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Fwd: [ACTNET-FRAC-NEWS] FYI: New Study Supports Water Contamination Due to Fracking
by Jim Sconyers 03 Oct '12

03 Oct '12

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Deb Nardone" <deb.nardone(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Oct 3, 2012 10:25 AM Subject: [ACTNET-FRAC-NEWS] FYI: New Study Supports Water Contamination Due to Fracking To: <ACTNET-FRAC-NEWS(a)lists.sierraclub.org> http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=254646.0 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 3, 2012 Contacts: Maggie Kao, Sierra Club, 202-675-2384 Bruce Baizel, Earthworks, 970-259-3353 x2 *New Study Supports Water Contamination Due to Fracking* *U.S. Geological Survey Verifies EPA Findings in Pavillion, WY* Pavillion, WY -- An independent analysis of new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) water monitoring data verifies a 2011 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigation into whether hydraulic fracturing contaminated the Wind River aquifer near Pavillion, Wyoming - an important groundwater source that provides water to thousands of Wyoming residents and farmers. The preliminary results of EPA’s study was one of the first to document hydrocarbons consistent with fracking fluid chemicals in drinking water wells and monitoring wells located near natural gas wells. EPA’s preliminary results have since been attacked by the oil and gas industry, as they seek to continue their dangerous practices and protect their own interests over public health and safety. USGS’s study was conducted specifically to check EPA’s results. The Sierra Club, Earthworks, and the Natural Resources Defense Council worked with a hydrologist and independent expert, Dr. Tom Myers, to analyze the USGS raw data and compare those results with the original EPA report. Dr. Myers found that the USGS data support EPA's initial findings. EPA’s analysis should be widely accepted now that its findings have been replicated. The USGS report found that thermogenic gas, which very likely comes from fracked deep shale formations, continues to increase in a monitoring well. This evidence strongly suggests that as a result of fracking, gas is seeping into Pavillion’s water. A range of chemicals associated with the fracking process also continue to appear in the monitoring well, showing that hazardous pollution is spreading towards the surface. This new information supports EPA’s hypothesis that natural gas drilling activities, including fracking, have contaminated the Wind River aquifer near Pavillion. Read Dr. Myers’ analysis here<http://www.sierraclub.org/pressroom/downloads/myers-tech-memo-093012.pdf> . View the U.S. Geological Survey’s data here<http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3410#.UGoCok25SgY> . “The Sierra Club is concerned by the U.S. Geological Survey’s important conclusions, which further underline EPA’s report that fracking has contaminated Pavillion’s water,” said *Deb Nardone, Sierra Club Beyond Natural Gas campaign director*. “This report raises the alarm on the public health threats posed by dirty and dangerous fracking and the need to rein in a oil and gas industry that remains unchecked and unaccountable for their toxic pollution.” “Dr. Myers’ analysis shows that the USGS upholds EPA’s preliminary conclusion that hydraulic fracturing contaminated Pavillion-area groundwater,” said *Bruce Baizel, Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project Senior Staff Attorney*.” He continued, “It’s long past time for states and industry to stop denying oil and gas development’s environmental problems, and start working on fixing them.” “This reinforces EPA’s findings – and the concerns of Americans in communities across the country – that dangerous fracking practices are putting our drinking water and health at risk,” said *NRDC senior policy analyst Amy Mall*. “That’s why it’s critical that EPA thoroughly investigate reports of fracking water contamination concerns. It’s essential that we protect Americans from a repeat of what we are seeing in Wyoming.” ### -- Deborah J. Nardone, Director Beyond Natural Gas Campaign Sierra Club O: 814-308-9767 C: 814-932-6668 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This email list is associated with the Hydrofracking Team on the Sierra Club's Activist Network. Join the Hydrofracking Team at http://sc.org/frac. This list is open to the public and subscribers are not moderated. Please be aware that information you share may be forwarded to or read by others beyond this list. To unsubscribe from the ACTNET-FRAC-NEWS list, send any message to: ACTNET-FRAC-NEWS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

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Re: [EC] EarthWorks report "Breaking All The Rules"
by Frank Young 03 Oct '12

03 Oct '12

It's worth than that, Beth. The law does require one thing of DEP- that it issue permits if the applicants have simply jumped through the paperwork hoops, but which hoops are very, very low. To not issue a permit immediately puts the burden on DEP to show that it was prudent to deny the permit. And usually DEP is too paralyzed by inertia and too bound by political pressure to make realistic findings of relative prudency. Frank Young ----- Original Message ----- From: "Elizabeth Little" <blittle(a)citynet.net> To: "James Kotcon" <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu> Cc: <ec(a)osenergy.org> Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2012 8:07 PM Subject: Re: [EC] EarthWorks report "Breaking All The Rules" It sounds like WV, but they didn't include WV. If it's this bad elsewhere, imagine how bad it is here. Example: Antero and Halls Drilling have had violation, accident, spill, etc. one after another, starting with the spill in Buckeye Run that Louanne discovered, and the DEP just lets them keep going. The really frustrating thing is that there is nothing we can legally do. When we had that call with several lawyers about filing an action to make the DEP do what the law says, it came out that the regulations don't require the DEP to do anything. The language is all that they "may" inspect or "may" require thus and so. Arrrrgh! If ever there was a timely report to justify our Moratorium call, here it is. Caution, 3 MB, about 150 pages. http://www.earthworksaction.org/library/detail/breaking_all_the_rules_the_c… JBK ----- Original Message ----- From: Alan Septoff ( mailto:aseptoff@earthworksaction.org ) To: cog Sent: Monday, October 01, 2012 1:39 PM Subject: [COG] Earthworks' response to John Hanger re our enforcement report http://www.earthworksaction.org/earthblog/detail/public_health_isnt_a_numbe… Public health isnâ?Tt a numbers game - a response to John Hanger By Nadia Steinzor ( http://www.earthworksaction.org/earthblog/byauthor/8 ) September 28, 2012 This post was co-authored with Alan Septoff ( http://www.earthworksaction.org/earthblog/byauthor/10 ). The most fundamental truth uncovered in Earthworksâ?T just-released report Breaking All the Rules: the Crisis in Oil & Gas Regulation ( http://www.earthworksaction.org/library/detail/breaking_all_the_rules_the_c… ), is that states are falling tragically short in enforcing their own oil and gas development rules. It is good to see that John Hanger ( http://johnhanger.blogspot.com/2012/09/reviewing-earthworks-report-ripping.… ), ex-Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), does not argue that truth. As a result of this inadequate enforcementâ?"a problem in all of the six states we reviewedâ?"Breaking All the Rules concludes that so many problems with oil and gas development are left undiscovered, undocumented and unresolved, the public cannot have confidence that their health, air, and water are being protected. Again, John Hanger does not argue against that conclusion. As a former regulator, he knows how complicated it is to oversee an industry based on a â?odrill and permit now, figure out how to oversee laterâ? approach. Even with an increase in the number of inspectors and improved reporting and data protocolsâ?"facts that Earthworks acknowledges in the report. John Hanger also argues that we should not have looked at all producing wells, since it is primarily shale gas wells â?othat are the focus of attention and concern.â? However, all active wells require oversight. Production may be minimal, but potential contamination issues still exist from produced water and leaks, especially since the older equipment at these sites may be more prone to corrosion and failure. And when the DEP wrote its recommended inspection policyâ?"still the basis for current activitiesâ?"shale gas wells did not even exist. John Hangerâ?Ts response to the report is also based on the idea that because DEP increased its enforcement efforts from 2010 to 2011, our use of 2010 data skews the results so much that the report isnâ?Tt useful. As we stated on on page 23 of the full report, because 2011 data were not available for all statesâ?"and Earthworks wanted to do a comparable analysis across six statesâ?"we relied primarily on 2010 data. (For example, DEPâ?Ts 2011 data on wells, permits, and other aspects were not completely available to the public until July 2012.) Nonetheless, we did include 2011 data where available -- in the full report within table A6-1 and in the Pennsylvania-specific report prominently on page 2 ( http://www.earthworksaction.org/library/detail/enforcement_report_pa_dep ): "In 2010 DEP failed to inspect more than 82,000 or 91 percent of active wells. In 2011, more than 66,000 active wells (86 percent) did not receive DEP oversight." But even if the numbers shift a bit in some months, the key question that was the impetus to this research remains: "Can the public have confidence that their health, air and water are being protected?â? Citing different numbers does not even begin to answer this question because the Pennsylvania DEP addressed its enforcement inadequacies in the same manner that allowed the problem to develop in the first place: DEP looked at the amount of drilling as something outside their control, and defined their ability to govern that drilling in terms of the limited resources available to them. We hope that anyone who reads Breaking All the Rulesâ?"including regulators and policymakersâ?"takes away the core lesson learned from an in-depth analysis of regulatory agenciesâ?T own data: Right now, states take the amount of drilling as given, and then figure out how they can best do their jobs with scarce resources available. That equation must be reversed. The amount of drilling that takes place should be contingent upon what resource strapped state agencies can safely regulate -- ensuring that public health and the environment are fully protected as top priority. If a state enforcement agency can't guarantee that the next proposal for a well, compressor station, or other facility will not cause harm (and that it will be properly overseen during construction and operation), they shouldn't permit it. Plain and simple. In the end, protecting communities isn't a numbers game, and solutions to very real and very serious problems in the gas patches of the United States wonâ?Tt be found comparing one yearâ?Ts marginally improved inspection and enforcement performance to another. (Though any meaningful improvement would be welcome.) What it will require from regulatory agencies is that they revisit their rules in a public and transparent manner to determine what constitutes enforcement that credibly protects the public and the environmentâ?"and then allow only the amount of development that meets that strong enforcement standard. And no more. A continued rush to drill without such change will continue to harm communities and result in even more violations and problems on the groundâ?"a scenario that the regulatory agencies themselves should want to avoid. _______________________________________________ EC mailing list EC(a)osenergy.org http://osenergy.org/mailman/listinfo/ec _______________________________________________ EC mailing list EC(a)osenergy.org http://osenergy.org/mailman/listinfo/ec

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EarthWorks report "Breaking All The Rules"
by James Kotcon 02 Oct '12

02 Oct '12

If ever there was a timely report to justify our Moratorium call, here it is. Caution, 3 MB, about 150 pages. http://www.earthworksaction.org/library/detail/breaking_all_the_rules_the_c… JBK ----- Original Message ----- From: Alan Septoff ( mailto:aseptoff@earthworksaction.org ) To: cog Sent: Monday, October 01, 2012 1:39 PM Subject: [COG] Earthworks' response to John Hanger re our enforcement report http://www.earthworksaction.org/earthblog/detail/public_health_isnt_a_numbe… Public health isn’t a numbers game - a response to John Hanger By Nadia Steinzor ( http://www.earthworksaction.org/earthblog/byauthor/8 ) September 28, 2012 This post was co-authored with Alan Septoff ( http://www.earthworksaction.org/earthblog/byauthor/10 ). The most fundamental truth uncovered in Earthworks’ just-released report Breaking All the Rules: the Crisis in Oil & Gas Regulation ( http://www.earthworksaction.org/library/detail/breaking_all_the_rules_the_c… ), is that states are falling tragically short in enforcing their own oil and gas development rules. It is good to see that John Hanger ( http://johnhanger.blogspot.com/2012/09/reviewing-earthworks-report-ripping.… ), ex-Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), does not argue that truth. As a result of this inadequate enforcement—a problem in all of the six states we reviewed—Breaking All the Rules concludes that so many problems with oil and gas development are left undiscovered, undocumented and unresolved, the public cannot have confidence that their health, air, and water are being protected. Again, John Hanger does not argue against that conclusion. As a former regulator, he knows how complicated it is to oversee an industry based on a “drill and permit now, figure out how to oversee later” approach. Even with an increase in the number of inspectors and improved reporting and data protocols—facts that Earthworks acknowledges in the report. John Hanger also argues that we should not have looked at all producing wells, since it is primarily shale gas wells “that are the focus of attention and concern.” However, all active wells require oversight. Production may be minimal, but potential contamination issues still exist from produced water and leaks, especially since the older equipment at these sites may be more prone to corrosion and failure. And when the DEP wrote its recommended inspection policy—still the basis for current activities—shale gas wells did not even exist. John Hanger’s response to the report is also based on the idea that because DEP increased its enforcement efforts from 2010 to 2011, our use of 2010 data skews the results so much that the report isn’t useful. As we stated on on page 23 of the full report, because 2011 data were not available for all states—and Earthworks wanted to do a comparable analysis across six states—we relied primarily on 2010 data. (For example, DEP’s 2011 data on wells, permits, and other aspects were not completely available to the public until July 2012.) Nonetheless, we did include 2011 data where available -- in the full report within table A6-1 and in the Pennsylvania-specific report prominently on page 2 ( http://www.earthworksaction.org/library/detail/enforcement_report_pa_dep ): "In 2010 DEP failed to inspect more than 82,000 or 91 percent of active wells. In 2011, more than 66,000 active wells (86 percent) did not receive DEP oversight." But even if the numbers shift a bit in some months, the key question that was the impetus to this research remains: "Can the public have confidence that their health, air and water are being protected?” Citing different numbers does not even begin to answer this question because the Pennsylvania DEP addressed its enforcement inadequacies in the same manner that allowed the problem to develop in the first place: DEP looked at the amount of drilling as something outside their control, and defined their ability to govern that drilling in terms of the limited resources available to them. We hope that anyone who reads Breaking All the Rules—including regulators and policymakers—takes away the core lesson learned from an in-depth analysis of regulatory agencies’ own data: Right now, states take the amount of drilling as given, and then figure out how they can best do their jobs with scarce resources available. That equation must be reversed. The amount of drilling that takes place should be contingent upon what resource strapped state agencies can safely regulate -- ensuring that public health and the environment are fully protected as top priority. If a state enforcement agency can't guarantee that the next proposal for a well, compressor station, or other facility will not cause harm (and that it will be properly overseen during construction and operation), they shouldn't permit it. Plain and simple. In the end, protecting communities isn't a numbers game, and solutions to very real and very serious problems in the gas patches of the United States won’t be found comparing one year’s marginally improved inspection and enforcement performance to another. (Though any meaningful improvement would be welcome.) What it will require from regulatory agencies is that they revisit their rules in a public and transparent manner to determine what constitutes enforcement that credibly protects the public and the environment—and then allow only the amount of development that meets that strong enforcement standard. And no more. A continued rush to drill without such change will continue to harm communities and result in even more violations and problems on the ground—a scenario that the regulatory agencies themselves should want to avoid.

