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Meanwhile, PA DEP official “dispels myths” about HF, says fluids “can be found on the department’s website”
- “Hydraulic fracturing, the target of Fox’s documentary, has been used for more than 60 years without any reported cases of groundwater contamination”
- Top PA environmental official “dispelled myths that the DEP does not know what additives a company uses in the hydraulic fracturing”; “companies must submit a list of chemicals to the DEP, he said, adding that a list can be found on the department’s website“
‘Shockumentary’ about groundwater harms the real environmentalism
By Mike Cantrell
Tulsa World
9/2/2010
Josh Fox and his shockumentary, “Gasland,” have done great disservice to the legitimate environmental movement that most of us embrace.
His film about the “dangerous contamination from hydraulic fracturing” is nothing but distortion. Every instance he so dramatically links to hydraulic fracturing has been investigated by appropriate state and federal authorities (including the Environmental Protection Agency) and found not connected to this procedure.
Of course the agenda of extremists like Fox (and the political environmental groups that fund his work) is to end the production and use of fossil fuels. The vast majority (more than 90 percent) of oil and natural gas still to be found and produced in America must be hydraulically fractured in order to be productive. So to end or seriously curtail the use of this procedure would deprive our country of the energy we need.
Hydraulic fracturing, the target of Fox’s documentary, has been used for more than 60 years without any reported cases of groundwater contamination.
The primary reason there have been no reported problems with groundwater contamination from fracturing through the years is that states have instituted a rigorous regulatory regimen.
It is Fox’s brand of politically motivated, environmental extremism that produces work that makes it a challenge for those of us who, day in and day out, strive to ensure we have the necessary safeguards in place to protect our environment with safe practices.
“Gasland” is so off-base that it will eventually be discredited. In the end, scientifically sound, proven, time-tested practices, and effective regulation will ensure that our groundwater is protected now – and for generations to come.
Officials, experts discuss Marcellus Shale issues at public forum
By Mark Hofmann
Daily Courier
September 2, 2010
Alan Eichler, environmental program manager with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, discussed water quality, testing, disposal and DEP regulations.
Eichler dispelled myths that the DEP does not know what additives a company uses in the hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” process. The companies must submit a list of chemicals and their effects to the DEP, he said, adding that a list can be found on the department’s website, www.depweb.state.pa.us; click on “Oil and Gas,” then click on “Marcellus Shale” for that and other information.
Another myth was the 1,400 citations filed against the companies mean there were 1,400 spills. Eichler said one single incident can be a violation of several sections of law. He added that DEP has been citing the companies when violations have occurred and have tripled the size of their field employees as well as extended hours in evenings and weekends.
Continued>>
Hope, Arkansas is the hometown of William Jefferson Clinton, our nation’s 42nd president. And while Little Rock may be the state’s capital, and largest city, the Natural State’s former governor Mike Huckabee also hails from the southwestern town of Hope.
But because of the tightly-regulated 60-year old energy stimulation technology called hydraulic fracturing – which has been safely used to enhance oil and natural gas production in the United States more than 1.1 million times without every impacted groundwater – there’s much more hope, genuine economic opportunity and job growth potentials flowing into Arkansas, and other regions of the country.
A quick history lesson, compliments of Southwestern Energy: “Southwestern Energy Company discovered the economic viability of the Fayetteville Shale and was the first company to drill and successfully produce its natural gas.”
This discovery, enabled by fracture stimulation coupled with advanced horizontal drilling technologies, “continues to help boost the economy,” says Arkansas’ Channel 11-THV. This from their recent story on the responsible development of the Fayetteville Shale:
Kathy Deck, an economist with the University of Arkansas, even says the Fayetteville Shale play provided a much-needed shot in the arm for the state when it needed it most. She says that while the shale has not developed as quickly as projected, the recession has had a lot to do with that, and that — going forward — the shale will continue to be an important part of the state’s economy.
The Arkansas Business Journal reports that this environmentally-sound development has been “A ‘Shot in the Arm’ to Economy”:
“You have to say, especially in Arkansas, the Fayetteville Shale Play provided a much-needed shot in the arm for the state when it needed it most,” said Kathy Deck, director of the Center for Business & Economic Research at the UA’s Sam M. Walton College of Business, which has twice attempted to project the shale play’s impact.
And despite the sluggishness that the national economy continues to experience, similar benefits are being experienced in other shale gas-producing states and regions of the country. In northwest Louisiana, where the development of the Haynesville Shale continues to safely hum along, KTBS-TV reports that the “Mansfield Economy Booms; Construction On Every Corner.” This from their story on this economic growth, which is a direct result of homegrown energy production:
Construction crews in Mansfield are hard at work with two new restaurants, two new hotels and a new bank.
Shelby Spurlock of Claiborne Parish says the Haynesville Shale is the reason she decided to open Cafe 171 in Mansfield. “It’s an ant bed of activity and we just wanted to come and join it,” said Spurlock while getting ready for Thursday’s grand opening.
