MarcellusGasInfo NY needs health impact study before drilling starts

why? for one thing, it’s part of SEQR – the law that dictates DEC do the SGEIS …..
For another thing – people are getting sick in drilling areas, and we ought to at least know what the true costs will be
more at http://marcelluseffect.blogspot.com/2012/04/why-is-ny-ignoring-health-impact-study.html

MarcellusGasInfo Re: Fwd: SIERRA-NY-GAS Gov Cuomo Announces Comprehensive NY-Sun Initiative to Expand Solar Development in NY

rooftops already exist. could just start with solar on every rooftop.
eaves already exist. could start with horizontal wind turbines that fit under eaves.
footprint would not equal anything other that what already is taken by buildings.
while it wouldn’t create scads of energy, it would significantly reduce the amount of coal & oil burned for electricity, thus leaving oil & gas for transportation.
~Sue

On Sat, Apr 21, 2012 at 7:05 PM, farmerbob <raaman> wrote:

I agree this is a positive , we need cheep energy and renewable energy
also.it would be interesting to no how large a footprint it will take
for solar.

On Apr 19, 5:27 pm, Erin Heaton <erni…> wrote:
> A positive for us all- and Cuomo!
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>
>
> > From: Caitlin Pixley <caitlin.pix…>
> > Date: April 19, 2012 12:40:16 PM EDT
> > To: ATL-GAS-DRILLING…
> > Subject: [SIERRA-NY-GAS] Gov Cuomo Announces Comprehensive NY-Sun Initiative to Expand Solar Development in NY
> > Reply-To: Caitlin Pixley <caitlin.pix…>
>
> > FYI:
>
> > Governor Cuomo Announces Comprehensive NY-Sun Initiative to Expand Solar Development in New York
>
> > NYSERDA, LIPA, NYPA collaboration will create green jobs and dramatically increase state’s solar capacity
>
> > [1]
>
> > Albany, NY (April 19, 2012)
>
> > Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today launched the NY-Sun Initiative to double the amount of customer-sited solar power installed annually in New York, and quadruple that amount by 2013. The NY-Sun Initiative was first outlined by the Governor in his 2012 State of the State Address.

> > The NY-Sun Initiative brings together and expands existing programs administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), and the New York Power Authority (NYPA), to ensure a coordinated and well-funded solar energy expansion plan.

>
> > “The NY-Sun Initiative puts New York at the forefront of solar development and research, creating green jobs while containing energy costs for consumers,…#157; Governor Cuomo said. “This clean energy investment will help protect the environment, expand our solar capacity, and lead to a longterm reduction of the cost of solar in New York.…#157;

>
> > Today, the Public Service Commission approved NYSERDA’s request to double funding for customer-sited solar electric systems, known as a solar photovoltaic (PV) energy systems, to $432 million over the next four years. The expanded solar program will increase financial incentives for large, commercial-sized PV projects and expand incentive programs for small-to-medium residential and commercial systems.

>
> > NYSERDA will also provide additional funding for its competitively bid solar program for larger-scale and aggregated systems that currently focuses on businesses, colleges and universities, and other large buildings located in New York City, Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley. The program, which is now offering $30 million and accepting applications, provides another important strategy to deal with the demand for electricity in the Downstate metropolitan area and will be expanded to other areas of the state.

>
> > As part of NY-Sun, NYSERDA and NYPA are collaborating in a NY-Sun balance-of-system (BOS) initiative, working with private and public partners across New York State, and building on the BOS advancements made by the City University of New York (CUNY) and the efforts underway in the PV Manufacturing Consortium.

>
> > The NY-Sun BOS initiative will focus on statewide standardization and streamlining of the procedures for permitting and interconnection, and development and training. A broad range of demonstration projects will be conducted that represent residential, commercial and industrial applications. NYSERDA and NYPA will partner with other public and private entities in this effort, including utilities, equipment vendors, solar installers, and localities across New York State.

>
> > In support of NY-Sun BOS, NYPA’s new efforts include expanding its current solar research and demonstration programs through its recently announced Solar Market Acceleration Program (Solar MAP), which will make competitive funding available for innovative solar technology research, training and demonstration projects and cost reduction strategies.

>
> > To make solar affordable for residents and businesses, NYSERDA and NYPA are providing at least $40 million dollars to promote research into reducing the overall equipment and installation costs so that in the future solar energy is competitive with other forms of electricity and will require no government subsidies.

