Scientists: Drilling threat to water

[Earth_First]

ALBANY -- Dozens of scientists, including four from the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, warned Gov. Andrew Cuomo that it will be practically impossible for municipal drinking water systems to protect against chemicals used in natural gas hydraulic fracturing, also called hydrofracking.

"We urge the state to reconsider its position that existing water filtration systems provide adequate protection against the risk of hydraulic fracturing, should materials from flow-back fluids migrate to lakes, reservoirs, or groundwater used for municipal water supplies," the letter states.

Used drilling water, which can contain benzene and other volatile aromatic hydrocarbons, surfactants and organic biocides, barium and other toxic metals, and radioactive compounds, is later trucked to a disposal site.

"Municipal filtration systems were not designed with such hazards in mind, and the ability of the filtration systems to remove such hazardous substances has received little, if any, study. ... The best available science suggests that some of these substances would pass through the typical municipal filtration system," the letter warned.

It would be "extremely expensive" to add additional filters that capture hydrofracking chemicals, and Howarth could not point to a single municipal drinking water system in other states where hydrofracking is used that has done so.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Scientists-Drilling-threat-to-water-2173459.php#ixzz1YXE5QnDH

[Earth_First]

1. Add to this that wastewater treatment plant infrastructure is maintained by TAXPAYER dollars... n/t

[SpiralHawk]

8. Oh noes. Socialism is keeping our drinking water clean?

Where will it all end?
:sarcasm:

[DURHAM D]

2. And just last night we had a couple of threads on fracking and

members of DU that think its a good thing because it creates jobs.

May reality arrive on the new day.

Thanks for posting.

[Uncle Joe]

3. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Earth_First.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Bluntly, fuck with the upstate reservoirs and NYC will be cut off from fresh water.

Good luck with that

:sarcasm:

[Earth_First]

5. The DEC has deemed hydrofracking in the NYC watershed to be highly volitile...

In so many ways that the DEC has implemented a full out BAN on hydrofracking proceedures in two areas of the state, NYC and Syracuse.

Yet, the DEC seems fully ready to implement their findings that it is safe enough for the residents in smaller, rural communities, one area of which holds New York's ONLY National Forest.

Pathetic.

[truedelphi]

6. Also all liability to the companies behind the fracking and drilling

Was dispensed with by the terms of the 2005 Energy bill, authored in large part by Dick Cheney.

[Earth_First]

7. Data Review of reported oil and gas spills

The resulting total of 270 reported oil and gas spills are posted for your review at http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/drilling_spills_profiles. These spills and uncontrolled releases reportedly caused fires, explosions, massive pollution releases, contaminated drinking water sources, home evacuations, tainted farmland and widespread threats to wetlands, streams, ponds, aquifers and other "sensitive receptors." Many of these DEC-reported problems have exceeded clean up standards for decades.

In short, DEC's own data document systematic, on-going failures to prevent oil and gas drilling pollution impacts or to clean them up. It is imperative that DEC resolve those regulatory shortcomings prior to issuing new drilling permits. Otherwise, the City of New York's reservoirs, other critical water supply sources and the environment of the Marcellus region as a whole could become irreparably contaminated.

Widespread Oil and Gas Hazards

Among those 270 oil and gas spills, a total of 65 reportedly do not meet clean up standards up to 26 years after being reported.

The remaining 205 spills reportedly meet clean up standards, but many of these oil and gas spills apparently were administratively closed as meeting clean up standards simply by being transferred from DEC's Spills Unit to its Division of Mineral Resources.

DEC's own information documents many spills are never remediated because the Division of Mineral Resources determined that no further action can be taken. Those cases routinely involve oil and gas contamination that spreads extensively in rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands and exceeds clean up standards. Many of those oil and gas releases reportedly have continued for decades. Notable spills include:

Much, MUCH more here: http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/dSGEIS_comments

[Earth_First]

9. Wastewater from gas drilling being used for area road maintenance

Several New York municipalities -- including communities in Chemung, Broome and Tompkins counties -- are using contaminated wastewater from natural gas drilling operations as part of their road and highway maintenance programs, according to an Ithaca-based environmental activist.

The DEC contends the use of the wastewater is safe for purposes such as keeping dust levels down during road construction and as a de-icer in winter.

Chemung County roads to be treated by A.D. Call & Sons include 30 miles of dirt road maintained by the Baldwin Town Highway Department and 41 miles of dirt road maintained by the Erin Town Highway Department.

http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20110720/NEWS01/107200369/Wastewater-from-gas-drilling-being-used-area-road-maintenance

Yet the DEC and their own dSGEIS claims that wastewater from drilling operations can not used in high agricultural impact areas.

I know this area well, and let me tell you something, 41 miles of unimproved dirt roads = agricultural use.