City Alderman Troy Terrell says the Haynesville Shale has given Mansfield one of the biggest economic boosts in the state. “In the next two years, Mansfield won’t even look the same, ” said Terrell while standing at one of many construction sites.
Terrell says the economic boom has lead to several new roads. The city recently spent 10-million dollars on a new sewer and water system. City leaders say the new system will bring even more businesses and jobs.
Who said we don’t build things in American anymore? But wait, the news gets better.
While this days of service in the U.S. Congress are counting down, true to form, Sen. Arlen Specter is not mailing it in. Specter, a Pennsylvania Democrat-turned Republican-turned-Democrat, understands that the responsible development of the Commonwealth’s Marcellus Shale reserves is a true game-changer for the region’s economy, its workforce, and for our nation’s energy security. The Williamsport Sun-Gazette reports this yesterday:
U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Philadelphia, sees great economic potential for the local area from the Marcellus Shale and believes the gas industry can help ensure drilling does not adversely impact the environment.
Natural gas, he noted, represents a bridge between fossil fuels and renewable energy resources.
“If we find a way to free ourselves from OPEC oil, that would be great,” he said. “It will be an economic opportunity for Williamsport.”
Speaking of the local area, workforce training programs continue to spud across Pennsylvania, helping to equip men and women from the region with the tools, skill sets, and know-how they will need to contribute to the responsible development of the Marcellus Shale’s abundant, clean-burning natural gas reserves. This from yesterday’s Scranton Times-Tribune:
With the hope of landing a high-paying, stable job in the burgeoning natural gas industry, 24 men embarked Monday on their first industry course at Lackawanna College in New Milford.
Larry Milliken, the course instructor, spent his career working in the industry all over the country from exploration and mineral development to working as an oil and gas “land man.” “(Lackawanna College) set up this program to help people from this area find a career in the natural gas industry,” Mr. Milliken said. “It’s a diverse background of people and ages coming into this class.”
Joshua Houck, 26, of Great Bend, said his curiosity about the natural gas industry motivated him to take the class. “I’m going to try to get a good job afterward,” he said.
Al Bisner, 28, of New Milford, said he returned to the Susquehanna County area after serving in the Army. Mr. Bisner has spent his working career self-employed in the plumbing and heating field but decided he could make more money working for the gas industry. He said he is worried about the rural area becoming more like a “big city” but figured natural gas development is here to stay and wanted “to get in on the ground floor.”
Toward the end of the first session, Mr. Milliken said to the class, “You, your kids and even their kids will be able to make careers in the natural gas industry.”
Think of that: careers – not jobs – in the natural gas industry. You see, our industry is committed to being good neighbors, citizens, partners, friends and ultimately stewards of the environment.
But despite hydraulic fracturing’s long and clear record of environmental safety, some remain fully committed to stopping the use of this technology, and therefore the benefits that it’s making possible for America, especially in small, rural communities where economic opportunity is desperately needed. But supporters of responsible domestic energy production continue to speak out. This from Norwich, NY’s Evening Sun:
Greene businessman Enzo Olivieri warns that a moratorium on natural gas drilling in New York would kill everyone’s hopes for new jobs, and the anti-drillers pushing for it will ultimately succeed because they have deeper pockets.
“That’s what it all boils down to. They, who for the most part come from downstate, have more money than we do up here, so they’re more powerful,” he said.
Olivieri’s exasperation was recently relayed in a phone call to The Evening Sun after the New York State Senate voted Aug. 3 to impose a nine-month moratorium on the controversial high water volume horizontal drilling technique, called hydraulic fracturing. The restaurant owner and real estate developer said he fears that the promise of economic recovery in the area and throughout upstate New York may now simply “wash downstate along with the region’s water.”
Referring to New York City-based protesters who want to ban drilling, he said, “They are the first to use our resources, our water and our crops, and not pay the adequate amount for it. Now they want to take our jobs away?”
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A couple months now removed from the splashy premiere of Josh Fox’s GasLand on HBO, the network appears to be once again ramping up its PR and booking machine associated with selling the on-demand version of the film – with Fox traveling all across the country to hold additional screenings and snapping up follow-up media interviews wherever he goes.
So as Fox and Co. continue their campaign to create an alternate history with respect to a commonly used energy technology that is, in a modern context, responsible for transforming the energy outlook of the United States and the world, we here at EID continue to do what we can to balance their facts fiction with objective facts. Here’s a brief update of what’s been going down recently.