>
> > In addition, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) is implementing a first-of-its-kind program in New York State to purchase up to 50 megawatts of solar power that is generated on its customers’ premises. Under this plan, the owner of the PV system is paid a fixed rate by LIPA for every solar kilowatt hour generated over a 20-year term.

>
> > “NY-Sun will be the major driving force in New York for the continued growth and success of our important solar electric industry,…#157; said PSC Commission Chairman Garry Brown. “NY-Sun will encourage residential and business customers to install non-polluting solar systems, and it will create significant job opportunities for the solar industry.…#157;

>
> > “NYSERDA applauds the PSC for its decision, which will allow for continued and measured growth in New York’s PV market as part of a balanced renewable energy policy,…#157; said Francis J. Murray Jr., President and CEO of NYSERDA. “Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, NYSERDA, working in collaboration with NYPA and LIPA, will stimulate the growth and deployment of affordable solar technology for all New Yorkers through the NY-Sun initiative.…#157;

>
> > “Governor Cuomo’s NY-Sun Initiative provides for the exponential growth of clean renewable solar power in New York State, at economical prices," said Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA president and chief executive officer. "Along with the Power Authority’s newly introduced Solar Market Acceleration Program, the collaboration by NYSERDA and the PSC reflects a full-court press by New York State to expand the use of solar technology to create jobs and protect the environment.…#157;

>
> > “LIPA’s CLEAN Solar Initiative is designed to advance the development of solar energy and the growth of clean energy jobs on Long Island and is consistent with the clarion call by Governor Cuomo to quadruple customer-sited solar energy in New York State by 2013,…#157; said LIPA’s Chief Operating Officer Michael Hervey. “LIPA’s CSI supplements existing purchases from the utility-scale solar facilities that were completed last year and under development this year, as well as LIPA’s nationally recognized Solar Pioneer and Solar Entrepreneur Programs.…#157;

>
> > The targets announced by the Governor – to install in 2012 twice the customer-sited solar capacity that was added during 2011 and to quadruple that amount in 2013 – equate to a 300 percent growth in annual installed customer-sited capacity in New York State in two years.

>
> > Source URL:http://www.governor.ny.gov/press/04192012-sun-initiative
> > Links:
> > [1]http://www.governor.ny.gov/
> > –
> > Caitlin Pixley
> > Conservation Associate
> > Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter
> > 353 Hamilton Street
> > Albany, NY 12210
> > (518) 426-9144
> > caitlin.pix…
> > – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - To unsubscribe from the ATL-GAS-DRILLING-TF list, send any message to: ATL-GAS-DRILLING-TF-signoff-requ… Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information:http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.aspTo view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see:http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp

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MarcellusGasInfo UticaOD: “Hydrofracking critics: Tourism in historic areas would be affected”