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Fwd: WVNS story: Fracking Waste Disposal Wells Harbor Hidden Concerns
by Paul Wilson 02 Oct '12

02 Oct '12

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Public News Service <wvns(a)newsservice.org> Date: Mon, Oct 1, 2012 at 3:51 AM Subject: WVNS story: Fracking Waste Disposal Wells Harbor Hidden Concerns To: PaulWilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> Fracking Waste Disposal Wells Harbor Hidden Concerns Dan Heyman, Public News Service-WV http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/28646-1 Join the discussion: facebook.com/PublicNewsService<http://www.facebook.com/PublicNewsService> Twitter: @pns_news <http://twitter.com/#!/pns_news> @pns_WV<http://twitter.com/#!/pns_WV> Google+: plus.to/publicnewsservice <http://plus.google.com/106260479325451709866> (10/01/12) CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A loophole that lets oil and gas drillers dispose of their waste in loosely regulated injection wells is drawing criticism. When billions of gallons of used fracking fluid and the salty brine that comes up with natural gas are injected into disposal wells, some fear states like West Virginia could be setting themselves up for serious problems. Although the fracking fluid and brine may contain serious pollutants, the industry got a federal exemption from the strict rules that regulate the injection of hazardous waste. Evan Hanson, president of Downstream Strategies, a water science and policy consulting firm, is studying what are known as Class II wells. "There's been a series of exemptions related to the oil and gas industry. One of the important exemptions related to the Class II wells is the assertion that these fluids are not hazardous." West Virginia has nearly 800 Class II wells. They are supposed to be regularly pressure-tested for leaks. According to an investigation by ProPublica, Class II wells in the state failed these tests more than 80 times from 2008 to 2010. Seven of the failures were determined to be serious. Hanson says even the brine can contain natural toxins, such as arsenic and radioactive minerals. The public does not always know what is actually in the fracking fluids, he warns. "There's more and more information out there. In some cases, companies are voluntarily disclosing the ingredients in fracking fluids. But I'm not confident that we have as much information as we need." The industry contends that the brine and fracking fluids are largely safe, and that the wells go deep enough to protect drinking water, but Hanson says the wells can leak if poorly constructed. He adds that a lack of inspectors can leave drillers on the honor system about their construction methods and what they're injecting. Then there's the issue of seismic events, he says. Class I disposal wells that handle hazardous waste are required to carefully consider the area's geology. But the oil and gas disposal wells are much less regulated. A study by the National Academies of Science linked the Class II wells to minor earthquakes, which Hanson says have been an issue here. "Regarding small earthquakes or seismic events around some of these injection wells, there's been a case documented in Ohio, a situation documented in the Flatwoods area." Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/28646-1<http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/28646-1> --- To be removed from this list please send an e-mail to remove(a)publicnewsservice.org <remove(a)publicnewsservice.org?subject=remove>and put the word "remove" in the subject line. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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Fwd: Genetics Seminar Oct. 2 on gas well microbes
by James Kotcon 01 Oct '12

01 Oct '12

Just an FYI. There were some claims made at Marcellus Academy, so I will see if any microbiologists can verify them. JBK >>> Dan Panaccione 10/1/2012 10:30 AM >>> Genetics Seminar October 2, 2012 * 3:30 PM * 1085 Ag. Sci. Bldg. Bacterial communities associated with hydraulic fracturing fluids in thermogenic natural gas wells in North Central Texas, USA presented by Yael Tucker Since we have no plant path./ env. micro. seminar this week, students are required and others are encouraged to attend the Genetics seminar presented by Yael. Daniel Panaccione Professor West Virginia University (304)293-8819 danpan(a)wvu.edu

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Energy Plan Hearing Comments are available
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 01 Oct '12

01 Oct '12

The public comments for the energy plan hearings are now available online at http://www.wvcommerce.org/energy/energyplan/default.aspx -Jonathan

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Auditor: OO&G Is Not Enforcing Statutory Requirements
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 01 Oct '12

01 Oct '12

Here's an interesting report from West Virginia Legislative Auditor: "The Office of Oil and Gas Is Not Enforcing Statutory Requirements as They Concern Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells Which Is Causing the Number of Abandoned Wells to Increase" http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Joint/PERD/perdrep/Oilgas_9_2012.pdf -Jonathan

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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] Stop the Madness! Stop the War on Coal Act Passes the House
by Paul Wilson 28 Sep '12

28 Sep '12

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Angela Garrone <angela(a)cleanenergy.org> Date: Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 9:16 AM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] Stop the Madness! Stop the War on Coal Act Passes the House To: coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org Morning, In honor of the week anniversary of the passing of the Stop the War on Coal Act in the House of Representatives, I wanted to share a Southern Alliance for Clean Energy blog on the issue. We should *not* have bills like this seeing the light of day. <http://goog_68105562> http://blog.cleanenergy.org/2012/09/28/stop-the-madness-house-passes-stop-t… Share it loud and proud(ly)! Cheers, Angela -- *Angela Garrone | Southeast Energy Research Attorney* *Southern Alliance for Clean Energy* P.O. Box 1842 Knoxville, TN 37901 angela(a)cleanenergy.org | 865-637-6055 ex. 23 http://www.cleanenergy.org http://blog.cleanenergy.org CONFIDENTIAL LEGAL COMMUNICATION / WORK PRODUCT: The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to whom it is addressed, and may contain privileged and confidential attorney-client communications and/or confidential attorney work product. If you receive this message in error, please send a reply e-mail to the sender and delete the material from any and all computers. Unintended transmissions shall not constitute waiver of the attorney-client or any other privilege. -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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Fwd: Our most ambitious venture yet
by Jim Sconyers 27 Sep '12

27 Sep '12

Dear Friends, We're getting ready for our most ambitious venture yet. >From November 7th to December 3rd, I'll be on the road, visiting 20 cities in 20 nights (with a few days for travel in between) to help bring together the movement we need to make sure this planet has a future that we can all appreciate. *We're calling it the Do the Math tour, but it's not (thank heaven) just going to be me standing in front of a microphone.* The goal is to jump-start the kind of movement that I discussed in the article I wrote for Rolling Stone about the scary new math of climate change. We will bring together musicians, artists and voices from across the movement to work together on directly confronting the financial and political might of the fossil fuel industry. If you are near one of our stops, I want to make sure you’re there with us. *You’re exactly the people we need to be there* -- folks who understand the climate math already, have experience in the movement, and are willing to step up to do more. <http://act.350.org/go/2148?t=1&akid=2200.570617.6tuyMh> Click to check out the tour and RSVP<http://act.350.org/go/2148?t=2&akid=2200.570617.6tuyMh> These events will need to be big, and reach beyond our normal circle of friends. *That’s why we need to make sure that everyone knows that something big is underway. Can you take a moment to share the Do the Math tour site with your social networks?* <http://act.350.org/go/2157?t=3&akid=2200.570617.6tuyMh> <http://act.350.org/go/2144?t=4&akid=2200.570617.6tuyMh> Click to share on Facebook<http://act.350.org/go/2157?t=5&akid=2200.570617.6tuyMh> Click to share on Twitter <http://act.350.org/go/2144?t=6&akid=2200.570617.6tuyMh> *Also, just a heads up -- we’re going to be putting together a live web event* so that everyone who doesn’t happen to be near a tour stop can still get together and get a campaign started in their community. Our team is still hammering out the details for the exact date and time, but please keep an eye out -- we absolutely need you in this fight. I do a lot of talks to big groups, but this is a new kind of undertaking for me, and for 350.org. We’re trying to quickly build up some serious momentum, which is why we’ve gone to great lengths to make this a very different kind of event. Not only will we have music and guests like Naomi Klein, Jim Hansen, Desmond Tutu, in person and via video, this event is also the kickoff to some serious organizing in your community. *This tour will launch our next big mission -- a campaign to directly confront the economic power of the fossil fuel industry.* Our message will be crystal clear: it's not OK to sacrifice our future for the sake of one industry’s bottom line. Divestment is one important tool that we'll discuss, but we're ready for many other tactics as well. *Over the past few months our planet gave stark warning signs that humans have never seen before.* The Arctic melted, breaking every record. The Great Plains sweltered. The West burned. This roadshow is the next big step -- but the price of admission, besides the ticket, is a willingness to really go to work to change the world in the year ahead. That’s why we need you this November. The stakes have never been this high, and I've never been more serious. Please join us: math.350.org<http://act.350.org/go/2148?t=7&akid=2200.570617.6tuyMh> --Bill McKibben for 350.org ------------------------------ 350.org is building a global movement to solve the climate crisis. Connect with us on Facebook <http://facebook.com/350.org> and Twitter<http://twitter.com/350>, and sign up for email alerts <http://350.org/signup?akid=2200.570617.6tuyMh>. You can help power our work by getting involved locally, sharing your story<http://local.350.org/stories/?akid=2200.570617.6tuyMh>, and donating here. <http://350.org/donate?akid=2200.570617.6tuyMh> ** *To stop receiving emails from 350.org, click here.<http://act.350.org/cms/unsubscribe/unsubscribe/?t=8&akid=2200.570617.6tuyMh> * * * -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last.