Pittsburgh, PA (Aug. 27)
This past weekend, with the help of local anti-energy activist and Pittsburgh councilman Doug Shields, Fox was on hand for a public screening of GasLand in Frick Park – a 600-acre spot in the heart of Pittsburgh created in 1919 thanks to a $2 million grant from Henry Clay Frick. In case you were wondering, Frick was a Pittsburgh native who made his living in the coal and steel business (Frick and Andrew Carnegie merged companies to create what is today known as U.S. Steel – a huge supporter of the Marcellus). Here’s how our friends over at the Marcellus Shale Coalition responded to the Fox visit:
“…key technologies needed to seize on the opportunities of the Marcellus have been around for a long time, and are aggressively regulated by DEP. Maybe that’s why Secretary Hanger, the state’s top environmental watchdog, took such exception to Josh Fox’s distortions in GasLand, calling him a ‘propagandist,’ and suggesting the film is ‘a deliberately false presentation for dramatic effect.’” (WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh)
Aspen, CO (Aug. 26)
Of course, before he got to Pittsburgh, Fox was making his way around friendly Aspen, Colo. – holding a screening/rally/séance at the Wheeler Opera House in town. Wondering who this “Wheeler” fellow is? Well, he too made a few bucks in the mining industry. And like Frick, he had the community in mind when he built the building that is today the Wheeling Opera House. Following this screening, Lee Fuller, the executive director of EID set the record straight on hydraulic fracturing in the Glenwood Springs Post Independent:
Your readers should understand that hydraulic fracturing has been safely used nationwide over 1.1 million times since it first came into commercial use in 1949. It’s a technology that has never contaminated groundwater, a fact reinforced by top EPA officials as recently as this year. Colorado’s top oil and gas regulator, David Neslin, also confirms “there has been no verified instance of harm to groundwater caused by hydraulic fracturing in Colorado.”
And while Fox claims that “a huge array of chemicals” are used in the fracturing process, the truth is these fluids are composed almost entirely of water and sand — with a small portion of additives (0.05 percent of the mix) used to kill bacteria and reduce friction. These additives can be commonly found in one’s kitchen cupboard and in every day food products, and a list of these are required by federal law to be available at every well site in the nation. And in Colorado, state regulations mandate that operators maintain a precise chemical inventory for each and every well.
Lander and Pinedale, WY (Aug. 5 and 6)
Earlier this month, Fox made two stops in Wyoming, one in the small town of Lander, the other in Pinedale. Once again, EID took to the pages of the local papers to set the record straight – no easy task in 250 words or less. Here’s what EID ended up placing in the Sublette Examiner and Pinedale Roundup:
From the Sublette Examiner:
To watch the “GasLand” documentary is to better understand how it only takes a few well-placed distortions and some nifty intellectual sleight-of-hand to completely rewrite the history on an energy technology known as hydraulic fracturing, which has been used for more than 60 years, not just for the purpose of developing oil and gas wells but to tap geothermal deposits, drill water wells and even by EPA to clean-up Superfund sites… Of course, none of that history comes through in “GasLand.” Earlier this summer, Energy In Depth issued a 4,000-word, point-by-point rebuttal of some of the film’s more specious and sensational claims, and that document remains available on our Web site –energyindepth.org. Watch the film as many times as you like. But don’t think for a second you’re getting the whole truth – not without reading our rebuttal first.
Two days later, the Pinedale Roundup:
I didn’t have the chance to attend the viewing of GasLand at the Pinedale library this past Friday night, but one hopes for accuracy’s sake the film was screened in the “fiction and fantasy” section of the building…Let’s start with the fiction: A commonly used energy technology called hydraulic fracturing is responsible for flammable faucets all throughout the west? Not according to government scientists who collected the water, tested the samples and concluded that methane in the water had nothing at all to do with oil and gas development. Natural gas exploration caused a massive fish kill in Dunkard Creek in Pennsylvania? Not according to the EPA, which issued a report this year identifying water discharges from coal mines as the culprit in that case. The pronghorn antelope is an endangered species in Wyoming? Someone should tell that to Game and Fish – if that were true, maybe there shouldn’t be a hunting season for it.
Of course, EID doesn’t have HBO’s kind of money – so responding to every GasLand showing might prove to be a bit tough. But we’re certainly going to try. Should you hear of a screening in your neighborhood/county, give us a heads up, we’ll do our best to separate the facts from fiction.
Continued>>
The positive and overwhelming economic and energy security benefits enabled by hydraulic fracturing – a tightly regulated 60-year old energy stimulation technology – continue to be realized across the nation. These benefits – affordable supplies of reliable homegrown energy and thousands of good-paying jobs – are a reality in major energy-producing states, particularly North Dakota and Texas.
And while New York was the birthplace of natural gas production, a de facto ban on Marcellus Shale production through the use of 21st century horizontal drilling technology continues to deny landowners their right to responsibly develop privately-owned, clean-burning, job-creating resources.
Facts are stubborn things, as they say. So for your edification, here are a few about fracturing.
In a Fort Worth Business Press column today, Bruce Vincent, chairman of the Independent Petroleum Association of American (IPAA) and president of Swift Energy, underscores the critical role that fracture stimulation has played, and continues to play, in safely producing homegrown, job-creating energy oil and natural gas resources over the past 60 years. Here are key excerpts from Vincent’s column, which speaks directly to the devastating consequences that bills like the FRAC Act would introduce to American consumers:
This process is tightly regulated by energy-producing states, and is subject to a host of federal laws and regulations as well. In fact, federal law mandates that these fluids – which as stated, are made up of more than 99.5 percent water and sand – be disclosed at every single well-site. Many states even provide these lists online.