http://www.uticaod.com/news/x1780484903/Could-hydrofracking-negatively-impact-tourism-in-historic-areas Hydrofracking critics: Tourism in historic areas would be affected By AMANDA FRIES Observer-Dispatch Posted Apr 20, 2012 @ 07:10 PM Last update Apr 21, 2012 @ 03:25 AM Situated on a bluff overlooking Otsego Lake, visitors to Hyde Hall in Glimmerglass State Park can escape their urban environs while learning about history. “We like to think of ourselves as the jewel in the crown, but there are many jewels,” Hyde Hall Executive Director Jonathan Maney said. Fast forward to the day when hydraulic fracturing might be permitted throughout the state, and Maney said that jewel in Cooperstown could be tarnished. He fears the process would change the landscape and increase truck traffic, in turn making the area less attractive to tourism. And he’s not alone in his concerns. The Preservation League of New York State recently submitted a statement to the Department of Environmental Conservation, expressing disappointment with what it called the lack of breadth taken to study the potential negative impacts of drilling in these historic areas. The group was reacting to the DEC’s revised draft of Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement on the Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Regulatory Program. Currently, hydrofracking is not permitted in the state, and the DEC is studying the potential effects it could have on the area. “There was a significant undercount in that document of the number and type of historic resources in the 30 counties,” said Daniel Mackay, the league’s director of public policy. Mackay said concern also lies in how these resources would be visually impacted by oil rigs and extensive truck traffic. “There is no DEC recognition that those types of impacts will impact historic properties as well,” he said. The contention The DEC tallied two historic properties in Oneida County — Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome and Mohawk Valley Heritage Area — while the preservation league counted 86. The document notes that only a portion of Oneida County is within the area underlain by Marcellus and Utica shales, which possibly could account for the large discrepancy. Mackay said the over count is due to the league including properties on Utica shale — the “next potential play.” Emily DeSantis, DEC director of public information, said the discrepancy in the number of sites is because potential properties — those that are eligible to be on the list — are included on the league’s list. “We are carefully reviewing all comments we received on the draft SGEIS, including those regarding historic properties,” DeSantis said. Adam Schultz, a Syracuse attorney who represents oil and gas industries, said there’s nothing to the argument. “Historic properties and aesthetic resources were handled in the same fashion as any other impact,” Schultz said in regard to the document. “While a particular property may not have been evaluated, there’s not a need for it.” Tourism A study, conducted by a Cornell University doctoral candidate who partnered with the Marcellus shale research team, examined the potential impacts on the Southern Tier. The findings suggested that while gas workers might fill up hotels, drilling will degrade visitors’ experiences in the long run. Dr. Susan Christopherson, economic geographer and professor in the city and regional planning department at Cornell University, said tourism and farming will be impacted negatively by hydrofracking. “What happens is people who would’ve come to these areas for tourism activities simply don’t want to go into those areas because they’re not attractive anymore,” she said. Hyde Hall draws tourists interested in the history of the limestone mansion, those looking to enjoy music as well as take part in programs and various exhibits. The hall also is home to ghost tours and acts as a wedding venue, drawing about 4,800 people a year, he said. “I think it’s very important that the governor and other officials at the state level remember that tourism is a major New York state industry,” Maney said. “We draw so many people from all over the country, and in fact, even the world, to this location because of its historical connection to literature and baseball.” Changing landscape Garrett Livermore, vice president for education at Cooperstown’s The Farmers’ Museum, said drilling certainly will impose a “massive industrial landscape.” “One of the reasons people come to the area is because it’s unspoiled nature,” Livermore said. “It’s really going to have a negative effect on tourism.” The Farmers’ Museum and the Fenimore Art Museum draw about 120,000 tourists each year. Debbie Conway, superintendant of Fort Stanwix National Monument in Rome, said she isn’t too concerned about hydrofracking’s effects since the site is not situated on Marcellus shale — the prime location. “We’re going to be isolated from that because we’re in the Utica shale and in the heart of the city,” she said. About 100,000 people visited the fort last year. At the Earlville Opera House, tourism drives about 25 percent of business each year, Director Patti Lockwood-Blais said. “It’s a significant portion of what we do here,” she said. About 11,500 people attend the galleries, performances and workshops hosted at the opera house each year, she said. While Lockwood-Blais admits she wasn’t well-versed on hydrofracking as it relates to the opera house, she said the property and building already has geological issues. Furthermore, it is recognized as a Primary Organization Status by the state Council on the Arts. “If something happened to it, it would seriously impact the arts on a state level,” she said.

MarcellusGasInfo “Chemistry Prof Questions Safety Of Dimock, Pa. Water, Challenges EPA”