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Fwd: [ACTNET-FRAC-NEWS] Should the U.S. Export Natural Gas?
by Jim Sconyers 24 Sep '12

24 Sep '12

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: david Meiser <dhmeiser(a)comcast.net> Date: Sun, Sep 23, 2012 at 7:22 PM Subject: [ACTNET-FRAC-NEWS] Should the U.S. Export Natural Gas? To: ACTNET-FRAC-NEWS(a)lists.sierraclub.org Should the U.S. Export Natural Gas?<http://ecowatch.org/2012/u-s-export-natural-gas/> **** *http://ecowatch.org/2012/u-s-export-natural-gas/* * * 09-23-2012**** Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy <http://catskillcitizens.org/>**** By Bruce Ferguson**** [image: http://ecowatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/LNGpoints.png]<http://ecowatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/LNGpoints.png>Should the U.S. export natural gas?**** The answer depends on what you think about hydrofracking.**** Historically, the U.S. has had to supplement domestic natural gas production with imports, but now the extensive use of hydraulic fracturing to extract gas from shale could allow America to become a gas exporter. A recent article in Barron’<http://online.barrons.com/article/SB500014240527487047597045772673709390831…>s suggested that the U.S. could become the world’s largest exporter of gas by 2017.**** But let’s be clear. When we’re talking about natural gas exports, we’re talking about shale gas.**** That is, we’re talking about fracking. So let’s reframe the question: Should the U.S. be fracked to supply foreign nations with gas?**** The objections to fracking are legion, and each one needs to be weighed in the balance if the U.S. is to develop a prudent gas export policy.**** We know, for example, that fracking even a single shale gas well requires millions of gallons of fracking fluid, and produces huge quantities of toxic wastewater<http://ecowatch.org/2012/the-water-footprint-of-shale-gas-development/> .**** All of this fluid has to be transported, usually by truck, and that means hundreds of diesel trucks going to and from each well pad. The exhaust from these trucks combines with the methane and volatile organic compounds released into the atmosphere during the extraction process to produce ozone. **** It’s no exaggeration to say that, because of fracking, some rural communities have higher ozone levels than Los Angeles on a bad day.**** Developing a giant shale formation like the Marcellus will entail injecting hundreds of billions of gallons of toxic fluid underground<http://ecowatch.org/2012/meet-the-frack-family/>, and no one can say with any certainty how this might impact our drinking water supplies in the years and decades to come.**** We do know that a recent geochemical study conducted in northeastern Pennsylvania found naturally occurring pathways between underground shale formations and shallow drinking water aquifers. The fact that the industry insists that fracking be exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act is not reassuring.**** And of course there are other issues to consider, including the recent peer-reviewed studies<http://ecowatch.org/2012/natural-gas-from-shale-not-suitable-as-bridge-fuel…>that indicate that shale gas is, from a greenhouse gas perspective, worse than oil or coal. Health care professionals say we don’t know what effect fracking will have on human health, while economists worry that disruptive extraction activity might damage local economies by crowding out long-term sustainable businesses like agriculture and tourism.**** Right now the U.S. doesn’t have the infrastructure it needs to become a major gas exporter. Canada and Mexico don’t need our gas, and the liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals that will be necessary to tap lucrative markets in Europe and Asia have not yet been built.**** Constructing the eleven huge LNG export terminals now on the drawing boards will cost more than $100 billion.**** Tens of billions more will be needed to build pipelines to bring the gas to the coastal terminals. Should the U.S. pour this kind of money into fossil fuel infrastructure at a time when scientists warn that we are already suffering the adverse impacts of climate change?**** The Obama administration has held up licensing export terminals until after the election. This winter, when licensing is again on the table, scientists, health care professionals and concerned citizens who oppose fracking may find themselves allied with manufacturers who realize that competition with foreign markets will drive up costs for both American industry and consumers.**** Finally consider this: If the U.S. does export shale gas, it will be supplying countries like France that have already banned fracking because it’s too dangerous.**** Is the U.S. on its way to becoming an energy extraction colony for other nations?**** Are we the new Third World?**** ** ** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This email list is associated with the Hydrofracking Team on the Sierra Club's Activist Network. Join the Hydrofracking Team at http://sc.org/frac. This list is open to the public and subscribers are not moderated. Please be aware that information you share may be forwarded to or read by others beyond this list. To unsubscribe from the ACTNET-FRAC-NEWS list, send any message to: ACTNET-FRAC-NEWS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/ -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last.

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Decades of federal dollars helped fuel gas boom
by James Kotcon 23 Sep '12

23 Sep '12

Full story at: http://news.yahoo.com/decades-federal-dollars-helped-fuel-141648115.html Decades of federal dollars helped fuel gas boomPioneers in gas drilling say government research and tax breaks helped launch boomBy Kevin Begos, Associated Press | Associated Press – 1 hr 42 mins ago Natural gas is burned off next to an oil well being drilled at a site August 23, 2011 near Tioga, North Dakota in the United States." alt=" Natural gas is burned off next to an oil well being drilled at a site August 23, 2011 near Tioga, North Dakota in the United States.Enlarge Photo ( http://news.yahoo.com/photos/world-oil-prices-york-crude-highest-since-may-… ) Natural gas is burned off next … PITTSBURGH (AP) -- It sounds like a free-market success story: a natural gas boom created by drilling company innovation, delivering a vast new source of cheap energy without the government subsidies that solar and wind power demand. "The free market has worked its magic," the Barnett Shale Energy Education Council, an industry group, claimed over the summer. The boom happened "away from the greedy grasp of Washington," the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank, wrote in an essay this year. If bureaucrats "had known this was going on," the essay went on, "surely Washington would have done something to slow it down, tax it more, or stop it altogether." But those who helped pioneer the technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, recall a different path. Over three decades, from the shale fields of Texas and Wyoming to the Marcellus in the Northeast, the federal government contributed more than $100 million in research to develop fracking, and billions more in tax breaks. Now, those industry pioneers say their own effort shows that the government should back research into future sources of energy — for decades, if need be — to promote breakthroughs. For all its success now, many people in the oil and gas industry itself once thought shale gas was a waste of time. "There's no point in mincing words. Some people thought it was stupid," said Dan Steward, a geologist who began working with the Texas natural gas firm Mitchell Energy in 1981. Steward estimated that in the early years, "probably 90 percent of the people" in the firm didn't believe shale gas would be profitable. "Did I know it was going to work? Hell no," Steward added. Shale is a rock formation thousands of feet underground. Among its largest U.S. deposits are the Marcellus Shale, under parts of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and West Virginia, and the Barnett Shale is in north Texas. Geologists knew shale contained gas, but for more than 100 years the industry focused on shallower reserves. With fracking, large volumes of water, along with sand and hazardous chemicals, are injected underground to break rock apart and free the gas. In 1975, the Department of Energy began funding research into fracking and horizontal drilling, where wells go down and then sideways for thousands of feet. But it took more than 20 years to perfect the process. Alex Crawley, a former Department of Energy employee, recalled that some early tests were spectacular — in a bad way. A test of fracking explosives in Morgantown, W.Va., "blew the pipe out of the well about 600 feet high" in the 1970s, Crawley said. Luckily, no one was killed. He added that a 1975 test well in Wyoming "produced a lot of water." Steward recalled that Mitchell Energy didn't even cover the cost of fracking on shale tests until the 36th well was drilled. "There's not a lot of companies that would stay with something this long. Most companies would have given up," he said, crediting founder George Mitchell as a visionary who also got support from the government at key points. "The government has to be involved, to some degree, with new technologies," Steward said. Congress passed a huge tax break in 1980 specifically to encourage unconventional natural gas drilling, noted Alex Trembath, a researcher at the Breakthrough Institute, a California nonprofit that supports new ways of thinking about energy and the environment. Trembath said that the Department of Energy invested about $137 million in gas research over three decades, and that the federal tax credit for drillers amounted to $10 billion between 1980 and 2002. The work wasn't all industry or all government, but both. One step at a time, the problems of shale drilling were solved. Crawley said Energy Department researchers processed drilling data on supercomputers at a federal lab. Later, technology created to track sounds of Russian submarines during the Cold War was repurposed to help the industry use sound to get a 3-D picture of shale deposits and track exactly where a drill bit was, thousands of feet underground. "It was a lot of pieces of technology that the industry thought would help them. Some worked out, some didn't," Crawley said. Renewable energy has had similar fits and starts, plagued by the costs and complexities of developing technology, and markets for it. The idea that the government can help industry achieve advances that the private sector can't or won't has been a central contention of the presidential election. President Barack Obama's comment this summer that Republicans seized on — "If you've got a business — you didn't build that" — was part of broader comments about infrastructure, education and other public spending that indirectly helps businesses. Both Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney tout the benefits of shale gas, but they differ over the government's role in subsidizing energy research. Obama has suggested continued funding for renewable energy but also eliminating billions of dollars in subsidies for oil and gas companies. Romney calls that an unhealthy obsession with green jobs — and has vowed to cut wind power subsidies, yet keep federal support for ethanol. But the fracking pioneers point out that it's impossible to predict how and when research will pay off. "It wouldn't be research if you already knew that it was going to be effective," said Crawley. Steward and others said today's energy challenge is similar to what they faced: a need to find future sources of energy. "I was concerned about my kids and grandkids. I didn't want my kids sitting out there without energy," Steward said. Terry Engelder, a Penn State University geologist known for his enthusiastic support for gas drilling, is proud that work he did decades ago helped to lay the groundwork for today's boom. But he said the story of how shale gas went from longshot to head of the pack — and how long that took — shows that serious support for renewable energy research makes sense, too. "These renewables have a huge upside," Engelder said. "In my view, the subsidies are really very appropriate." Engelder, who's been both praised and criticized for his support of shale gas drilling, said he's sure that research and technology will ultimately deliver innovations that make renewables a major force. "There's no doubt about it," he said, adding that "the payout might not happen until 2042." Steward is proud of the shale boom, too, but warned that it won't last forever. "Don't be fooled by this. We've got to have a replacement" for shale gas, he said.

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Fwd: Earthjustice Action Alert on Coal Package-share widely
by Jim Sconyers 22 Sep '12

22 Sep '12

Friends, wanted to let you know that a so called “Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012” (H.R. 3409) will be voted on in the House floor as soon as tomorrow Thursday and it contains five egregious bills that would strip Americans of basic clean air and clean water protections. One of the terrible bills within this package is Rep. McKinley’s (R-WV) dangerous coal ash bill that would shield utilities from their responsibility to upgrade unsafe ash dumps, clean up contaminated sites, or close leaking and unstable ponds. Also extending the lives of hundreds of leaking toxic dumps and prohibiting the EPA from ever issuing regulations to require the safe disposal of this waste. ** ** I am sharing below the action alert Earthjustice sent to our activists today about this package, feel free to share widely and recycle any of the language to educate your networks about this attack on public health. In advance, thank you for your time and efforts! **** ------------------------------ ** ** Tell Your Representative To Oppose The Attack On Public Health<https://secure.earthjustice.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&i…> **** Before Congress leaves for its fall recess, the House will try to pass a dangerous bill that will weaken the Clean Air Act and eviscerate protections of the Clean Water Act, allowing for extreme pollution of the air we breathe and the water we drink. The House leadership's bill, H.R. 3409, the latest bit of propaganda in their mythical and false “war on coal” claims, and a last-ditch effort to repay the favors of their big polluter friends.**** H.R. 3409 will take away the public health protections that keep us safe. Dirty air, undrinkable water, climate change and decimated mountains won't create jobs or improve the economy, but they will put our children's and communities' health at risk. This is not a job-creation bill; it is a people-killing bill.**** Every day, our landmark Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and other longstanding environmental safeguards prevent millions of families across this nation from being harmed by uncontrolled pollution. These cornerstone laws prevent big polluters from causing more toxic air pollution, flooding, drinking water contamination, birth defects, illness and even deaths. If passed, this single bill would undermine and even end many of those protections.**** ** ** We must tell our representatives to stop the assault and protect us. Please contact your Representative today to oppose H.R. 3409.**** https://secure.earthjustice.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&i… **** ** ** ------------------------------ ** ** Andrea Delgado**** Legislative Representative**** Earthjustice**** 1625 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 702**** Washington, DC 20036-2212**** T: (202) 797-5240 **** C: (202) 230-6592**** Twitter: @Andrea_Delgado7 <https://twitter.com/#!/Andrea_Delgado7>**** www.earthjustice.org**** ** ** *Because the earth needs a good lawyer* * * *please consider the environment before printing**** ** ** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE list, send any message to: COAL-COMBUSTION-WASTE-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last.