In commercial use since 1949, hydraulic fracturing has been – and continues to be – the linchpin to American oil and natural gas production. With surgical-like precision, using high-pressure fluids made up of more than 99.5 percent water and sand, with a small percentage of everyday additives used to kill bacteria and reduce wellbore friction, fracturing stimulates oil and gas production thousands of feet below ground, allowing increased amounts of energy to be produced.
But is it safe, and what steps do producers take to ensure groundwater protection? The short answer: yes, and many.
Unfortunately, some members of Congress believe that they know better than Texas, and that Washington bureaucrats ought to regulate fracturing, rather than individual energy-producing states who understand the geology best and have amassed an impressive track record of overseeing this critical technology. These advocates say their legislation is about disclosure of fracturing fluids. At its core, though, these efforts are aimed at stopping fracturing altogether, which would significantly blunt the positive economic growth and job creation in Texas, as well as in other energy-producing states, and ultimately, increase the cost of energy for America.
More than 1,500 miles away from Ft. Worth, in bucolic Syracuse, NY, folks are also talking about fracturing’s long and clear record of environmental safety and effectiveness. In yesterday’s Syracuse Post-Standard, Alfred Station, NY-native Chris Kulander – who holds a Ph.D. in geophysics with a focus on petroleum seismology – write this about fracture stimulation, and the benefits this proven technology stands to help generate through responsibly developing New York’s portion of the Marcellus Shale:
No evidence directly connects injection of fracking fluid into shale with aquifer contamination. In 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a study finding no confirmed instances of drinking water contamination by fracking fluids in the ground. This finding is not surprising, as fracking fluid is pumped through heavy steel pipe surrounded by a concrete liner to formations thousands of feet below aquifers.
Fracking has made production from the Marcellus Shale possible and created thousands of jobs.
An unfortunate push exists in New York to ban all fracking, purportedly until the technology can be “proven” safe, and to require federal oversight of fracking.
While a responsive state regulatory framework and vigorous, impartial enforcement of those regulations are necessary, draconian measures such as rolling moratoriums or federal oversight of fracking are not. New York is well able to regulate fracking while at the same time allowing development of natural gas and enjoying the jobs and revenue it brings.
Continued>>
Hosts two-day Global Shale Gas Initiative Conference in Washington this week
We’re familiar with names like Barnett, Bakken and Marcellus – but what about Silurian or Changbei? Read up on them, because not too long from now, it’s a good bet we’ll be hearing a lot more about these here in the US. Thanks to the good work of the folks over at the State Department, shale gas went global this week – and below, we recap the event in case you weren’t able to attend. Following are select excerpts of a press conference held earlier this week where David L. Goldwyn, Coordinator for International Energy Affairs at the State Department, runs through what went down:
On the Global Shale Gas Initiative Conference and Countries that Participated:
We’re up to 20 countries and 10 federal entities, as well as state and local regulators. The reason we’re doing this is it’s part of the State Department’s effort to promote global energy security and climate security around the world. The U.S. shale gas phenomenon has transformed global energy markets. Because we have discovered and we have the technology to develop efficiently large quantities of gas from shale, global prices of liquefied natural gas have decreased. Gas has become cheaper. Gas is now competitive with coal on a BTU basis, which means that countries that might use coal can now not make an economic choice, but on a competitive basis choose gas for their next level of power generation.
On Shale’s Role in Providing Energy Security and Affordability Around the Globe:
[T]his has been a terrific boon for ourselves and for global energy security, and other countries want to replicate this process. And we wish them the best in doing this, but there are a lot of things that governments need to know in order to develop shale gas safely and efficiently. And that’s why we organized a regulatory conference where we could teach them what they need to know. Now, their motivation and our motivation as the State Department to engage on this issue should be clear for foreign policy and energy security reasons. Countries around the world need diversity of energy supply. There are countries with millions of people – in fact, tens and some hundreds of millions of people – without access to electricity services. They need a feedstock and they need it for base load energy.
State and Federal Regulations, Safety, Environment:
[W]e have, in our country, an umbrella of laws and regulations that makes sure this is done safely and efficiently. We have federal regulation of air and water. We have state regulation of land use and water. We have the capacity to monitor and to regulate. And even then, there’s the need for enforcement… We’ve also had a representative from the Groundwater Protection Council, and this is an association of state regulators, because in our country, it’s really the states that are on the front lines of safe drinking water regulation. In 33 states, the state leads or co-partners with the Environmental Protection Agency. So we’ve spent a lot of time talking about water, because water is scarce in a lot of these countries.
On Groundwater Protection, Hydraulic Fracturing:
[S]afe water and safe regulation plays a huge part in our discussions. It’s really one of the main reasons that we held the conference in the first place. And while hundreds of thousands of wells have been drilled successfully in the United States so far, the lesson that we want all these countries to understand is that you have to have technically competent people operating and you have to have laws and regulations in place first. We have safe – we have safe – Clean Air Act. We have safe drinking acts. We have rules about where you can drill. We have rules about what sort of casings you have to have. And so, if done responsibly, it can be done safely, but these countries need to know you need laws and regulations in place first. I wouldn’t paint the development with a broad brush.