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/331244/20120420/methane-ethane-fracking-dimock-natural-gas-epa.htm & http://community.nasdaq.com/News/2012-04/chemistry-professor-questions-safety-of-dimock-penn-water-challenges-epa.aspx?storyid=135421 Chemistry Prof Questions Safety Of Dimock, Pa. Water, Challenges EPA By Pierre Bertrand: April 20, 2012 7:00 PM GMT Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined hydraulic fracturing didn’t contaminate private water wells in Dimock, Pa., the water there is probably not safe to drink, said Ron Bishop, a professor of chemistry at State University of N.Y. at Oneonta. In fact, Bishop said he isn’t sure the EPA is doing a good job educating the area’s residents about the potential hazards present in their water. Dimock, Pa., has been at the front line in the national debate on natural gas drilling through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The drilling technique calls for thousands, possibly millions of gallons of water to be pumped underground with toxic drilling chemicals and sand to fracture natural gas bearing rocks. The water that remains is a toxic sludge — and a dozen households accuse local drillers of failing to properly clean their private wells after previously contaminating them. Some area residents say their water looks like chocolate milk. Others have described the water as the color of milk and coffee. The accusation has been the subject of several investigations by Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. (NYSE: COG), the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and most recently the EPA. So far, all findings suggest the water is potable. Federal regulators in March found traces of arsenic, sodium, methane, chromium and bacteria in the water but those levels were “within safe ranges,” the EPA reported. But Bishop said the levels of heavy metals and salts may not be what is most threatening to human health. He said he is wary of the EPA’s declarative conclusions when federal regulators have yet to release their entire data. Bishop Concerned About Methane “What we have so far is still preliminary,” Bishop said, who added he is convinced the methane present in some of the town’s wells came from deep underground — the natural gas that Cabot Oil is trying to harvest. “Out all the things that give me the most concern, it’s the methane.” Methane’s solubility with water changes as water gets heated. When water is cold, methane is more soluble and often times fully dissolved, but as water is heated, methane starts breaking off from the water molecules it was attached to, Bishop said. The change in water temperature does not have to be great for methane gas to start leeching from running hot water in either sinks and showers. What happens then, Bishop said, is that methane starts displacing oxygen. Slowly and over time, the leeching methane will start depriving area residents of air. When dissolved in water and drunk, methane is harmless, Bishop said. The effects are not immediate and will unlikely cause asphyxia, but oxygen deprivation causes nausea, headaches and over time will lead to health declines. What’s worse, some homes in the town have methane levels that are nearly twice the saturation point in cold water, Bishop said. Bishop said he has reasons to believe the methane found in the water is evidence that hydraulic fracturing has affected the town’s water, because it ‘s from deep underground. Methane found in deep sources usually has a corresponding ratio to another hydrocarbon gas, ethane, that erodes over time and especially as the gas migrates toward the surface. Underground methane is roughly 3 percent ethane, a level that is unattainable from surface bacteria and landfills, Bishop said. With this in mind, Bishop said he is wary of the EPA declaring Dimock’s water free from harm. “That is why I am not so confident that all that water is so safe to drink,” he said. The EPA will release a third round of tests soon. The federal agency previously declared twice this year the town’s water was safe.

MarcellusGasInfo SRBC halts water withdrawals to some gas drillers

lack of snow, less-than-normal rainfall …. it all adds up (or doesn’t add up) to low stream flows. So today SRBC announced they’re temporarily suspending water withdrawals to 17 regulated companies sucking water out of the Susquehanna River & tributaries.
at http://marcelluseffect.blogspot.com/2012/04/srbc-temporarily-suspends-water.html

MarcellusGasInfo Hinchey tells President Obama to Protect Air Quality in Drilling Areas

Today Congressman Hinchey is sending a letter to Pres. Obama urging him to adopt the EPA air quality stds.
More at http://marcelluseffect.blogspot.com/2012/04/hinchey-calls-for-air-quality-standards.html
I invite you to leave comments on the blog… esp. if you live in an air-impacted area.

MarcellusGasInfo Canadian news video: “16×9: Untested Science: Fracking natural gas controversy”

“16×9: Untested Science: Fracking natural gas controversy”- http://www.globalnews.ca/programs/16×9/

MarcellusGasInfo DEP briefing on Lathrop compressor explosion

Instead of a hearing on air quality permits for the other four compressors, DEP will be holding a briefing on the recent compressor explosion. And they’ve invited representatives from the company that owns the Lathrop compressor… the hearings will be the following week. this should be interesting.

http://marcelluseffect.blogspot.com/2012/04/dep-to-hold-public-briefing-on.html

MarcellusGasInfo more compressors planned for Susquehanna County PA

Wells are just part of the equation – you need to move the gas to market. And that takes pipelines and compressors. Regardless of how you get the gas out of the ground. Which means that the gas boom also brings a compressor boom – in some cases, literally. A couple days before April Fools Day the Lathrop compressor in Susquehanna county PA did indeed go "boom". Not to fear; the company has four more in the works. Read more at http://marcelluseffect.blogspot.com/2012/04/explosion-doesnt-slow-compressor.html

MarcellusGasInfo water monitoring

If you’re in the Southern Tier of NY and want to help do baseline water monitoring before drilling starts, they’re looking for volunteers.
read more at http://marcelluseffect.blogspot.com/2012/04/volunteers-monitor-watershed-before.html

MarcellusGasInfo via Barron’s: “The World’s Largest LNG Supplier?”

