Obama Administration Will Not Press For Temporary Freeze On Shale Gas Drilling In Delaware Watershed

[hatrack]

The Obama administration has decided against pressing for a temporary halt to Marcellus Shale drilling in Pennsylvania and New York, a key federal official said. Brig. Gen. Peter "Duke" DeLuca, commander of the North Atlantic Division of the Army Corps of Engineers, last week declined a request from Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) to use the federal government's vote on the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to seek a temporary ban on gas production in the Delaware watershed.

Hinchey wants drilling there to wait until the commission completes a "cumulative impact statement," but DeLuca said that could delay drilling for years.

"The citizens of the basin are counting on the commission to make smart choices that allow for environmental protection to proceed together with economic development," DeLuca wrote in the Sept. 14 letter (pdf).

The letter was written a day before Lt. Col. Philip Secrist, representing DeLuca and the Obama administration on the commission, voted to continue limited exploratory drilling in the basin. The vote denied a request by environmental groups seeking to block the drilling of test wells that were "grandfathered in" when the commission imposed a de facto moratorium.

EDIT

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/09/22/22greenwire-obama-admin-rejects-timeout-for-natural-gas-dr-60467.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

[valerief]

1. So what does the EPA do again? nt

[joeybee12]

2. New administration, same old bullshit. KNR

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. What you said.

:puke:

[INdemo]

4. I would have expected this from the Bush administration..

Why would the Republicans even want to nominate a candidate in 2012 when they have the best Republican money can buy occupying the White House now...
This was clearly a decision bought and paid for by the natural gas companies..

[JohnWxy]

5. disgusting!

[zeaper]

6. Check the facts on this drilling.

The typical well depth is 5-7 thousand feet, fracking only occurs at the bottom of the well.

The water table is 100-300 feet down, or about a mile away from the fracking operations.

I don’t understand how fracking 5-6 thousand feet from the water table could effect it.

Just asking.

[Yuugal]

7. what would be the point?

it is impossible to teach someone something they are being paid to not understand. Watch "Gasland" if you really want to know.

[Nihil]

8. That is the ideal case.

> The typical well depth is 5-7 thousand feet,
> fracking only occurs at the bottom of the well.
>
> The water table is 100-300 feet down, or about a mile away
> from the fracking operations.
>
> I don’t understand how fracking 5-6 thousand feet from the
> water table could effect it.

1) To get to "5-7 thousand feet" you first have to go through "100-300 feet".

2) Fracking occurs due to the pressure being exerted. The pump is at the top
of the well. The shale that they want to repeatedly fracture is at the bottom.
Any weakness or leak in that "5-7 thousand feet" of pipe means that the fracking
fluid escapes from the casing and is then able to migrate even though it "isn't
supposed to" be anywhere other than at the bottom of the pipe.

3) Oil wells aren't supposed to fail. Gas pipes aren't supposed to fail.
Coal mines aren't supposed to fail. Safety standards are supposed to be reliable.
Quality control is supposed to be observed. That is the ideal case.
Welcome to the real world.