On the Overall Success of the first Global Shale Gas Initiative Conference:
The bottom line is that we’ve had a really successful conference, because these countries have a lot of questions. People are enthusiastic, but they’re careful. There’s a lot that they need to know and there’s a lot they need to stand up in terms of regulatory capacity before they’re ready to engage in this. And so from our point of view, this has been a big success. We want people to have rational expectations about what they have. We want them to understand that it takes not just good commercial terms but really good government and good governance in order to make sure this is done safely. So it’s another of the examples of our using smart power or creative diplomacy to try and improve energy security, but to help countries learn what they need to know.
NOTE: Click HERE for a full transcript and video of Mr. Goldwyn’s press conference from earlier this week.
Continued>>
American heroes walk among us in our communities and neighborhoods each and every day. They put others selflessly before themselves, rarely seeking the credit or recognition they rightfully deserve for their graceful acts of goodness and service to others.
Hundreds of thousands of hard-working men and women across the nation work dutifully each day to safely produce and deliver homegrown oil and natural gas reserves to American consumers in the form of affordable, stable and reliable energy needed to grow our economy and to strengthen our nation.
These are rig-hands, roustabouts, and hydraulic fracturing experts — they’re our friends, family members and neighbors. And because of a selfless act of bravery this week, we can add one more classification to that list: citizen first responder, and American hero.
After completing a day’s work in Pennsylvania’s portion of the Marcellus Shale earlier this week, Billy Watts — a Cudd Energy Services employee — was on his way home to New York when he noticed a house that “was burning like crazy.” And while Mr. Watts may be fairly new to the area, he’s as good a neighbor as one could ask for. The Elmira Star-Gazette reports this under the headline “Newcomer to Elmira area helps rescue woman, pet from house fire”:
Billy Watts, who turned 37 Monday, was driving home on South Broadway from Troy at about 6 p.m. when he saw black smoke in the air. Watts, a hydrofracturing operator for Cudd Energy Services in Pennsylvania, pulled over and helped a volunteer firefighter at the scene before any fire trucks arrived.
A gas industry worker who recently moved to Wellsburg from Oklahoma got an unusual opportunity on his birthday Monday: the chance to save a life.
The pair went down the hill toward the burning home at 2726 South Broadway and saw a woman who looked to be in her 70s, Watts said.
“She was bent over the fence and couldn’t get out, couldn’t breathe.” A dog was with her, he said. Watts and the firefighter helped the woman and dog get away from the house. … Watts said he breathed in some smoke and felt congested from it, but otherwise he was fine. “It’s important for people to stop and try to help out,” Watts said, noting that other bystanders came by.
Sure, Mr. Watts recently moved to New York’s southern tier from Oklahoma to help safely and responsibly deliver clean-burning, job-creating natural gas from the Mighty Marcellus. But this selfless act of heroism underscores how committed our industry is to being good neighbors and partners. We should all take pause in Mr. Watts’ statement about this incident: “It’s important for people to stop and try to help out.”
Continued>>
The responsible development of clean-burning natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation – enabled by hydraulic fracture stimulation technologies, coupled with advancements in horizontal drilling – continues to be an boon throughout much of Appalachia, where small, rural communities and towns have not experienced genuine, lasting economic growth and prosperity for quite some time. But that’s all changing now thanks to these technologies, which can safely and effectively reach the Marcellus’ abundant, homegrown, job-creating natural gas reserves.
And while some continue to oppose this environmentally-proven and tightly regulated development, and the tens of thousands of good-paying jobs this production is helping to create at a time when economic opportunity is dire, it’s clear that folks throughout the Rust Belt agree that this is a good thing, and that it can – and must – be done responsibly.
Energy production companies, including Chesapeake Energy, continue to hire throughout the region, holding forums for those interested in joining our fight for a more secure energy future and more stable energy prices for American families, seniors and consumers.
Under the headline “Hundreds Want Gas Drilling Jobs,” the Wheeling Intelligencer reports that “For neighbors Shawn Long and Eric Westbrook of Middlebourne, who arrived before 10 a.m. and waited more than an hour to get through the door, the chance for new employment in the Ohio Valley is welcome.”
One attendee at the recent Chesapeake Energy open house said that “This is a great opportunity for around here,” adding that “this (the gas industry) is one of the only things around here. It’s a good thing they (Chesapeake) are here.” Another individual seeking employment noted that “It’s this or the coal mine. I’ve got two kids and a wife I have to take care of,” add that “Any new full-time employment in this area is great.”
We report, you decide — as they say.