http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424052748704759704577267370939083182.html http://investing.businessweek.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201204070004DOWJONESENRGYSVC000004-1&paramsheadline||Barron%27s%284/9%29%20Other%20Voices%3A%20The%20World%27s%20Largest%20LNG%20Supplier%3F||docSource||Dow%20Jones%20and%20Company%2C%20Inc.||provider||ACQUIREMEDIA Other Voices | SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 2012 The World’s Largest LNG Supplier? By JOHN R. SIEGEL | MORE ARTICLES BY AUTHOR The short answer: If it wants to be. And it should—to create jobs, double exports, build global trading links and generally boost our economy. By 2017 the U.S. could be the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas in the world, surpassing leading LNG exporters Qatar and Australia. There is one big ” if,” however. America can produce more gas, export a surplus, improve the trade deficit, create jobs, generate taxable profits and reduce its dependence on foreign energy if the marketplace is allowed to work and politics doesn’t get in the way. In May 2011 Cheniere Energy received an Energy Department license to export LNG from its Sabine Pass LNG import terminal in Louisiana. Cheniere subsequently reached long-term deals with the U.K.’s BG Group, Spain’s Gas Natural and India’s GAIL. Cheniere is targeting operation in 2016 and plans to export up to 730 billion cubic feet of LNG annually, roughly 3% of current U.S. gas production. Sabine Pass originally was built as an import facility to alleviate projected U.S. gas shortages. Shale-gas technology changed that assumption radically. Now Sabine Pass is attractive because it already possesses much of the infrastructure for an export plant: LNG storage tanks, gas-handling facilities and docking terminals. Only a liquefaction plant is needed to convert natural gas into LNG. Overall, Cheniere can create its export terminal for half the investment required for a new one. With world oil over $100 per barrel, equivalent to $17 per million BTUs of gas, versus domestic natural gas at $2.10 per million BTUs, the opportunity is obvious: Cheniere can deliver its gas to Asia or European customers well below current market prices. Six developers with existing import terminals are following the Sabine Pass model. And Cheniere has another project in Corpus Christi. With the expansion of the Panama Canal, Gulf LNG projects can economically target the lucrative Asia market. By 2017, the U.S. could be exporting upwards of 13 billion cubic feet of LNG per day. But exporters must overcome growing opposition to LNG exports by environmentalists and industrial users of natural gas. Exporters must also get multiple permits from environmentally conscious federal officials. And Rep. Ed Markey (D.-Mass.) has proposed legislation to bar federal approval of any LNG export terminals until 2025. Those who most fear global warming don’t want anyone anywhere to use more fossil fuel, even “cleaner” natural gas. It is uphill for the anti-gas crowd. High oil prices are driving a transition to natural gas, even as fuel for trucks and cars. In the U.S., the T. Boone Pickens Plan would displace gasoline and diesel fuel for compressed natural gas in large trucks. Pickens estimates savings of two million barrels per day of oil imports if the nation’s fleet of 18-wheelers converts to CNG. The Pickens Plan might fail legislatively because it calls for subsidies to fuel the transition. But if CNG’s nearly $2-per-gallon price advantage over gasoline continues, the concept will evolve via natural market forces, as it should. The Energy Department says natural gas has grown its market share in the U.S. in the past three years from 28% to 30%. Globally, the trend is similar, and LNG is integral to the global supply chain. Despite the recession, global LNG demand has been growing at a 6% to 8% annual clip for the past 10 years. When demand collapsed in 2009, prices in Asian markets fell 50% to about $5 per million BTUs. But the price drop was also driven by the rapid growth in U.S. shale gas. U.S. natural-gas supply — flatlined for a decade at 19 trillion to 20 trillion cubic feet annually — increased 15% in the past three years due to the shale-gas revolution. Technology advances created a supply perturbation. As U.S. gas prices plunged, LNG cargoes bound for the U.S. had no market. Global LNG markets are growing again. By late 2010, the main Asian consumers – - Japan, Korea and Taiwan — were seeking more LNG, while new customers such as Thailand were entering the market. The Japan tsunami put a call on LNG imports to supplant Japan’s nuclear shutdowns, and with increasing demand, Asian markets rebounded to the $15-per-million-BTU range. After the tsunami, Germany plans to close its nuclear plants. Most of Germany’s (and all of Europe’s) new supply will be gas-fired. Given the choices, would Europe rather grow its gas supply from Russia, North Africa or the U.S.? The policy implications should be obvious, even to the U.S. Estimates of the job benefits from U.S. LNG projects depend on a variety of assumptions. Roughly 25,000 direct construction jobs would be created if all the projects are built. Increasing the U.S. natural-gas production base by another 13 billion cubic feet might translate to 450,000 direct and indirect jobs and $ 16 billion in annual tax revenue for federal and state coffers. It’s easier to forecast improved trade balances. Exporting 13 BCF per day of LNG could generate about $45 billion annually. Reaching Pickens’ goals could offset another $70 billion annually of oil imports. Exporting energy, however, rubs a lot of people the wrong way. Pickens wants cheap natural gas for his 18-wheelers and opposes LNG exports. Industrial gas users argue that a vibrant LNG industry would propel domestic gas prices higher. A study by Deloitte said that exporting six 6 BCF per day of LNG would raise wellhead gas prices by 12 cents per million BTU (about 1% on a retail basis). Advocates of “energy independence” argue that exporting LNG would tie U.S. natural gas prices to global markets. The Energy Department’s Office of Fossil Energy is considering whether exporting LNG is in the public interest. In the meantime — shades of Keystone XL — the department has effectively put a moratorium on new LNG export licenses. Energy’s decision-making process balances the extent to which exporting LNG drives up prices with the economic benefits of increased production and energy exports. The price assessment comes at a time when U.S. gas fetches the same price in constant dollars as it did in 1975. Producers are now shutting down production and lowering exploration budgets. The shale-gas “job machine” is now in reverse. Energy’s price study, released in January, found that exporting six BCF per day would increase wellhead prices by 50 to 60 cents per million BTU by 2026. The study has a myriad of assumptions and scenarios, the most fundamental of which is future gas production. In 2007, Energy predicted the U.S. would be importing 12.3 BCF a day of LNG by 2030 due to falling gas production. But primarily because of the shale-technology phenomenon, wellhead prices have tumbled from $6.25 six years ago, even as demand increased by eight BCF per day. That demand figure is larger than the six BCF assumption of the Energy study. The Energy Department is not particularly to blame, as most forecasters got it just as wrong on gas production. Ideally, the Energy Department should move quickly and recognize free-market principles. And the administration could send a clear policy signal that natural gas is integral to the country’s energy future and that exporting LNG is good economics and consistent with its 2010 State of the Union address to double U.S. exports over five years and create two million new jobs. But Energy is moving slowly, and administration signals on natural gas are mostly lip service. The economic-benefits study should have been done by the end of March. But last week, Energy delayed its release until late summer, and said there is no timeline to review results and develop policy recommendations. Translation: after the election. While we are fantasizing, the government could stop singling out the job- creating energy industry for higher taxes, emphasize cost/benefit analysis before adding further regulation to energy production, and get out of the business of regulating LNG exports altogether, which smacks of protectionism. To that end, should we also give veto authority to the Agriculture Department over grain exports (to lower corn prices) and the Commerce Department over auto, airplane and smartphone exports? — John R. Siegel is the President of J.J. Richardson, a registered investment advisor that manages a hedge fund in Bethesda, Md.

