USEPA Lauches $1.9 Billion Hydraulic Fracturing Study

[Nomad V]

Here is a link to the USEPA website on hydraulic fracturing.

http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/index.cfm

The pressures used in the fracking process are extrordinary, up a factor of 10 from the 1980s when I was involved with the industry. The process uses extrordinary quantities of fresh water, produces thousands of gallons of waste and injects toxics into the subsurface. The process is also exempt from the clean water act. Those of you in Europe may think you are exempt from the benefits and risks, but our formations are basically your formations, and the oil and gas industry is coming soon to a town near you.

In a perfect world with good annular seals on wells and fracture free zones this process would not be a problem, but it isn't a perfect world. There are also the occassional outlaw dumping into convenient streams. Hydrocarbons vented at the wellsite are not regulated, and just possibly there may be migration of the fracking fluids along fault zones or other paths of weakness.

So, even though new regulation may not be necessary the current laws do need enforced, and the process itself needs to be better understood. As part of the effort USEPA is requesting cooperation from service providers. Whether or not those providers cooperate is another matter.

 

[Nomad V]

Here is a link to some PA violations over the past year. It is not a pretty story. By the way even though Texas has a 7.5% tax on the natural gas extracted some PA politicians are trying to eliminate the extraction tax all together here in PA. A writer at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette wrote me back saying most of those opposing the taxes have received big contributions from the likes of Chesapeake Energy ( A Texas company) and Cabot Oil, etc.

http://www.propublica.org/article/pas-gas-wells-booming-but-so-are-spills-127

 

[Lindley]

[Tigh]IT'S IN THE FRAKKING GROUND![/Tigh]

 

[CuttingEdge100]

This hydraulic fracturing is a terrible idea. Yeah you'll get water and gas, but unfortunately you'll get a little bit of both at the same time so you can actually light your water on fire!

 

[Chaos Descending]

UESPA?

Oh... USEPA.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ I thought the same thing.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

This hydraulic fracturing is a terrible idea. Yeah you'll get water and gas, but unfortunately you'll get a little bit of both at the same time so you can actually light your water on fire!

That little bit from Gasland has been debunked. If you don't like that source, search around. The water being lit on fire has nothing to do with fracking.

 

[JustAFriend]

This hydraulic fracturing is a terrible idea. Yeah you'll get water and gas, but unfortunately you'll get a little bit of both at the same time so you can actually light your water on fire!

Big deal. Back when I was a kid, the Cleveland river going into Lake Erie did that...