Hundreds in WV, Throughout the
Rust Belt Want Gas Drilling Jobs … |
… While a Few Use Distortions to Stop Responsible Gas Development, Job Growth
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(Hundreds Want Gas Drilling Jobs; Wheeling Intelligencer, 8/19/10)
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(“Protest” in Pittsburgh, Pa.; 8/18/10)
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Continued>>
Just The Facts: University of Pitt. Prof. Sets the Record Straight on Hydraulic Fracturing
Positive benefits created by fracture stimulation technology continue to pour in from coast to coast
In an interview with KDKA radio’s Mike Pintet, Professor Radisav Vidic of the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, sets the record straight on hydraulic fracturing – the 60 year-old energy stimulation technology that has been safely used to produced domestic oil and gas over 1.1 million times. Dr. Vidic, who holds a Ph.D. in environmental engineering, underscores hydraulic fracturing’s tight regulations and long and clear record of environmental safety.
On Hydraulic Fracturing’s Clear, Long Record of Protecting Groundwater: “There hasn’t been any proven case”
- “There hasn’t been any proven case that shows that the hydraulic fracturing itself causes contamination to groundwater. First of all, the well casing — the way it’s designed to be used — there’s multiple barriers there through the aquifer so there’s really no communication between the material that’s injected into the well and a groundwater aquifer. … This water is injected at a 8,000 feet depth so the chances of this water coming up all the way to the surface is very small simply.”
On Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Disclosure: “Go on the DEP’s website”
- “You can go on the DEP website, and there is a list chemicals that are being used in hydro fracturing operation. This list contains a total of I think about 78 chemicals. But you have to understand not all of them are used on every well, every time. This is a list of all the chemicals that are ever being used in the hydrofracturing operation. A subset of those chemicals are used on each well depending on which company is doing it and what is their technology, and approach to hydro fracturing the well. The industry is required to disclose this information, and the DEP has a list of all the chemicals that are being used for hydro fracturing operations.”
On GasLand Claims About Flaming Faucets: “It’s not caused by drilling”
- “It’s not caused by the drilling, it’s caused by the methane that’s coming from some place.”
What are others saying about domestic oil and natural gas production enabled by hydraulic fracturing? We’re glad you asked.
- Without fracture stimulation, ND’s economic boon wouldn’t be happening: “Hydraulic fracturing — or frac’ing — also is used for natural gas, and it’s controversial. The fluid is mostly water, but it also contains about one-half percent chemicals. Despite industry assurances, environmental groups worry frac’ing is polluting groundwater, and they want more regulation. Some even want an outright ban. But without this technology, the boom in North Dakota wouldn’t be happening.” (NRP, 8/18/10)
- Hydraulic fracturing helping to create hundreds of jobs in rural Pa.: “New York State lawmakers made a grand show of Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale gas drilling procedures last week. They held our state up as an example of what not to do in a recession and inferred the state is selling its environment out so that it can generate the economy the gas drilling brings. To our friends to the north we would say that sword holds a double edge. … This past week the Sun-Gazette reported on the rapid growth of the cement mixing Halliburton plant off Route 405 in Clinton Township, where ground was broken a year ago. By year’s end there will be about 100 jobs, and there are projections that the plant will eventually employ 400 people. Plants with 400 jobs especially new ones aren’t plentiful in our region. (Williamsport Sun-Gazette Editorial, 8/15/10)
- Shale drilling could become an economic gusher for Michigan: “The $1.2 billion-a-year oil and gas industry is a modest player in Michigan’s economy, but the situation could change because the shale-rich Great Lakes State could be sitting atop the next in-demand natural resource, experts said. Advances in technology and $3-a-gallon gasoline have made deep-seated shale oil more accessible and desirable, they said. … The industry’s fortunes took a turn for the better when the state sold $178 million in leasing fees in a single auction in May. That equaled the total amount of money the state has collected in leasing fees since the 1920s, a telltale sign that interest in shale drilling is heating up. (Detroit News, 8/18/10)
- Roustabouts wanted as companies rush to drill for gas: “Workers looking for jobs in the region’s booming natural gas industry may try their hand as a “roustabouts” — general laborers who work physically grueling 12-hour shifts for 14 consecutive days in all kinds of weather to build and remove drilling pads and assist production. “It’s demanding labor, working long stretches without days off. You have to be ready to do quality work and do it a long time. Once they start production, they don’t stop,” said Richard Guenther, an employee relations specialist with Chesapeake Energy Corp. in Mt. Morris, Greene County. Pay can range from $10 to $20 an hour, plus overtime. (Tribune-Review, 8/18/10)
- 1 million wells have been fractured without a single case of documented harm to groundwater: “Water is mixed with sand and some chemicals and then pumped at high pressure into the well bore to shatter the Bakken shale formation, which can be as hard as a driveway. The “fracking” creates fissures that free up trapped oil and natural gas to flow up to the well bore. … Increasingly refined hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques have doubled Montana’s oil-and-gas production, Richmond said. In the United States, approximately 35,000 wells are “fracked” each year and 1 million wells have been developed without documented harm to groundwater, he said. … Oil in the Bakken lies well below groundwater supplies. (Billings Gazette, 8/14/10)
- Marcellus Shale’s economic impact is growing: “Marcellus Shale drilling is still in its infancy in West Virginia, but the industry is already contributing millions of dollars to the state’s economy. It may be awhile before the gas industry’s economic impact rivals that of coal in West Virginia. Mike Shaver, clad in a hard hat and muddy boots, surveys a gas drilling rig on a site in Upshur County. As a crew drills towards the Marcellus Shale, a pipe pumps water and dirt out of the hole in the earth and into a huge pit of muddy, rock-filled water. Shaver looks at the water, trying to determine how much farther the drill has to go before reaching shale gas. (Huntington Herald Dispatch, 8/14/10)
- Fracturing enabling a “transformative opportunity”, says. fmr. Gov. Ridge: “Former Gov. Tom Ridge this afternoon called Marcellus Shale gas production a “transformative opportunity” for Pennsylvania during an appearance Downtown in his new role as a strategic adviser to an industry group. Still dressed in the jeans and checkered shirt that he wore to inspect production operations in Washington County earlier in the day, Mr. Ridge hailed the industry’s economic potential but also stressed the need to manage environmental concerns. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 8/17/10)
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In 1949, the average cost for a gallon of gasoline was 17 cents. That same year, the First Polaroid Camera was sold for $89.95. And while the Polaroid has certainly had a lasting impact on American society, it was in 1949 when hydraulic fracturing first came into commercial use.