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NYTimes: utility opposes wind tax credit
by Frank Young 14 Sep '12

14 Sep '12

An Argument Over Wind By MATTHEW L. WALD Green: Business With the wind industry facing the expiration of a production tax credit at the end of the year, the sector’s main trade association is facing off against Exelon, the big power generation company, over whether the tax break should be renewed. Last week, the Wind Energy Association expelled Exelon as a member because the company opposed a renewal of the credit. The association says that if the tax credit expires, some 17,000 jobs will be eliminated next year and that deliveries of new turbines will spiral to zero. But Exelon says the tax credit is distorting energy markets because the credit itself is larger than the average value of electricity produced in the Midwest. Surges of wind energy late at night during periods of low electricity demand are driving the market price of electricity below zero, according to independent statistics. Exelon complains that in that circumstance, its nuclear plants actually have to pay grid operators to accept their electricity. The wind farms in that region do as well, but they remain profitable because they earn the production credit. The issue of the tax credit and so-called negative pricing has emerged in the presidential campaign, with the Obama administration favoring an extension of the credit and Mitt Romney opposing it. But the credit’s fate may be resolved by the November election, depending on Congressional action. Exelon plans to release a study on Friday that says that distortions in the market are getting larger as more wind is added. The company is not alone in its complaints. In Texas, the chairwoman of the state’s Public Utility Commission, Donna Nelson,told a state Senate committee last week that Texas had a shortage of generating capacity as a result of a market distortion in which wind energy drove the price of electricity into negative territory. When wind developers can make money even when prices are negative, she said, it discourages others from building other kinds of power plants. The problem for Texas is that wind generation does not coincide with peak demand, which is on hot days that are mostly windless. State power planners estimate that for every 100 megawatts of wind machines installed in the state, only about 8 megawatts will be available on peak days. The tax credit, which applies to projects that are completed by Dec. 31, is 2.2 cents per kilowatt-hour. Depending on the tax status of the wind farm developer, the credit can be worth as much as $34 per megawatt-hour. Joseph Dominguez, Exelon’s senior vice president for governmental and regulatory affairs, said that in the last two years, the average price of a megawatt-hour at the Northern Illinois Hub , one of the main spots on the grid in eastern North America where electricity is priced, has ranged from $28 to $31. There is a bit of a paradox in Exelon’s exile from the wind association; the company owns nearly 2 percent of the wind capacity in the United States. Wind industry advocates say that negative pricing is rare and highly localized and simply points up shortcomings in transmission capacity. “It’s all driven by a lack of transmission,’’ said Michael Goggin, the association’s expert on integrating wind into the grid. “Negative prices are the market’s way of saying there is too much supply and not enough demand, and there’s a roadblock keeping that low-cost electricity from reaching consumers.’’ New wind machines are sometimes built faster than new transmission lines, he said. The wind industry also argues that companies that burn coal and natural gas get a subsidy too, in that they are allowed to dump pollutants into the air without paying for the damage they cause. Sometimes new transmission lines can alleviate the negative pricing phenomenon. In 2010 in the Chicago area, the occurrence of negative pricing peaked at 3.1 percent of all hours, according to the regional grid operator, the PJM Interconnection. That dropped to 2.1 percent the following year when more transmission capacity was added. But across the country, wind farms are likely to be added faster than transmission lines. The study sponsored by Exelon, prepared by the NorthBridge Group, which does extensive consulting for utilities around the country, found pockets where the number of negative hours reached 12 percent or more. While various types of electricity generation have received subsidies over the decades, said Frank Huntowski, one of the authors, “I don’t think we’ve seen something as dramatic as this.’’ Part of the problem is also that wholesale electricity prices have declined because of an economic slump and a decline in the price of natural gas. Before the recession began, the subsidy for wind power production was smaller than the average price of a megawatt-hour. Negative pricing occurs mostly on spring and fall nights when the wind is blowing strongly but offices, stores and factories are mostly closed and temperatures are so mild that there is virtually no demand for home heating or air-conditioning. The phenomenon existed before the surge in construction of wind machines, but the new industry is making it worse, some industry participants say, especially for companies with baseload plants that were built to run at a steady rate around the clock. That is a special problem for Exelon, which runs many nuclear plants in the Midwest; nuclear plants cannot change their output quickly. “Prices will go down for an hour and then come back up and a few hours later, go down again, and it’s very hard to maneuver the nuclear plants to work around that,’’ Christopher Crane, the company’s chief executive, said in an interview. “By the time you have briefed the crew to power down the plant, the price is up again,’’ he said. The wind energy association argues that the production tax credit is an incentive to invest in a clean energy source and does not directly affect market prices. But opponents say that when new generation is added in a way that creates sudden surpluses, the market impact is clear. Either way, low prices are a boon for consumers, said Peter L. Kelley, a spokesman for the wind association. “It’s indisputable that wind energy, with or without the production tax credit, drives down electricity prices,’’ he said. “Consumers receive massive benefits of billions and billions of dollars.’’ Meanwhile, the wind business is already preparing for a slowdown. On Tuesday, a wind tower manufacturer, Katana Summit, said it would probably sell or close its two plants, in Nebraska and Washington State, because of the expiration of the tax credit. The two plants employ a total of about 300 people.

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Fw: LARRY GIBSON 1946-2012
by Frank Young 10 Sep '12

10 Sep '12

Larry Gibson, long-time environmental activist, died of a heart attack Sunday, September 10, while working on Kayford Mountain, the family home in Raleigh County which he spent the last decades of his life protecting from the coal mining practice known as mountaintop removal. Kayford was the site of Larry's birth, the final resting place of 300 ancestors stretching back to the 18th century, and the site of Larry's annual 4th of July festival celebrating life in the mountains. As part of his effort to preserve the mountains, Larry traveled across the country, to schools, churches and a wide range of public gatherings where he spread his simple gospel about the mountains: "Love em or leave em; just don't destroy em." A private funeral is planned, and Larry's family has requested that persons wishing to express condolences make donations to Keeper of the Mountains Foundation, which Larry founded in 2004 to support mountain communities. A public memorial service will be announced at a later time. Larry is survived by his wife, Carol, two sons Cameron and Larry, Jr. and his daughter, Victoria. He was sixty-six years old.

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State Energy Plan Hearings - Huntington, Morgantown, Martinsburg
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 06 Sep '12

06 Sep '12

*Comment on State's Energy Plan * West Virginia's Division of Energy is in the midst of updating the state's 5-year energy plan <http://www.wvcommerce.org/energy/energyplan/default.aspx>. The agency is asking for public comment. Click below to view /drafts/ of various sections of the energy plan: Fossil Energy Opportunities For West Virginia <http://www.wvcommerce.org/App_Media/assets/doc/energy/EOD_Recommendations_-…> Energy Efficiency Policy Outlook for West Virginia <http://www.wvcommerce.org/App_Media/assets/doc/energy/EOD_Recommendations_-…> Renewable Energy Policy Outlook for West Virginia <http://www.wvcommerce.org/App_Media/assets/doc/energy/reports/DRAFT-Renewab…> The agency is holding *public hearings* on the plan: *September 5*: in the Azalea Room of the Big Sandy Arena <http://www.bigsandyarena.com/>, Huntington *September 6*: in Grand Hall AB of the Erickson Alumni Center <http://alumni.wvu.edu/eac/> on the WVU Evansdale Campus, Morgantown *September 7*: in the Foxcroft Ballroom of the Martinsburg Holiday Inn <http://www.himartinsburg.com/>. All hearings start at 9:30 a.m. Registration is at 9 a.m., or you can register in advance to speak at a hearing here <http://www.wvcommerce.org/energy/energyplan/process/register/default.aspx>

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WV energy plan documents
by Jim Sconyers 04 Sep '12

04 Sep '12

I am not able to download the draft documents linked here. Went to the DOE's website and was unable to download them there also. Has anyone been able to download/read the docs? If so can you forward them to me please? On Sat, Sep 1, 2012 at 2:19 PM, Jonathan Rosenbaum <jr(a)wvcompletestreets.org > wrote: > *Comment on State's Energy Plan * > West Virginia's Division of Energy is in the midst of updating the > state's 5-year energy plan<http://www.wvcommerce.org/energy/energyplan/default.aspx>. > The agency is asking for public comment. > > Click below to view *drafts* of various sections of the energy plan: > Fossil Energy Opportunities For West Virginia<http://www.wvcommerce.org/App_Media/assets/doc/energy/EOD_Recommendations_-…> > Energy Efficiency Policy Outlook for West Virginia<http://www.wvcommerce.org/App_Media/assets/doc/energy/EOD_Recommendations_-…> > Renewable Energy Policy Outlook for West Virginia<http://www.wvcommerce.org/App_Media/assets/doc/energy/reports/DRAFT-Renewab…> > > The agency is holding *public hearings* on the plan: > *September 5*: in the Azalea Room of the Big Sandy Arena<http://www.bigsandyarena.com/>, > Huntington > *September 6*: in Grand Hall AB of the Erickson Alumni Center<http://alumni.wvu.edu/eac/>on the WVU Evansdale Campus, Morgantown > *September 7*: in the Foxcroft Ballroom of the Martinsburg Holiday Inn<http://www.himartinsburg.com/>. > > > All hearings start at 9:30 a.m. Registration is at 9 a.m., or you can > register in advance to speak at a hearing here<http://www.wvcommerce.org/energy/energyplan/process/register/default.aspx> > > _______________________________________________ > EC mailing list > EC(a)osenergy.org > http://osenergy.org/mailman/listinfo/ec > -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last. -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last.

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petition-put climate change on presidential debate
by Jim Sconyers 03 Sep '12

03 Sep '12

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: CCL-DELEGATES automatic digest system <LISTSERV(a)lists.sierraclub.org> Date: Mon, Sep 3, 2012 at 3:00 AM Subject: CCL-DELEGATES Digest - 31 Aug 2012 to 2 Sep 2012 (#2012-143) To: CCL-DELEGATES(a)lists.sierraclub.org There are 2 messages totaling 344 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Help Bring Climate Change to the Presidential Debates (2) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- To get off the CCL-DELEGATES list, send email to LISTSERV(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Make the message text (not the Subject): SIGNOFF CCL-DELEGATES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2012 15:02:48 -0500 From: Craig Wolfe <Protect(a)SierraClub-KS.info> Subject: Help Bring Climate Change to the Presidential Debates Dear Fellow CCL Delegates, I am sending this email because I strongly believe that climate change should be a bi-partisan concern and one of the principal topics of the first Presidential Debate on October 3rd. YOU CAN HELP!! CLICK THE LINK BELOW. THIS IS IMPORTANT. SPREAD THE WORD TO YOUR CHAPTER AND GROUP MEMBERS. As we have all seen with the extreme weather this summer, and it's only going to get worse unless we do something about it. The first step toward getting our government to address the climate crisis is to make sure the public is aware of the facts and where the candidates stand during this election. Will you add your name to the list to make sure climate change is a priority at the debate? Just go to: http://action.lcv.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=913 Millions of voters will get their information about our presidential candidates by watching televised debates this fall. If moderator Jim Lehrer, whose show, the PBS NewsHour, has objectively and factually covered climate change, asks the candidates about the issue, millions of viewers will have a real chance to hear a substantive discussion about climate change on the national stage. That's why I've just signed a petition addressed to Mr. Lehrer urging him to include climate change as a debate topic so he can ask President Obama and Governor Romney about their perception of the facts and how they plan to address the climate crisis. The minimum number of signatures required is 50,000, but one million or five million will add clout to the request and assure adequate time is allowed to ask multiple questions and for both candidates to answer and debate. Record summer heat, drought, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes and insect infestations caused by climate change affect us all. Please forward this email and link to your friends, relatives and associates so they too may add their names to the list and ensure this topic is included in the debate. Craig Wolfe - Kansas Chapter Chair ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- To get off the CCL-DELEGATES list, send email to LISTSERV(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Make the message text (not the Subject): SIGNOFF CCL-DELEGATES ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2012 20:09:08 -0600 From: Becky English <beckyrep(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: Help Bring Climate Change to the Presidential Debates Thanks Craig. Done. Will send to my chapter EnergyCom members on Tuesday ... more broadly if we have room in our Convio allowance. Fellow CCL Delegates, I'm fixin' to be there for the first presidential debate (University of Denver - Jim Lehrer moderating), and will probably blog it for Sierra Club. So far I'm in the second circle -- not in the actual debate auditorium but out with bloggers and the student body. Please send me your conservation questions and, especially, your dirty vs clean energy questions in case I get lucky with the candidates or their staffs. Also, if anyone has anything better than public email addresses for Jim Lehrer, for presidential staff, or for Romneylan staff (weren't those some nasty Star Trek aliens or something?), I'd appreciate your letting me know. Thanks very much, Becky English Rocky Mountain Chapter CCL; ExCom; LegCom; Energy Issue Chair 303 733 4064 ### On Sun, Sep 2, 2012 at 2:02 PM, Craig Wolfe <Protect(a)sierraclub-ks.info >wrote: > ** > > *Dear Fellow CCL Delegates, > > *I am sending this email because I strongly believe that climate change > should be a bi-partisan concern and one of the principal topics of the > first Presidential Debate on October 3rd. > > *YOU CAN HELP!! CLICK THE LINK BELOW. THIS IS IMPORTANT. SPREAD THE WORD > TO YOUR CHAPTER AND GROUP MEMBERS. > > *As we have all seen with the extreme weather this summer, and it's only > going to get worse unless we do something about it. The first step toward > getting our government to address the climate crisis is to make sure the > public is aware of the facts and where the candidates stand during this > election. > > Will you add your name to the list to make sure climate change is a > priority at the debate? Just go to: * > http://action.lcv.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=913*< http://action.lcv.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=913> > > *Millions of voters will get their information about our presidential > candidates by watching televised debates this fall.* *If moderator Jim > Lehrer, whose show, the PBS NewsHour, has objectively and factually covered > climate change, asks the candidates about the issue, millions of viewers > will have a real chance to hear a substantive discussion about climate > change on the national stage. > * > That's why I've just signed a petition addressed to Mr. Lehrer urging him > to include climate change as a debate topic so he can ask President Obama > and Governor Romney about their perception of the facts and how they plan > to address the climate crisis. > > The minimum number of signatures required is 50,000, *but one million or > five million* will add clout to the request and assure adequate time is > allowed to ask multiple questions and for both candidates to answer and > debate. > > Record summer heat, drought, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes and insect > infestations caused by climate change affect us all. Please forward this > email and link to your friends, relatives and associates so they too may > add their names to the list and ensure this topic is included in the > debate. > > Craig Wolfe - Kansas Chapter Chair > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To > unsubscribe from the CCL-DELEGATES list, send any message to: > CCL-DELEGATES-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv > Lists support site for more information: > http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club > Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the > Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at > http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- To get off the CCL-DELEGATES list, send email to LISTSERV(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Make the message text (not the Subject): SIGNOFF CCL-DELEGATES ------------------------------ End of CCL-DELEGATES Digest - 31 Aug 2012 to 2 Sep 2012 (#2012-143) ******************************************************************* -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last.