MarcellusGasInfo Chesapeake at it again in Tioga County NY

Maybe it’s because they saw Tioga County landowners opting for a better lease, or maybe Aubrey needs a new jet…. whatever the reason, CHPK is trying to enslave the southern tier with really bad leases. read more at http://marcelluseffect.blogspot.com/2012/04/chesapeake-foists-bad-leases-again-on.html

MarcellusGasInfo Gas-Frack could bring Gas Boom to Tioga County

Gas Fracking could bring new meaning to "boom-bust" cycle. OR it could actually bring a different way of fracking. Who knows? It’s not a proven technique. But Tioga County landowners will have an opportunity to embrace this experimental fracking technique if they choose. Maybe. If DEC approves. If it is economically viable. If Chevron ever gets the production numbers so we know what’s possible.
read more at http://marcelluseffect.blogspot.com/2012/03/could-gas-fracking-fuel-ny-gas-boom.html

MarcellusGasInfo GAO says gathering lines need oversight … oh, really?

http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20120322/NEWS11/203220382/Audit-Gas-lines-tied-fracking-lack-oversight?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Audit: Gas lines tied to fracking lack oversight

6:10 PM, Mar. 22, 2012 |
1 Comments

Written by

Garance Burke

The Associated Press

Related Links

SAN FRANCISCO– Auditors say the federal government needs to track safety hazards tied to unregulated pipelines tapping oil and gas released through the drilling method known as fracking.