This energy stimulation technology has been safely used to help produce homegrown oil and natural gas more than 1.1 million times. And because of the industry’s commitment to ensure environmental safety, along with commonsense laws and regulations overseeing the process, hydraulic fracturing has never caused groundwater contamination. But despite this remarkable track record of putting the nation on stronger path toward energy security, a host of claims surrounding fracturing continue to persist.
Energy In Depth’s Lee Fuller helped separate the fact from fiction in a Detroit Free Press letter this week:
Fracturing is not new and is not “exempt from federal water laws,” as Olson claims. Shale gas development is regulated under the federal Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, the Community “Right to Know” Act, the Superfund law and by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
While Olson claims that “Most states, like Michigan, have not evaluated the impacts” of this technology, your readers should know Harold Fitch, director of the Geological Survey (OGS) office at Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality — which regulates every aspect of oil and gas production, including fracturing — has said that “there is no indication that hydraulic fracturing has ever caused damage to ground water or other resources in Michigan.” Fitch notes that “OGS has never received a complaint or allegation that hydraulic fracturing has impacted groundwater in any way.”
Fracturing fluids are made up of more than 99.5% water and sand. A small percentage of fluids used to reduce friction and kill bacteria that are commonly found under one’s kitchen sink, are added. Not only is a list of these fluids mandated by federal law to be available at every well site, many organizations — including Energy In Depth — list them online.
And here’s just a quick snapshot of positive economic benefits that hydraulic fracturing is helping to bring to energy-producing regions of the country that are in desperate need of good-paying jobs and stable energy costs, as well as the commitment from the industry to be good neighbors and stewards of the environment:
- Making good on a promise; Halliburton plant creates jobs. Sun-Gazette. “When ground was broken last August on a cement mixing plant owned by Halliburton off Route 405 in Clinton Township, company officials promised they would bring jobs to this area. The company is making good on that promise, said Perry A. Harris, senior district manager for Halliburton’s northeast U.S. operations. “By year’s end we’ll have 75 to 100 (employees) and (add) another 100 to 150 next year,” Harris said during a recent tour of the plant. … Harris said the company plans to develop another 55 acres nearby that will be home to other Halliburton gas field support operations. “Between the two sites, we’ll (be hiring) 400-plus people over the next two to three years,” Harris said.
- Another Bakken in ND? KXN-TV. “Central Bottineau County is poised to become the hub of a brand new boom. We’ve all become familiar with the Bakken Shale Formation in recent years. That’s the huge oil-rich rock formation that’s triggered a major oil boom centered in the Stanley area. But now, major oil companies are making moves that suggest a second oil boom is in its infancy. Jim Olson reports. Oil wells are not new to Bottineau County. 40 years ago, several successful wells were drilled there. But the work going on this summer on drilling rigs like this could signal the beginning of a major oil rush to the region. Lynn Helms, Dept. of Mineral Resources, says “It’s going to have a major impact.”
- Our commitment to the community. Lock Haven Express, Marcellus Shale Coalition’s Kathryn Klaber. “And while Marcellus development is still in the early stages, many of these benefits are already being realized. According to a recent study released by researchers at Penn State, our industry will help create nearly 212,000 jobs across the Commonwealth over the next decade. Last year alone, Marcellus development was responsible for the creation of 44,000 jobs. To date, landowners have received more than $1.7 billion in royalties and lease payments from Marcellus producers. And this production has also generated close to $400 million in state and local tax receipts – with that number expected to double this year. Many Pennsylvanians are also seeing lower energy rates because of this increase supply, allowing consumers to keep more of what they earn.
