potential links between gas drilling and health complaints.
Hydraulic Fracturing Disposal Wells Said to be Responsible for Over 1,000 Earthquakes in Arkansas
The Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission placed a ban on fracking wastewater wells in the area yesterday. A moratorium on well activity had been in place for months as geologists investigated a possible link between fracking activity and the outbreak of more than 1,200 earthquakes that measured lower than 4.7 in magnitude.
EPA Proposes to Regulate Fracking Air Emissions After Favorable Ruling in Advocacy Lawsuit
The EPA proposal is the result of a successful 2009 lawsuit brought against the agency by WildEarth Guardians and another advocacy group alleging that the agency had not updated air-quality rules as required. The EPA is supposed to review such rules at least every eight years, but in some cases had not done so for 10 years or more.
VIDEO INVESTIGATION: Gas Well Flaring in the Marcellus Shale
“Flaring” is a term used to describe the burning of natural gas from a well that has not yet been linked to a pipeline. When a well is “flared,”a huge flame lights up the sky, reaching higher than tree tops, accompanied by a noise similar to a 757 jet engine. The sight and sound of a flaring well are quite intimidating, but the practice is not a risk to public health according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, or DEP.
Air Pollution from Gas Drilling a ‘Huge Problem’
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a press release in May regarding an “air quality study near Marcellus Shale natural gas operations in Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, and Tioga counties.” Eight sites were sampled over three five-day periods to determine if specific pollutants were a threat to anyones air quality in acute amounts.
Hydraulic Fracturing: Pennsylvania General Energy Company Damages Pine Creek by Violating Dam Permit
The Pennsylvania Department of Environment Protection (DEP) served a notice of four violations on the new dam, accusing PGE of violating its permit by building a stone dam instead of the approved sand-bag dam, designed to be temporary, and “polluting the Waters of the Commonwealth” by discharging harmful sediment into the Pine Creek, “a High Quality stream.”
Marketplace Radio: Natural Gas Discussion About Gov. Cuomo’s Decision to Allow More Fracking in New York
The debate over fracking Released by Marketplace, Tuesday, July 5, 2011 Natural gas could be poised to become the number two energy source in the world. But the drilling process, also known as fracking, is controversial. KAI RYSSDAL: Crude oil rose almost $2 today, closed just shy of $97. That consistently high per barrel price is one of [...]
New Jersey Legislature Bans Hydraulic Fracturing for Natural Gas (Fracking)
“Today, New Jersey sent a strong message to surrounding states and to the nation that a ban on fracking is necessary to protect public health and preserve our natural resources,” said Senator Bob Gordon (D-Bergen). “Any benefits of gas production simply do not justify the many potential dangers associated with fracking such as pollution of our lakes, streams and drinking water supplies and the release of airborne pollutants. We should not wait until our natural resources are threatened or destroyed to act. The time to ban fracking in New Jersey is now.”
*Accepting cases in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