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Fwd: FW: MAPP/PATH email
by Jim Sconyers 27 Aug '12

27 Aug '12

Yessssssss!!!!! ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Patience Wait" <pwaitster(a)gmail.com> Date: Aug 27, 2012 1:34 PM Subject: Fwd: FW: MAPP/PATH email To: <CONS-ELP-TRANS-LINES-FORUM(a)lists.sierraclub.org> Confirmation, at long last! ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <frankc(a)pjm.com> Date: Mon, Aug 27, 2012 at 1:09 PM Subject: FW: MAPP/PATH email To: pwaitster(a)gmail.com As Promised…**** ** ** The PJM Board during a phone conference Friday decided to remove the Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline (PATH) and Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway (MAPP) lines from PJM’s regional transmission plans, based on the PJM staff’s recommendations.**** ** ** ** ** *PJM Media Advisory: PJM staff recommends ending PATH, MAPP transmission line projects* – 8 Aug. 2012**** ** ** The PJM transmission planning staff will recommend to the PJM Board that the Potomac Appalachian Transmission Highline (PATH) and the Mid Atlantic Power Pathway (MAPP) lines be removed from PJM’s regional transmission plans. The recommendations are contained in slides posted today that will be presented, Aug. 9, at a meeting of PJM’s the Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee.**** ** ** **· **Grid conditions have changed since the lines were originally planned, and our updated analysis no longer shows a need for the lines to maintain grid stability.**** **– **A slow economy has reduced the projected growth in the use of electricity.**** **– **PJM’s most recent capacity auction added 4,900 megawatts (MW) of new generation and procured 14,833 MW of demand response. **** **– **Although PJM’s analysis last year showed a diminished need for the two transmission lines the most responsible course was to wait to make a recommendation after analyzing the updated forecast of peak use of electricity (the load forecast), the results of the 2012 capacity auction and the effects on grid stability of the anticipated announcement of generation retirements (16,000 MW) due to environmental regulations.**** **· **PJM’s regional planning process looks 15 years into the future to determine necessary changes to the transmission system to keep power flows stable. Planners study long-term growth in electricity use, generating plant retirements, broader generation development patterns, such as integration of renewable energy resources, and demand response and energy efficiency resources.**** **· **Since PJM’s first regional transmission plan in 2000, the PJM Board has approved more than $24.3 billion in new transmission lines and improvements and upgrades to existing facilities.**** **· **Just this year, PJM staff recommended and the board approved $2.8 billion in electric transmission improvements including new lines needed to keep the grid stable as generating units are retired in response to environmental regulations.**** The presentation can be found at: http://pjm.com/~/media/committees-groups/committees/teac/20120809/20120809-… **** The staff recommendation will be presented to the PJM Board’s Reliability Committee later this month.. **** ** ** Chrisie Franks**** Customer Advisor**** Member Relations**** custsvc(a)pjm.com**** 1-866-400-8980**** *[image: logo-addison]* *Your feedback is very much appreciated. Please take a moment to fill out a quick survey.***** How am I doing? <http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Y9TQG3X>** ** ** ** ** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-ELP-TRANS-LINES-FORUM list, send any message to: CONS-ELP-TRANS-LINES-FORUM-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/

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Fwd: AlterNet: Methane Releases and Global Warming
by Paul Wilson 27 Aug '12

27 Aug '12

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Dow <ddow420(a)comcast.net> Date: Mon, Aug 27, 2012 at 6:52 AM Subject: AlterNet: Methane Releases and Global Warming Methane’s Contribution to Global Warming Is Worse than You Thought<http://act.alternet.org/go/23649?t=14&akid=9276.278737.SwDLtl> To tackle climate change, we need more honest accounting of this potent greenhouse gas. READ MORE»<http://act.alternet.org/go/23649?t=15&akid=9276.278737.SwDLtl> By Jason Mark / Earth Island Journal -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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Bloomberg and gas.
by James Kotcon 26 Aug '12

26 Aug '12

So if Bloomberg is giving $6 million to push regulations in 14 states, that works out to over $400,000 per state. How much of that will environmentalists in WV actually see? JBK See story at: http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201208250103 ***** August 25, 2012 NYC mayor weighs in on 'fracking' The Associated Press NEW YORK -- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been an influential voice in the debate over the natural gas drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing. His opposition to "fracking" near the city's drinking water reservoirs led to a state ban on drilling in the watershed. But Bloomberg has now endorsed gas drilling in a letter to The Washington Post, co-written with George Mitchell, a pioneer of fracking techniques. The pair say a natural gas boom would spur economic growth, cut energy costs and reduce reliance on dirtier fuels like coal. But they also wrote that fracking should only be done under strong environmental regulations. Bloomberg's foundation said Friday that it would give $6 million to the Environmental Defense Fund to help push for those regulations in 14 gas producing states.

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Fwd: AlterNet: Pa. Activist Event tThat Highlights Fracking
by Paul Wilson 25 Aug '12

25 Aug '12

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Dow <ddow420(a)comcast.net> Date: Sat, Aug 25, 2012 at 7:00 AM Subject: AlterNet: Pa. Activist Event tThat Highlights Fracking To: Patricia Matejcek Gmail <patachek3(a)gmail.com>, Alison Robb < nature(a)cape.com> Cc: Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> Anti-Fracking Protesters Confront Pennsylvania Gov During Kayaking PR Trip on Endangered River<http://act.alternet.org/go/23592?t=20&akid=9271.278737.Ab9sGf> Posted every few miles on the river's banks were groups of protestors, challenging the governor's pro-drilling policy with signs and chants. READ MORE» <http://act.alternet.org/go/23592?t=21&akid=9271.278737.Ab9sGf> By Nora Eisenberg / AlterNet -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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Global Warming's Terrifying New Math
by James Kotcon 23 Aug '12

23 Aug '12

A recent article by Bill McKibben has three (actually four) incredibly important numbers that we all need to know and use. The First Number 2 Two degrees Celsius is the maximum amount of warming that the planet can stand without fundamental damage to our way of life. Actually many scientists now view that as overly optimistic, given the amount of damage (heat waves, droughts fires and floods) we are seeing with just 0.8 degrees Celsius. The Second Number 565 565 Gigatons is the amount of carbon we can put into the atmosphere before hitting that 2 degrees Celsius. Our current rate of addition is about 32 Gigatons per year, and that rate has been edging upward by about 3 % per year, notwithstanding global efforts at renewables, energy conservation, and the Kyoto protocol. The rate of increase has been remarkably stable, regardless of all the scientific data on climate change and the policy changes discussed worldwide. The Third Number 2795 The current proven reserves of fossil fuels contain 2795 Gigatons of carbon. This is the "proven" reserves, the reserves that fossil fuel companies already know they have on hand, the amount that is reflected in their stock prices, the stuff they bought with every intention of getting it out and burning it, and that their stockholders fully expect them to get out and burn. This does not include any future discoveries or speculative fuels, this is proven reserves that they now own. This leads directly to the Fourth Number 16 If we can not exceed 565 gigatons, and we continue adding 32 gigatons per year, and rising, we will exceed the maximum tolerable dose in 16 years. That means if your kid is in kindergarten today, catastrophic climate change strikes the whole planet before he leaves highschool. Those who think of climate change as some far off event, need to realize that fundamental change must come very soon, or it is "game over". So this means we must convince the fossil fuel companies to leave 80 % of their proven reserves in the ground, or the planet dies. Anyone who thinks that Exxon or Arch Coal will have spent the kind of money they did to buy these reserves and will just walk away from them in order to save the planet, has not been paying attention. McKibben argues that the environmental movement needs to clearly identify the "enemy", in order to get the attention of the masses, ans these numbers should clearly identify fossil fuel companies as the "enemy" in the minds of most Americans. Read the whole article at: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-ma… Jim Kotcon

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Jim Kotcon & Beth Little recognized by national Sierra Club for years of service
by Frank Young 23 Aug '12

23 Aug '12

BlankFlanked by Executive Director, Michael Brune, and Club President, Allison Chin, Karen Yarnell (accepting for Beth Little) and Jim Kotcon display their Special Service Awards. Not shown: Jim Sconyers accepting Communication Award for the WV Chapter Full article and pictures at: http://westvirginia.sierraclub.org/newsletter/archives/2012%205%20sep-oct.p…

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Fwd: E-Magazine: Mountaintop Removal Environmental Action in W. Va.
by Paul Wilson 22 Aug '12

22 Aug '12

in case you don't get or see the E-Magazine. fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Dow <ddow420(a)comcast.net> Date: Wed, Aug 22, 2012 at 12:42 AM Subject: E-Magazine: Mountaintop Removal Environmental Action in W. Va. *Live from West Virginia*<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001C5TBtxxHCXgRL-88pyKJjgIMyawhftU0IrSmbcO6S69T…> Nothing like a little excitement to liven up a reporting trip. I was in southern West Virginia in late July to cover the lead-up to and the biggest action on a mountaintop removal (MTR) mining site to date. On July 28, 45 activists walked onto the largest MTR site in West… *Continue Reading »*<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001C5TBtxxHCXgRL-88pyKJjgIMyawhftU0IrSmbcO6S69T…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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PA Brine Dumper gets Slap on the Wrist
by James Kotcon 22 Aug '12