- Natural gas fueling economy. Shreveport Times. “The Haynesville Shale is the fourth largest natural gas field in the world. Discovered in 2008, the shale rock is buried as deep as two miles under the ground and in some places can be 500 feet thick. It stretches about 5,000 square miles under most of northwest Louisiana, and experts believe it contains about 245 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, enough to power America for 10 years. Local leaders tout the economic benefits of the shale not just because of the millions of dollars in royalties and leasing bonuses paid to local landowners during the past two years from gas companies scrambling to acquire space to drill, but also new jobs and economic growth have come as a result of the production.
- Anadarko joins team to preserve stream banks. Lock Haven Express. “The Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and the Bureau of Forestry have been working with volunteers from Anadarko Petroleum Corp. this week to construct in-stream fish habitat structures along Trout Run, a tributary to Pine Creek. Last fall, Anadarko contributed $10,000 to the conservancy to purchase materials for a stream restoration project in the Pine Creek watershed. Anadarko employees volunteered to help with the installation at the time of the donation. This week, they kept their word with 20 Anadarko staff from Williamsport and Houston pounding sledge hammers , moving rock, and securing silt fabric to create the in-stream structures.
- UGI to spend $300M on drilling project. Citizens Voice. “UGI Corp. plans to invest more than $300 million over the next two years to develop natural gas infrastructure in the Marcellus Shale region, a project that includes a “major pipeline project,” the utility company announced Thursday. UGI officials outlined the move in a one-and-a-half-page news release sent out after normal business hours without providing details of exactly where the company might locate such a pipeline. The project would bring Marcellus Shale producers in the state “improved access to high-value markets,” according to the release.
- Gas Company Overhauling Some Roads. WNEP-TV. “Cabot Oil and Gas is now completely rebuilding some roads before all the trucks show up. It’s a complete transformation along Wickizer Road, a state road near Dimock. Trucks and crews are turning a narrow dirt road into one wide enough to handle big trucks coming and going all the time. Cabot Oil and Gas is doing all the work on that road and other state and township roads in Susquehanna County before there is truck traffic.
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Earlier this week, EPA found itself in the unenviable position of having to scramble for an alternate location for hosting its previously scheduled public information session on the shale gas stimulation technique known as hydraulic fracturing.
Of course, it was pure coincidence that the agency settled on the one city in the state whose newspaper ran four separate letters to the editor late last week targeting with misinformation the technology in question.
Syracuse, of course, is the city we’re talking about, and even though New York State has more than 13,000 oil and natural gas wells in operation today – the vast majority of which have been fractured – activists continue to spread misleading information about the 60-year-old technology, and the many state and federal regulations in place to ensure that this process is conducted in a safe and environmentally sound manner.
Last week the readers of Syracuse’s Post-Standard witnessed this effort first hand and in full-force – four letters in a single day. Luckily however, there are folks out there who know the truth, speak the truth and are willing to set the record straight on a technology been deployed over 1.1 million different times without a single confirmed case of groundwater contamination.
Which brings us to the first letter from last week’s Aug. 6 Post-Standard:
“Here are some of the exemptions from the United States federal laws that the natural gas industry can ignore due to the “Cheney loophole” in the Federal Energy Act of 2005: Exemptions of the gas (and oil) industry: 1) the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2) the Clean Water Act, 3) the Clean Air Act, 4) the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, 5) waste management laws, 6) public right to know provisions of the emergency planning and community right to know act.” – David Kauber, Aurora
Funny thing about these claims? Not a single one is backed up by fact. And no, just because Josh Fox says it’s true, doesn’t mean it is. Local resident Andy Leahy sums it up best in today’s Post-Standard:
“I’m going to have to leave aside the preposterous claims that the oil and gas industry is exempt from the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Superfund law and so on… The history of the Safe Drinking Water Act, on the other hand, carries a slightly more interesting “kernel of truth,” from which the activists have sprouted their claims. For more than two decades since passage in 1974, no one in authority on any state or federal level interpreted underground injection control as encompassing oil and gas well “stimulation,” or fracturing, as had long been routinely deployed during development of these resources… in the late 1990s there was a very effective lawsuit brought by an environmental group having to do with hydraulic fracturing for coalbed methane in Alabama.”
Mr. Leahy goes on to write:
“The Energy Policy Act of 2005, among many other things, rendered this Alabama legal decision ineffective by clarifying congressional intent within SDWA. It said clearly that hydraulic fracturing was not meant, and was never meant, by Congress to be covered under the federal underground injection control program. So that’s the exemption, the so-called “Halliburton loophole.” It just confirmed the status quo, which is that the states remain the primary regulators of oil and gas exploration activity.”
You can imagine the substance of the other three letters – which you can read here if you’d like. But to save you the time, effort and tears, we’ll leave you with this little nugget:
We are a well-informed, intelligent, educated people who are well aware of what we have to lose if the gas companies are allowed to frack within the aquifers of our state. We know that we are exempt from the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts.” – Beverly Ann Scholl, Skaneateles
Sorry, Ms. Scholl, educated people support their arguments with facts, not fiction.
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