Texas: Can't tie water contamination to drilling
Source: AP
HOUSTON The amount of explosive gas tainting a North Texas neighborhood's water supply has increased in recent years, but the state's oil and gas regulator says it can't link the methane to drilling activity nearby, according to a report it released Wednesday.
The state Railroad Commission has found that the contamination has gotten worse in most of the private water wells it tested in September 2013 compared with what was measured in 2010 and in 2011. However, Peter Pope, the agency geologist who signed off on the report, wrote that staff "has determined that the evidence is insufficient to conclude that Barnett Shale production activities have caused or contributed to methane contamination beneath the neighborhood."
The agency will not investigate further, Pope added in the report dated Friday. He suggested that infuriated residents of the subdivision in Weatherford, a suburb about 30 miles west of Fort Worth, "properly ventilate and aerate their water systems."
Methane is not toxic, but can be explosive under certain conditions.
Read more: http://www.caller.com/news/2014/may/28/texas-cant-tie-water-contamination-drilling/
The link is to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
Cross-posted in the Texas Group.
SleeplessinSoCal
(8,998 posts)Not to mention all the other towns suffering from this.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)the population of Weatherford in 2000 was 19,000. Wikipedia quotes the 2010 census at a little over 25,000. It's only thirty miles west of Fort Worth, so likely well within the greater DFW area and population. I doubt it's an isolated town.
lark
(23,003 posts)I haven't been there since grandma died, but it was very isolated and rural as long as 10 years ago.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)I just figured DFW sprawl would have overtaken it by now...
TexasTowelie
(111,313 posts)kentauros
(29,414 posts)Sugarland was at one time an isolated farming community, southwest of Houston. Now, it's just part of the SW Deathway Corridor all the way out to the exurbs.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)Kochroaches don't like the light...
hollysmom
(5,946 posts)I know many of you vote against them time after time, you can't be held responsible. I love all my Texan friends, their government, not so much.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)But we do still love our state. I hope people can understand the difference
TexasTowelie
(111,313 posts)I haven't seen you around the last few days. Are you staying busy and giving them hell over at Discussionist?
kentauros
(29,414 posts)I got bored with Discussionist. I don't have the personality to go head to head with ignoramuses, no matter how lucid they may appear.
DU tends to shoo me away from time to time, too, though not for the same reasons. Some things just bore me. Can't help it
GeorgeGist
(25,294 posts)But maybe the Railroad Commission isn't the optimum oversight body for Water contamination.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)but they've been in charge of "natural resources" for as long as I can remember. They're also the agency to go to when you need GIS data for pipeline maps. They 'regulate' all of that stuff.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)Oophs
The bible says "thou shall not disrupt fracking"
bpollen
(110 posts)I have a sneaking suspicion that they found that water contamination can't be tied to fracking because water doesn't make campaign contributions to Republicans.
DamnYankeeInHouston
(1,365 posts)PatrickforO
(14,516 posts)If I couldn't light the water coming out of my faucet on fire before the area below my water table was fracked, but could after the fracking occurred, then how can there be no link?
Javaman
(62,442 posts)that you couldn't light your water on fire prior to fracking.
I know, it makes my brain sad too.
blackspade
(10,056 posts)Pope is a corporate sellout.
Dustlawyer
(10,493 posts)who have stinky, flammable water have to say now, drill baby drill?
freebrew
(1,917 posts)Breathing it can lead to hallucinations: The Oracle at Delphi...
edited because I couldn't post the link
Javaman
(62,442 posts)those aliens weren't bothered a whit by methane.
freebrew
(1,917 posts)and I'm not sure a few little hallucinations would bother me,!?
Javaman
(62,442 posts)They are just imaginary friends there to help you.
And so what if a few of them say they want to chew off your face? That's just them being snarky.
freebrew
(1,917 posts)And yes, they really ARE snarky.
Too much OT?
Javaman
(62,442 posts)Dopers_Greed
(2,640 posts)Business is soon to be booming.
lark
(23,003 posts)If you don't investigate you will never find the hidden things and I'd bet big $$ the state of Texas didn't investigate this at all, much less thoroughly.
olddad56
(5,732 posts)sooner or later, the town will have Erin Brockovich showing up to help them out, but by then, people will be dying.