Frack Panel: ‘Serious Environmental Consequences’ Possible
Without Action to Reduce Impacts
Charleston Gazette
10 November 2011
By Ken Ward Jr.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s special commission examining
natural gas drilling has released a second report, warning today:
… If action is not taken to reduce the environmental impact
accompanying the very considerable expansion of shale gas
production expected across the country – perhaps as many as
100,000 wells over the next several decades – there is a real risk
of serious environmental consequences and a loss of public
confidence that could delay or stop this activity.
An initial report, issued in August, made clear that the potential
impacts from booms like the Marcellus Shale play are not minor
things:
Intensive shale gas development can potentially have serious
impacts on public health, the environment and quality of life –
even when individual operators conduct their activities in ways
that meet and exceed regulatory requirements. The combination of
impacts from multiple drilling and production operations, support
infrastructure (pipelines, road networks, etc.) and related
activities can overwhelm ecosystems and communities.
And today’s new report outlines some specific actions that the
commission — made up mostly of experts with close ties to the gas
industry – believes federal and state governments need to take,
and that action so far has been far from adequate:
The Subcommittee is gratified by the actions that have been taken
to date and are planned, by the administration, state governments,
industry, and public interest groups to reduce the environmental
impact of shale gas production. However, the progress to date is
less than the Subcommittee hoped. The Subcommittee cautions that
whether its approach is followed or not, some concerted and
sustained action is needed to avoid excessive environmental
impacts of shale gas production and the consequent risk of public
opposition to its continuation and expansion.
Meanwhile, Abrahm Lustgarten at ProPublica has a major new story
out today, reporting:
As the country awaits results from a nationwide safety study on
the natural gas drilling process of fracking, a separate
government investigation into contamination in a place where
residents have long complained that drilling fouled their water
has turned up alarming levels of underground pollution.
A pair of environmental monitoring wells drilled deep into an
aquifer in Pavillion, Wyo., contain high levels of cancer-causing
compounds and at least one chemical commonly used in hydraulic
fracturing, according to new water test results released yesterday
by the Environmental Protection Agency.
And in Texas, preliminary results are in from a major University
of Texas study of hydraulic fracturing, and as reported here,
fracking itself is not the problem — but the size and scope of
modern drilling operations seems to be raising serious issues:
Preliminary results of a University of Texas study on hydraulic
fracturing indicate the process itself does not appear to
contaminate contaminating drinking water, but that fracturing
sites may have a higher incidence of surface problems that can
occur with any type of drilling.
Prior reports, investigations and data gathered throughout the
country on claims that the process often called fracking
contaminated ground water so far don’t make the direct link, said
Chip Groat, a UT geologist who is leading the study.
Rather, it appears that shale drilling results in more problems on
the surface than drilling that doesn’t involve fracking, including
spills of drilling and fracking fluids, leaks from wastewater pits
and other rule violations, said Groat, who is unveiling the
preliminary results of the study in Fort Worth on Wednesday.