22 Aug '12

This is one you gotta read. Should this be part of our Marcellus Moratorium call? Jim Kotcon >>> "Donald C. Strimbeck" dcsoinks(a)comcast.net> 8/17/2012 5:07 AM >> ( mailto:dcsoinks@comcast.net ) Sent: Friday, August 17, 2012 5:06 AM Subject: EXTRA edition DAILY UPDATE 17 August 2012. News of interest to Mon river watershed denizens. DUNKARD CREEK-Dufalla-17AugY2K12 Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org) Getting Away With Shocking Environmental Crimes AlterNet ( http://www.alternet.org/ ) By Aaron Skirboll ( http://www.alternet.org/authors/aaron-skirboll ) Toxic Wastewater Dumped in Streets and Rivers at Night: Gas Profiteers Getting Away With Shocking Environmental Crimes August 15, 2012 | Ken Dufalla sits at a table inside Laverne’s Restaurant on Route 188 in Waynesburg, PA. The former park ranger, 65, is sporting a camouflaged trucker’s hat and enjoying Laverne’s cream of chicken and biscuits with mashed potatoes. It’s midmorning, between the breakfast crowd and the lunch patrons. Waiters and waitresses are attentive and the coffee is flowing. Before long, Dufalla is joined by a former Marine and Vietnam veteran, 67-year-old Ken Gayman, who dons a black and gold USMC ball cap. The two former Beth-Center High School wrestling practice combatants sprinkle the conversation with passages from the Constitution and speak about defending land and property. The two men are members of an association, but it’s not the Tea Party. Dufalla and Gayman are members of the Izaak Walton League of America, one of the earliest conservation organizations in the country and according to the national Web site, “formed in 1922 to save outdoor America for future generations.” If the stereotypical environmentalist is still imagined as sandal-wearing and tree-hugging, Dufalla and Gayman will quickly wipe away such caricatures. They are a couple of blue-collar guys, no different than anyone else in Greene County. They simply see what’s going on around them and they don’t like the looks of it. Dumping Onto the Streets at Night On March 17, 2011 Greene County resident Robert Allan Shipman and his company, Allan’s Waste Water Service Inc., were charged with illegally dumping millions of gallons of natural gas drilling wastewater, along with restaurant grease and sewer sludge across six counties in Pennsylvania from 2003-2009. Pennsylvania is one of several states that sit atop the gas-rich underground rock formation the Marcellus Shale. Hydraulic fracturing, the process used for retrieving the gas, is a water-intensive drilling method that not only requires massive volumes of water to unlock the gas, but also generates millions of gallons of wastewater when the drilling is done. The two-year investigation by the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office resulted in a total of 98 criminal counts charged against the 50-year-old Shipman and an additional 77 charges levied at his company. Said Nils Frederiksen ( http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/state-charges-local-company… ) [3], spokesman for the attorney general’s office, “He was pouring the stuff in any hole he could find.” Most egregiously, the grand jury presentment detailed how when the demand for Allan’s Waste Water services grew in the summer of 2007, as a result of an uptick in production water (wastewater produced by gas well drilling operations that may contain toxic chemicals) from CNX Gas Co. LLP, a subsidiary of Consol Energy, a company Shipman was hauling for, “Shipman showed the drivers how to leave open the gas well valves and ordered them to discharge production water onto the ground and/or into the nearby waterways.” Drivers’ testimony added, “This activity would typically occur after dark or during heavy rain so that no one would observe the illegal discharge.” According to the presentment ( http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/pdf/201103/20110317_shipman_awws_gjpresentme… ) [4], the investigation of Shipman began after a client of his grew suspicious of illegal dumping after an in-house audit “revealed a large discrepancy in the amount of sludge received by Allan’s Waste Water and the amount of sludge disposed” by the company at treatment facilities. A review of reports by the Department of Environmental Protection confirmed that over 170,000 gallons of sludge were unaccounted for from June 2006 to the summer of 2007. Drivers of Allan’s Waste Water testified at the grand jury that Shipman “directed them to mix different wastes in their trucks,” a process they termed “cocktailing.” The mixed waste of production water and sewage sludge was subsequently discharged into creeks, ponds and at various Municipal Authorities in the area. Waste was also disposed of at the Morris Run airshaft, located at the abandoned Blacksville Number 1 Mine, a coal mine owned by Consol Energy, which ultimately releases into Dunkard Creek, a stream that flows between Pennsylvania and West Virginia for 37 miles before its confluence with the Monongahela River. Consol had permits from the EPA to dump production water (consisting of coal bed methane water only) into the Morris Run airshaft. Shipman’s company was not permitted to dump at the site. Sometimes when drivers had remaining production water in their trucks at the end of their shifts, Shipman directed them to empty the production water inside of the company’s garage channeling it through a drain on the floor, which led to Tom’s Run and ultimately again into Dunkard Creek. “The drivers occasionally observed Shipman himself empty tanker trucks in this manner.” Other Allan’s Waste Water employees described business activities that included forged manifest and fraudulent billing ( http://www.heraldstandard.com/news/hsnewsnow/man-sentenced-to-probation-for… ) [5] of 17 companies to the tune of more than $250,000. In October 2007, business was so good for Shipman that he and his wife started a second company, Tri-County Waste Water. This company, which operated out of the same building as Allan’s Waste Water, was authorized on February 21, 2008 by the DEP to treat fluids from the oil and gas industry. April Morris, secretary for Shipman, testified that when she left the company in May 2008, Shipman was making “approximately $7 million per year.” On March 17, 2011, Shipman was free after posting 10 percent of the $500,000 bail. The next day, the nearby Observer-Reporter warned that his freedom could be short-lived. “The criminal charges filed Thursday carry substantial prison terms upon conviction, along with fines in excess of $1.5 million for Shipman and $1.2 million for his company.” Harry Enstrom Chapter Greene County is located in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania and covers 578 square miles of sprawling green hills and open water, from its southern point at the border of West Virginia to its northernmost location of Morris Township. It is 89.2 percent rural. Its tourism bureau boasts ( http://www.greenecountytourism.org/ ) [6] the county is “Nature’s Corner of Northern Charm and Southern Hospitality.” For residents in small towns like Brave, Dry Tavern and Bobtown, fishing is in their blood. The Monongahela flows north from West Virginia, then snakes through Greene County on its way to meet the Alleghany River in Pittsburgh, where the two rivers form a third river, the Ohio. Ken Dufalla and Ken Gayman have been fishing these waters, aka Three Rivers, all of their lives. Not so much anymore. Says Dufalla, “I have a grandson and granddaughter and I’m fishing in West Virginia right now. Here? The streams are polluted.” Greene County’s Harry Enstrom Chapter of the Izaak Walton League meets on the third Wednesday of each month. Dufalla is the chapter president. Dinner’s at 6 pm, followed by the meeting from 7-9, open to the public. The July meeting was held at the Greene Side Grill at the Greene County Country Club. Dufalla is no shrinking violet; if he sees something going on that’s not right, he’s not the type to keep it to himself. Or as he likes to say, “I’m 65 years old—I’m too stupid to be afraid and I’m too old to run.” He’s also well versed in the history of his land. Says Dufalla, “I used to be a deputy water waste conservation officer for 21 years, and so I had a pretty good feel that something was wrong with some of the streams.” On August 2, 2011, Dufalla represented the Harry Enstrom Chapter at a Pennsylvania House Democratic Policy Committee Hearing at Waynesburg Central High School. After a brief definition of the word “pure,” Dufalla opened his speech by reciting Article 1, section 27 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, which begins: “The people have a right to clean air, pure water and the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic values of the environment.” Section 27 concludes: “As a trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.” History is an important aspect of what’s going on in Greene County. Dufalla understands his county’s place in the economic growth of America. “In the 1800s, oil and gas were removed from the state and especially Greene County with no regard for the impacts the ‘rush’ had on the environment or on the health and safety of the people,” he told the area’s political leaders. “In the early 1900s came the coal boom era, which brought with it varying degrees of stream and air pollution.” He then discussed the Marcellus gas boom with hopefulness that if done safely the economic benefits could very much improve the standard of living in the county, only it should not come in lieu of the health of the people or the land. Greene County is rich in resources, but despite being at the forefront of energy extraction for over 100 years, it is not a wealthy county. It does not boast the best schools and as of the last census ( http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/42/42059.html ) [7] in 2010 the population of 38,686 nearly matched the median household income of $40,498. Somewhere along the line, people who have used this county’s earth made their money and moved on, leaving behind abandoned mines (approximately 1,200 in southwest Pennsylvania and West Virginia), and with them the highly acidic, orange-colored discharges (acid mine drainage) that flow into the region’s creeks and streams. Dufalla doesn’t want to see something similar happen with the oil and gas industry, where area residents are once more left to deal with the leftover waste of long-departed companies. Izaak Walton’s numbers in Dufalla’s chapter have steadily been on the rise as others have joined who want to lend a hand in stopping the water pollution. In January 2010 the membership at the Harry Enstrom chapter sat at 26; today there are 127 members. A newer feature is the Citizen’s Water Monitoring program, which has residents who live next to streams take water samples and get personally involved. “We had a certified hydro biologist come in and we trained these citizens with a six-hour course on how to take water samples— how to read and report them. We basically developed an early warning system,” says Dufalla. Dufalla also writes a weekly column titled “Nature’s Corner,” for the Greene County Messenger, where he often publishes the Izaak Walton water data for the local community. The level of pollutants running through the Monongahela watershed is consistently over the standard. Robert Allan Shipman is part of a much bigger problem. Guilty The county seat of Waynesburg is a small college town still holding onto a walking Main Street and a downtown shopping district that runs a few stoplights. All summer, streamers have been hanging from above merchants’ doorways wishing local Olympian, wrestler Coleman Scott, best in London. Set in the middle of town is the Greene County Courthouse. There, at the stoplight of High Street and Washington, a red light forces a line of trucks to idle; gas trucks, water trucks, residual waste trucks, they are now an ever-present sight since the gas companies began fracking in the Marcellus shale, and as the light turns green, the parade of them thunder off down the road. Walk into downtown shops and ask about Allan Shipman and they’ll tell you they knew about it all along. They’d heard about the trucks near the streams. They’d heard about Morris Run and how dozens of Shipman trucks a day would line up and battle to unload waste. “Citizens are tired of the trucks,” says Greene County Sheriff Richard Ketchem. When the arrest finally came in March 2011, area residents were elated that the man behind the worst kept secret in Greene County was going to pay for his crimes. Said the sheriff, on behalf of all, “Finally.” On February 9, 2012, Shipman signed a written plea agreement to 13 criminal charges of illegal dumping, as well as defrauding 17 companies and various municipalities over a six-year period. As part of the agreement, he and his wife, Carolyn, agreed to never “apply for, obtain, or possess” any DEP permits related to environmental activity. On Friday, June 15, 2012, Deputy Attorney General Amy Carnicella walked into the Greene County Courthouse for the sentence hearing, ready for Shipman to be taken to prison. It was pretty straightforward, as she’d say later; “He did dump waste onto the streets at night and during the rain. This happened over years. It wasn’t a single incident.” On top of it all, he pled guilty. The tentative plea agreement called for imprisonment of up to 16 months. He admitted to the crimes against him. Case closed. Sheriff Ketchem stood beside the deputy attorney general after eight hours of testimony and deliberations as the judge was set to announce the sentencing. Ketchem describes Carnicella as someone who was steel-like in her confidence pertaining to jail time for the defendant. The sheriff, however, became convinced fairly quickly into the judge’s reading that Shipman was going to walk. Judge Toothman’s language gave it away for Ketchem. The talk of family tragedy. The judge took a moment to note Shipman’s stepdaughter had recently committed suicide. His wife attempted the same. Beyond that, Toothman spoke of Shipman’s “law-abiding life.” Of how he laid down on his sword by admitting to his crimes. And, of course, there were the tears. By the time Judge Toothman began crying it was easy to see things were swaying towards the polluter. Everyone could tell. Everyone perhaps except for the deputy attorney general. Says Ketchem; she believed until the end that jail time was forthcoming. Needless to say when Judge Toothman sentenced Robert Allan Shipman to probation, “She was irate,” Ketchum says, referring to Carnicella. The full sentencing ( http://www.heraldstandard.com/news/hsnewsnow/man-sentenced-to-probation-for… ) [5] order was for seven years probation; fines; court costs; restitution. He was also ordered to work with a water conservation group five hours a week for the next seven years. Contacted for comment, Carnicella treads lightly. Speaking over the phone, she’s forthcoming but careful with her words. Further litigation is uncertain. Regarding the overall damage to the waterways, “I don’t know how anyone can say that dumping thousands upon thousands of gallons of waste, or raw sewage, of grease… whether it was only buckets…how is that not harmful? This was over many years. Let me ask you this, would you want your small child swimming in this water? I don’t think so.” Ten days after the sentence hearing, the deputy attorney general filed a motion for modification of sentence. Toothman denied the request on June 28, 2012. On July 28, the state attorney