Thousands of miles of small pipelines have been installed in recent years to collect new gas flows and oil reserves tapped through the high-pressure drilling technique.

Many of these pipelines course through densely populated areas, including neighborhoods in Fort Worth, Texas.

About 240,000 miles of pipelines ferry oil and gas supplies to processing facilities and larger pipelines in the nation.

The Government Accountability Office says most of those miles are not regulated by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which means they are not inspected for leaks or ruptures.

In some states, officials don’t know where the lines are.

MarcellusGasInfo From Josh Fox: “CALLING ALL FRACKTIVISTS! USDA WILL GO AROUND NEPA ON BEHALF OF THE GAS INDUSTRY. GAS LEASES EXCLUDED FROM EIS PROCESS”

CALLING ALL FRACKTIVISTS! USDA WILL GO AROUND NEPA ON BEHALF OF THE GAS INDUSTRY. GAS LEASES EXCLUDED FROM EIS PROCESS by Josh Fox on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 6:57pm Source: Josh Fox http://www.facebook.com/joshfoxintlwow News Release For immediate release Contact: Stephen Kent, skent@kentcom.com USDA Reverses Itself and Exempts Rural Properties with Gas Drilling Leases from NEPA [New York – March 20, 2012] In a move that has angered hydrofracking opponents, the USDA did an about-face and reneged on earlier statements that its popular rural housing loans on properties with gas drilling leases would have to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and today authorized an Administrative Notice stating that rural housing loans would be excluded from NEPA. On Monday, The New York Times had reported the USDA was planning on issuing an Administrative Notice to the opposite effect, telling staff that loans on properties with gas leases must undergo a full environmental review as required by NEPA before mortgage loans are made or guaranteed by the agency. “The proposal by the Agriculture Department, which has signaled its intention in e-mails to Congress and landowners, reflects a growing concern that lending to owners of properties with drilling leases might violate the National Environmental Policy Act, known as NEPA, which requires environmental reviews before federal money is spent,” the Times wrote. The article quoted the program director for rural loans in the Agriculture Department’s New York office saying that, “We will no longer be financing homes with gas leases.” “Approval of such leases would allow for a number of potential impacts to possibly occur which would need to be analyzed in a NEPA document that would be reviewed by the public for sufficiency,” another USDA official was quoted as saying. But in an email statement yesterday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack reversed those positions and said, “USDA will not make any policy changes related to rural housing loans…The information provided to Congressional offices on March 8, 2012 was premature and does not reflect past, current or future practices of the department. Tomorrow, I will authorize an Administrative Notice reaffirming that rural housing loans are categorically excluded under the National Environmental Policy Act.” “This is a very important development and one that we need to speak up about,” said Josh Fox, writer/director of the acclaimed hydrofracking film “GasLands.” “A full NEPA review, like the type the agency was talking about affirming, would have been more transparent, more rigorous and comprehensive. USDA staff experts in the NY office as well as in DC made clear in emails that the law and the science require that mortgages with drilling leases shouldn’t be exempt from NEPA. This 180-degress turn by Secretary Vilsack contradicts both science and law.” Excluding NEPA review of fracking’s environmental impacts is a significant move. It means that environmental review of rural housing loans would be limited to the EPA’s far less comprehensive national study of fracking, which is focused exclusively on drinking water and does not admit public comment. Doing a NEPA analysis would have ensured that federal agencies issuing loans are complying with the law. In fact, officials expressed concern the agency would be vulnerable to lawsuits if they didn’t conduct the NEPA reviews thoroughly enough. But exempting rural housing loans from NEPA means that gas drilling leases will also be exempt from legal recourse and other basic public interest protections the law was meant to provide. NOTE TO EDITORS AND PRODUCERS: Josh Fox is available for phone or in-person interviews. For further information or to book an interview, contact Stephen Kent, skent@kentcom.com

MarcellusGasInfo water wars south of the border

with "Hunger Games" being released perhaps it was only a matter of time for people to start engaging in Water Wars. I’ve seen "range wars" (cattlemen vs sheep) and "shripm wars" (on the Great Salt Lake no less) but here in the land of "water falling out of the sky" why are people engaging in water wars? Oh, yeah, it’s all about being neighborly.
http://marcelluseffect.blogspot.com/2012/03/water-wars-in-montrose.html

MarcellusGasInfo do scientists have a responsibility to speak out when they see environmental problems?