general filed a notice of appeal ( http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/story11/Shipman ) [8] with the state Superior Court seeking to overturn the sentencing. Of note in the DEP’s statement to AlterNet on the Shipman case is that Shipman has already appealed the DEP’s administrative orders “revoking the operating permits for Allan’s Waste Water Company and prohibiting Allan Shipman from any involvement in the waste business including transportation, storage, processing or disposal. Mr. Shipman appealed the administrative orders to the Environmental Hearing Board and litigation is still pending. As such, the matter remains under investigation by the Department.” Sheriff Ketchum has known Shipman since childhood. “My whole life,” he says, and his summation of the case is that Shipman got rich, then he got off. Ketchum was a former president of Izaak Walton for 10 years and has been sheriff since 1990. He says the damage Shipman inflicted to the land and water are not fully appreciated at the moment and believes the effects of dumping will still be seen 20 years down the road. “Deer, cattle, and all kinds of critters drink from these streams— everything drinks from this water.” “God only knows where he put it all. What we found was incredible. But who knows where else… all the other places he dumped it.” For the most part, Ketchum says it eventually all went into the water. Ketchem thinks about one of the waterways affected by the dumping into the Morris Run airshaft. He paints a portrait of Dunkard Creek with 50-inch musky, of large schools of fish. It was a place he fished with his family. On his wall is a photograph of his grandson holding a carp from Dunkard Creek. A beautiful place to fish. He shakes his head. “That poor creek just gets slammed.” Ketchem says. Dunkard Creek Billy Craig, an ironworker out of Local 549 in West Virginia, lives in Mt. Morris, Pa and grew up 100 yards from Dunkard Creek. He enjoyed the creek as a swimming hole and spent countless hours fishing for carp, fresh water drum, small mouth bass, flathead catfish, muskie, and even an occasional walleye. Craig first heard that something was wrong in the creek on September 9, 2009, as he was enjoying a couple of beers at the Legion. That’s when a local property owner stopped in the bar and announced that fish were dying at Dunkard between Mason Dixon Park and Mt. Morris. According to Craig, the water hadn’t look good that whole summer, with the color off, brown and rusty. Still, Billy didn’t think much of it. At least at the time. A couple of days rolled by until Craig was at the creek and says he witnessed a sludge of water flowing in, closing in on Mt. Morris. That’s when he saw the first of the fish dying at the river mouth where Big Shannon Run empties into Dunkard. Soon, it was more than a dead fish here and there, but rather a couple hundred. Then thousands. Muskies were jumping out of the water. Stressed fish. “You could tell they were being poisoned,” says Craig. Before long, stacks of dead fish could be seen. Three hundred to 400 stacked up together. The survivors battled, fruitlessly attempting to get to the fresh water. Other members of the Mt. Morris Sportsman Association joined him. In the creek, he repeats, a line of polluted water could be plainly viewed, separated from the fresh water coming in from Shannon Run and other tributaries, as the sludge worked its way down from Blacksville. Fishermen like Craig and his buddies would not soon forget the sight. Dead fish, the smell penetrating the towns along the banks. Craig called Pittsburgh television stations, both channels 2 and 4. “They always say to call if you see news, so I called,” Craig says. Nobody came. The news was happening. The footage was fresh. Dead fish continued to roll in. Channels 2 and 4 never came. Billy Craig and his friends filmed it themselves. They took photos of some of the dead fish. A 43.5-inch Muskie. A 39.5 inch flathead catfish. “And it takes a lot to kill a catfish,” says Craig. Craig says there was no cleanup. “Mother Nature took care of that.” Raccoons and green heron and a host of other animals did what they do. They ate as much as they could. The creek eventually washed the rest of the dead away. Then one night Craig says the water rose 10 inches in the creek. There was no rain. A helpful discharge from the mineshaft to rid the truth away. Craig’s not sure, but he thinks so. When asked about Robert Allan Shipman’s probation, Craig says, “It’s a slap in the face to everyone that lives around Dunkard.” Adds Dave Headley from nearby Smithfield, “It’s ridiculous that all he got was a slap on the wrist.” Craig has nothing against mining or drilling. His dad was a miner at Blacksville #2, and says there was small kill in his father’s day too. But he just doesn’t understand the lack of concern for the water. Craig and his buddies joined the Izaak Walton league shortly after the fish kill. They began testing Dunkard Creek and recording the data last August and have continued to do so on a weekly basis, usually on Sundays. Today there’s some people out fishing. But it’s not the same. The fish kill affected nearly 30 miles of Dunkard Creek. Salamanders, freshwater mussels and almost every other creature living in the creek were dead. In all, according ( http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/561195/Consol-Sued-f… ) [9] to Sharon Hall, an attorney for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, 42,997 fish, 15,382 freshwater mussels and 6,447 mudpuppies (a type of salamander) were killed. After three years of research, the cause of the Dunkard Creek fish kill has rested on golden algae ( http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/water/environconcerns/hab/ga/%20http:… ) [10] (Prymnesium parvum), a naturally occurring microscopic flagellated algae that is normally only found in waters with a high salt content. Worldwide the algae can be found in estuaries where freshwater mixes with seawater, obviously places far from southwestern Pennsylvania. Golden algae originated in the United States in 1985 in Texas and Oklahoma and since that time has stayed along the coast or in southern states, never this far north. Flowback water, millions of gallons per hydraulic fracturing well, is loaded with salts from deep beneath the earth’s surface, and is many times saltier than ocean water. Simply put, salty water caused the golden algae, but what caused the salty water? In 2011, Consol Energy, the owner of Morris Run air shaft Shipman was dumping into that eventually leads to Dunkard Creek, agreed to pay $5.5 million ( http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/us/consol-to-pay-55m-for-clean-wat… ) [11] and spend up to another $200 million on a state-of-the-art water treatment plant to be up and running by May 2013, but the company admitted no guilt. Instead an attorney for the company spoke of it in terms of mystic or God-like phenomena. According to The Intelligencer and Wheeling News Register, Consol attorney Carol Marunich claimed ( http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/561195/Consol-Sued-f… ) [9] that “the presence of (golden algae) in the Dunkard Creek watershed were the result of natural forces beyond the control,” of the company, and later referred to the algae as an “unprecedented, abnormal, and extraordinary event.” In her suit on behalf of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (the fact that the PA DEP did not file against Consol is something that causes much ire among Billy Craig and many Greene County residents), attorney Sharon Hall described Consol’s “illegal, toxic discharges,” and termed the deeds “willful, wanton and malicious…” In July 2009, two months prior to the fish kill, Dr. Paul Ziemkiewicz of the West Virginia Water Research Institute and a group of researchers were testing water in Dunkard. Ziemkiewicz remembers the water as stagnant with “extremely high” electronic conductivity (EC) readings and a total dissolved solids (TDS) level of 9,000 mg/L. TDS ( http://www.safewater.org/PDFS/resourcesknowthefacts/TDS_AND%20_pH.pdf ) [12] “represents the total concentration of dissolved substances in water… made up of inorganic salts, as well as a small amount of organic matter,” according to the Safe Drinking Water Foundation. DEP data shows that the TDS level would rise in the months ahead to a level of 21,764 mg/L on September 21 taken at Blacksville #2 Mine Outfall 005, with water quality standards in Pennsylvania set at a TDS of 500 mg/L. Fresh unadulterated water normally has a TDS level of less than 100 mg/L ( http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/Programs/wqs/Documents/Triennial%20Review/May%201… ) [13]. Of more concern to Ziemkiewicz are the levels of bromide in this region’s water. Bromide is another chemical compound that is naturally seen in seawater. Or according ( http://files.dep.state.pa.us/Water/Wastewater%20Management/WastewaterPortal… ) [14] to DEP state files, “Bromide in fresh water is typically found in areas influenced by saltwater intrusion or another bromide source (well drilling brines, industrial chemicals and agricultural chemicals).” Myron Arnowitt, the PA state director for the Clean Water Action puts bromide into geographical perspective. “It’s really only coastal communities that generally deal with bromides as a water contamination problem. Obviously most of PA is outside of the Delaware estuary.” When asked if bromide was historically consistent with mine discharges in the area, Ziemkiewicz responds, “bromide is not normally found in coal mining.” Dufalla put it a bit more bluntly: “Now here’s the million dollar question, how is bromide coming out of coal water discharges, and why do the permits allowing these discharges not address bromides? The reason they don’t address bromides is because they never had bromides coming out of coal before. 1.8 trillion gallons of water beneath southwestern PA and Northern West Virginia because the land has been mined out. A giant honeycomb underneath the region is filled with water. I understand the brine and magnesium, but we’re getting high levels of strontium and high levels of bromide coming out of these discharges. It’s not supposed to be there. Where is it coming from? I asked the DEP and cannot get an answer…EPA-no answer… Alpha Natural Resources [the company putting out many of the discharges] no answer… Nobody knows where they’re coming from, yet here they are. If you start putting two and two together, it’s a pretty good thought that just maybe, some of this Marcellus wastewater has made it into our mines. Just maybe.” Bromide, in and of itself, is not harmful to humans. Says Dr. Ziemkiewicz, “Bromide is only problematic after it goes through a drinking water utility and is converted to THM [trihalomethane] and associated compounds which are, indeed, harmful.” When bromide meets the chlorine at a public water intake system it forms triahalomethane, which affects the central nervous system and has been linked to several types of cancer, as well as birth defects. And says Ziemkiewicz; this is “a big concern for municipal water authorities.” Trihalomethanes have caused the residents of Carmichaels, PA to share in these concerns. Boiling tap water advisories, recommendations to drink bottled water, a water buffalo set up at the local fire department to supply residents with clean drinking water— these have all become standard fare ( http://www.heraldstandard.com/gcm/news/local_news/carmichaels-water-advisor… ) [15] in Carmichaels since the gas boom began. And headlines such as the following from the Herald Standard from June 14, 2011 no longer come as a surprise: “Carmichaels Water Contaminated Again.” While a lot has been written about contamination of well water due to hydraulic fracturing, what about the tap water? In the midst of Carmichaels' ongoing problem, municipal president Dan Bailey vented to the local papers in 2011: ”What upsets me is DEP knows what’s causing this yet they’re letting drillers dump that water into wastewater plants that don’t test it before they dump it into the river,” Bailey said. ”This is not caused by our plant. It’s caused by DEP not regulating what they are dumping into the river.” The New York Times reported, “In late 2008, drilling and coal-mine waste released during a drought so overwhelmed the Monongahela that local officials advised people in the Pittsburgh area to drink bottled water ( http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/27/us/natural-gas-documents-1.ht… ) [16]. E.P.A. officials described the incident in an internal memorandum as 'one of the largest failures ( http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/27/us/natural-gas-documents-1.ht… ) [16] in U.S. history to supply clean drinking water to the public.'" Wild West Years In the summer of 2008, the Monongahela River was teeming with high TDS. This period coincides with the Wild West years of Marcellus Shale drilling. Prior to 2007, newspapers hardly mentioned the words, as gas wells began popping up quietly across rural Pennsylvania. (Go to Google News and search for “Marcellus Shale” and a single result will emerge with these words, with no results at all returned prior to 2006.) The DEP was caught flat-footed, and illegally or not, as there were not many rules in place, let alone any recommendations as to what to do with the wastewater, Pennsylvania streams and rivers were flooded with waste, which would in hindsight lead one to think this would make surface levels rise. But this is leaving out one important factor, which is that gas-drilling companies were also taking a tremendous amount of water out of the waterways, as each drilling site demands four million gallons of water per well. Following fracking operations this water would be returned to the waterways filthy. Combine this with low summer water levels and this threw the dilution factor completely off tilt in 2008. Says Arnowitt, of Clean Water Action, “The sewage plants at that time was their main way of getting rid of the wastewater.” But sewage treatment cannot get rid of the salts and bromides from production water. Left to their own devices, aka unregulated, the gas industry turned to guys like Allan Shipman, and then they turned a blind eye. In a DEP file, an executive summary of the third and fourth quarters of 2008 disclosed, “Based on the speciation there appears to be a strong correlation between THM formation and elevated source water bromide concentrations in the Monongahela River.” Yet it wasn’t until the spring of 2011 that this agency requested, not required, water treatment plants to stop accepting Marcellus wastewater. In the 2011 statement, DEP secretary Michael Krancer said, “While there are several possible sources for bromide other than shale drilling wastewater, we believe that if operators would stop giving wastewater to facilities that continue to accept it under the special provision, bromide concentrations would quickly and significantly decrease." The statement added: “Removing TDS from water also removes bromides.” It was a great step, even if a late step. Arnowitt is not entirely convinced that treatment plants have stopped accepting gas drilling wastewater even at this point, more than a year later, saying that between five and 10 treatment plants were still accepting natural gas drilling wastewater according to the most recent data Clean Water Action has, which is from July through December 2011. “It’s been a little bit hard to completely pin down,” Arnowitt says. “Once every six months gas well operators are required to send something to the state saying where they’ve sent their wastewater,” with the last report showing, “there were a few that showed greatly reduced intake, but there were still a few gas wells that showed they were sending wastewater to plants that service water disposal.” The tracking system for gas drilling wastewater, now years into the process, is still extremely lacking. “There is a system that exists in Pennsylvania,” says Arnowitt. “The problem is that it’s not transparent to the public, you and I can’t track shipments of wastewater from the well to the eventual source of where it’s disposed of. Theoretically the DEP could do that, but even they don’t have all the information sitting in their office in Harrisburg.” Millions of gallons of wastewater produced a day, buzzing down the road, and still nobody’s really keeping track. “There’s no public oversight,” says Arnowitt. Recycling efforts, which are bringing much self-congratulation from the gas industry lately, also aren’t where they need to be at this point. Arnowitt says, “Recycling is not very regulated. You can get into these storage situations that can have lots of problems.” Such as the use of PVC pipes to move the reused water from well to well. “And it’s leaking in places. It’s not a very well contained process.” Moreover, Dufalla will point out that the word “recycling” is really a misnomer and should more accurately be stated as “reusing.” At this moment, bromide levels continue to register elevated readings. Dr. Ziemkiewicz shared recent numbers showing the high level of 5.3 mg/L on June 27, 2012 from samples taken from Whiteley Creek in Greene County. Lloyd Richard of Carmichaels Water Authority says they are still struggling to keep their trihalomethane numbers in compliance. In late August or early September they will test a chlorine dioxide disinfecting system aimed at reducing high levels of THM. Down the road at the Tri-County Municipal Water Authority, where historically, they haven’t had the same type of problems as Carmichaels, plant manager Jeff Kovach says that since the high TDS levels of 2008, the authority still has had to send out letters “four or five times,” to alert their customers of high THM levels. Kovach, who has worked at Tri-County for 37 years, says that prior to 2008, the company’s THM levels weren’t an issue and they were never in violation. David Argent, professor of wildlife and fisheries sciences at California University of Pennsylvania, shares his thoughts on the health of the Monongahela River today, the source of drinking water for nearly 1 million people. “The Monongahela has had a rather tragic history of water quality issues stemming from mining and hydrologic changes associated with the dams… Because the river serves as a drinking water supply for hundreds of thousands of people as well as a carrier of ‘treated’ waste and as a recreational destination for many, I am ever concerned that we have pushed the system beyond its assimilative capacity to provide us with clean water while at the same time carry our byproducts away. The fish communities we study certainly have recovered from mining, but there are new threats emerging that may not only impact fish, but also human health.” With all of the money spent on machinery by the coal industry and the companies extracting oil and gas from the earth, the question has to be asked, why isn’t the same money invested in dealing with the second part of the process and cleaning up their own mess— in properly treating this massive amount of leftover waste? Dilution has become the treatment solution, an idea that drives Dufalla into fits of anger, as he mocks the waste experts call of dilution is the solution to pollution. But that’s not the best way, says Dufalla. “The best way is prevention. Prevention is the key to preservation.” Says Arnowitt, “The oil and gas industry came in here pretty big in 2008, started drilling a lot of wells and all of a sudden they had millions of gallons of wastewater. They really hadn’t set up a real infrastructure for how to treat it. It's kind of like a chemical company came to Pennsylvania and said we’re going to build this big chemical plant, we need to start operating it right now, and yes, there’s going to be wastewater. We’ll get the wastewater treatment plant on line three years from now, but until then we’ll just have to figure out something else. That’s exactly what the gas industry did here. I think it was inevitable that someone like Allan Shipman would come along. The gas industry was willing to pay people money to take this waste off their hands. They weren’t predisposed to ask a lot of questions. And I think for Allan Shipman it was money he didn’t feel like he could refuse. And he didn’t have all the solutions worked out either with what to do with the stuff, so at a certain point he just figured out a way to get rid of it.” Running Red On July 31, 2012, Ken Dufalla invited me to accompany him to test water throughout Greene County. That way, he said, I could see for myself, and nothing would be lost in translation. Joining us was another Harry Enstrom member, Chuck Hunnell, a 69-year-old former U.S. history teacher. Prior to teaching, Hunnell was a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy and a former Vietnam veteran. Again, anyone trying to shove the earth’s health aside and throw around outdated labels towards those looking out for the environment needs to face reality. These aren’t a bunch of hippies smoking pot and preaching utopian ideals. These are men and women fighting and who’ve already fought for this country. As Ken Gayman told the Greene County Messenger on June 22, “Why did I go to fight in Vietnam and see my fellow Marines die in battle only to have big polluters destroy the country?” Gayman added. “It’s time for people to stand up and take America back.” Chuck Hunnell would like nothing more than to simply enjoy the waters he fishes in retirement, but once you see your streams turn blood red, it’s hard to ignore. Retired or not, Hunnell is out there all day with us. Just a few days before my visit, after a period of high rain in the region, Dufalla’s team alerted the DEP of discharges running through Smith Creek a half mile south of downtown Waynesburg. Smith Creek was our first stop. We tested water near where a discharge from Emerald Mine (Outfall 001) enters the stream. Emerald Coal or Emerald Mine, a vast mining area, sits high on a hill obscured by trees. Guards man the gates at the entrance; a fortress-like setting. It’s impossible to view what’s going into the ponds that are then piped into Smith Creek, only what comes out. Our water sampling results showed TDS 1890 of mg/L, which far exceeds the recommended standard of less than 500 mg/L and an EC reading of 3760 µS/cm, which has a standard of 1,000 µS/cm. (EC or electrical conductivity measures inorganic dissolved ionic components in water, such as its salinity. People can taste saltiness in water at EC levels of 1,500 to 2,000.) The color of the stream was light red. Minnows viewed days earlier according Dufalla were now absent in the impaired water. Only flies and a northern banded water snake were seen. Next we visited what Dufalla called “the number-one polluter in Greene County”— Emerald Mine Bleeder #5, discharge 016, a treatment pond for coal mine discharge water, which leads to Whiteley Creek, before emptying into the Monongahela above Carmichaels, the community experiencing all of the trouble with THM. For bromide sampling, Dufalla relies on the sampling from the DEP or WRI (data filed at www.monriverquest.org/map.cfm [17]). As he wrote ( http://http/www.heraldstandard.com/gcm/columns/natures_corner/ ) [18] in a recent Greene County Messenger column, certified samples ( http://www.heraldstandard.com/gcm/columns/natures_corner/and/article_f747d5… ) [19] from this site in August 2011 showed bromide levels exceeding 11 mg/L. Our tests for EC exceeded the instrument maximum of 10,000 µS/cm for EC and the maximum 5,000 mg/L for TDS. Again, this is for post-treated water. At each subsequent testing site sampling revealed levels, which far exceeded the standard set by the state. Each site being a tributary leading to the Monongahela, a source of drinking water. Whiteley Creek: EC 3400 µS/cm, 1710 TDS mg/L. Clyde Mine Discharge leading to Ten Mile Creek: TDS 4000 mg/L. Shipman’s activities opened up a Pandora’s box. While his more heinous crimes, dumping in the rain and on the roads, are tough to get past, it might be his use of an old mine shaft that has the most importance moving forward, because the discharges coming from mines today do not match what’s historically been recorded in this area, such as the case with bromide. As Adam Federman wrote ( http://http/www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/eij/article/what_killed_d… ) [20] in Earth Island Journal, “Untreated acid mine discharges typically have conductance values of between 1,000 and 1,500 µS/cm.” Testing with Dufalla and Hunnell, our sampling revealed levels as high as 10 times that limit, and from “treated” discharges. Nobody wants to say these high numbers are related to Marcellus drilling. But the fact is that it really doesn’t matter to Dufalla. Just do something about numbers. Period. Whatever the source. Mine water needs to be released, yes; the only thing people in Greene County want to see is a better way than simply releasing it into water. This will cost money. But so does the first part of the process, getting the resources out of the ground. Cleaning up should not be optional. Seeing “treated” water discharged into the streams and creeks of Southwestern PA was quite honestly unnerving. Seeing streams running red, or bubbling with methane while a fisherman angled nearby simply doesn’t seem right. It's disturbing to see farms with their animals now fenced from fresh water streams in order to keep the animals safe. However, to the seasoned scientists who have studied the region or to the officials in charge of regulating the area, there is a shocking casualness. Mine drainage has been flowing into the waterways for decades. To many, the fact that mine drainage is undergoing any treatment whatsoever is good enough, at least better than during the '70s when mine water was discharged directly into the Mon, and when the river flowed a consistent metallic orange color. On Dufalla’s tour, a DEP agent drove by Ten Mile Creek as we took samples. When the agent stopped and emerged from his white jeep, the first thing we noticed were his clean black shoes without a speck of dirt, which to the three of us, suggested that this water pollution agent hadn’t been near water in some time. All afternoon I had listened as Dufalla grumbled about DEP bureaucracy and the pass-it-on-down-the-line mentality he’s experienced between the various divisions within the agency; water, oil and gas, mining, etc. So when the initial reaction from the agent to the pollution we showed him (he had no idea, in his clean black shoes), was “Well, this falls under the mining division,” we would later share a laugh at my jaw-dropping response. When we asked what division he was with and he replied “Water,” we alerted him to the fact that we were showing him polluted— water— that was flowing into— more water— and an area of recreation for the community, Ten Mile Creek. He quickly figured it out and showed his preparedness as he shuffled around to take some pictures, but first he had to replace the batteries in his camera. If I had to venture to guess, I’d wager that these discharges, which were nearly triple that of what his own agency recommends, would not be addressed any time soon. The DEP agent took a stab at an explanation, then blamed Shipman. Says Dufalla later, “I got news for you, Shipman’s not the only one dumping stuff into those streams, and the rest of them are getting permits to do it.” Arnowitt echoes Dufalla and says he believes it’s entirely possible that the type of dumping Shipman did for years is still going on. “Allan Shipman certainly ran a more extensive dumping operation than I would expect most to run, but that being said, it would be very easy for any number of entities— who are maybe mostly running a legitimate operation, but sometimes things happen and they don’t know what to do with a shipment, and it gets illegally dumped. I don’t think that would be hard to do.” "There’s very little independent sampling oversight by the DEP," says Arnowitt and theorizes why this is the case. “It is both a resource problem and a will to do it problem. Truly, DEP has had its budget cut very significantly -- it's been cut 42 percent in the last four years, so they have a lot less to work with. The place they’ve really invested inspection recourses has been at the actual well site, but inspecting what happens with the waste that leaves the well site, like wastewater, there’s very little inspection there, and for the most part the state goes off of what the permit holder sends into them. So that’s definitely a hole in the system that still exists.” Party Line In August 2011, New York State Senator Greg Ball took a tour of Pennsylvania to properly verse himself on hydraulic fracturing prior to making up his mind on the issue. A common sense approach. Upon return, he urged New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to do likewise. Ball, an outdoorsman and fisherman, has much in common with the residents of Greene County. Recounting his tour of Pennsylvania, Ball says he saw a process begin without the manpower and funding in place to regulate the process and he witnessed firsthand how tough it has been for the state to hold the oil and gas industry accountable. He saw “real fears in residents of Pennsylvania” -- farmers and property owners deceived on whether water was clean or contaminated. One of his biggest elements of concern is the fact that billions of gallons of clean drinking water are being used or affected by this industry. “This is a limited resource,” Ball says. “The fact that millions of gallons of drinking water is being allowed to be contaminated is a fundamental issue.” Besides health concerns regarding the issue of clean water, he’s troubled about the overall quality of life for citizens. He wants New York “to avoid the devastation seen in other states,” to avoid the haste he saw in other states, the overall rush to expedite permits and drilling before the proper framework was in place on how to regulate this industry. “Wastewater needs to be treated as an industrial waste,” says Ball. “New York needs to set an example on how this industry needs to be held accountable.” While at a national level, Ball says it’s essential to eliminate the “Halliburton loophole,” which exempts fracking from compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. “Clean water has nothing to do with politics,” says Ball, a Republican. “It shows why politics suck in America.” Ball says citizens need to stop pointing at each other and focus on the real problem, which is the amount of money and influence currently corrupting the government, the red-carpet treatment some industries receive. Clean water should be something beyond politics. Or in the words of Billy Craig, an ironworker from the Mason Dixon line, “If we don’t have clean water, we’re all in trouble. None of us are going to survive. Clean water is something we all need.” Source URL: http://www.alternet.org/fracking/toxic-wastewater-dumped-streets-and-rivers…

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