Yes. Absolutely. Unequivocally . http://marcelluseffect.blogspot.com/2012/03/remembering-sherwood-rowland.html

MarcellusGasInfo “Former gas industry water handler’ now a whistleblower” & “Petition: Cl assify Production and Reclaimed Frack Water Toxic”

See also “Petition: Classify Production and Reclaimed Frack Water Toxic”- http://www.change.org/petitions/classify-production-and-reclaimed-frack-water-toxic http://www.postindependent.com/article/20120310/VALLEYNEWS/120309875 Former gas industry ‘water handler’ now a whistleblower Online petition, documentary meant to shine light on the industry Saturday, March 10, 2012 John Colson Post Independent Staff Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado Aaron Milton of Glenwood Springs has started an online petition to pressure the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to classify produced water from gas wells as a toxic substance. GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — A former water handler for the oil and gas industry in Garfield County says he quit his job over health concerns and now is working to make those concerns known to the public. Aaron Milton, 36, has started an online petition to pressure the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reclassify produced water from gas wells as toxic waste. The petition, titled “Classify production and reclaimed frack water toxic,” can be found at www.change.org/petitions. ( http://www.change.org/petitions/classify-production-and-reclaimed-frack-water-toxic ) Milton also is involved in making a documentary film about the industry with filmmakers Hamilton Pevec of Carbondale and Austin Lottimer, formerly of Carbondale but now living in Denver. The film, Milton said, will be titled, “The Water Handler.” “It will be my story, and there’s a lot of other whistleblowers that are going to be in there, too,” Milton said. Milton, who said he’d rather be called a concerned citizen than a whistleblower, told the Post Independent he recently worked for a Garfield County gas exploration company. He declined to name the companies he worked for and with, and said he worked there for less than a year. “I don’t want to do anything against the guys I worked with,” Milton explained. His work involved handling flowback or produced water. It is a mixture of the water found deep underground in association with oil and gas reservoirs, and the surface water that is pumped underground for hydraulic fracturing operations. Milton said he would often transfer produced water from one tank to another during the well drilling and completion processes. He wore fire retardant clothing, a hard hat, steel-toed boots and a meter that would detect dangerous levels of potentially deadly hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas, which often shows up in natural gas formations. But he was not outfitted with a HazMat suit, he said, or a respirator. “It didn’t take but two days to figure out what I was actually dealing with,” he recalled. “That’s one of my biggest problems with the industry,” he continued. “People are not required to wear a respirator when you’re working on a gas pad,” he said. He said he quit his high-paying job because he felt his health was threatened and that his employer was too lax in its safety regulations. “Every day, I was worried about what I was breathing,” he said. Methane, which some gas field workers refer to as “paraffin,” and gaseous hydrogen sulfide were the two of the substances he was most worried about. At the time, Milton was living in a rented house on Silt Mesa. Tests done by his landlord indicated the home’s water supply was contaminated with toluene, benzene, lead and other compounds associated with drilling. “After finding out all that, I was eager to get out of there,” Milton said. Milton questions the safety of a regular industry practice of using injection wells to dispose of produced water that cannot be used again for hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. “The problem is, that is not classified as anything but water by the EPA,” Milton noted. “But that is not just water.” David Ludlam, director of the Western Colorado Oil and Gas Association trade group, responded that the disposal of produced water is done in more than one way, depending on a variety of factors. “If Mr. Milton has concerns about the protocol for handling produced water, our industry is anxious to hear more.” Ludlam wrote in an email to the Post Independent. “I’ll be giving Mr. Milton a call next week to see if he is interested in meeting with our member companies so we can learn from his experiences and collaborate on how to address his grievances.” The father of three children, Milton currently is living in Glenwood Springs. He said he has started his own company, called Resource Energy Group. The company has developed a system for monitoring emissions from industrial equipment, such as those found in landfills, he said. Milton conceded he probably will not be doing any work for local oil and gas operators. But, he said, he is hopeful that with the petition and the documentary, he can pave the way for others to work safely in the industry, even if he cannot.