MINUTES

SIXTH MEETING WV/PA MONONGAHELA AREA WATERSHEDS COMPACT

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011, 1 PM, MORGANTOWN AIRPORT ANNEX


1. - Barry Pallay opened the meeting and welcomed everyone. Everyone introduced themselves.
Barry Pallay spoke of the five handouts and various letters Duane and he sent out.

2. - Evan Hansen spoke of the Safe Water  Drinking and Clean Waters Act. The CWA covers (A): Uses for aquatics, recreation and public water supply; (B) Criteria and (C) Antidegradation. The SWDA makes recommendations (not enforceable) for  tap water, pollutents and TDS (500 mg), SO4 (250 mg), and CL (250 mg). The CWA is enforceable. Hansen noted that WV has no standards for aquatic, public water supply and SO4. CL has a 250 mg level. Whereas, PA recomemends 250 mg for public water supply, SO4 and CL. He said WV has no TDS criteria. EPA recommends 250 mg for TDS, SO4 and CL. He also said there needs to be a Bromide standard.

Barry Pallay added that 80 percent of TDS comes from coal mines; Marcellus needs regulations.

3 - Martin Niverth said that Chlorine in the Mon River was mainly from Marcellus Shale Gas drilling along the Youghiogheny River.  He said Washington and Greene County were playing catch up. There are no regulations in PA. He said citizens are being certified to do testing through WVU (Paul Z.) He asked, 'what will Greene County do with the results if they show worsening readings?'

Barry Pally said there were 57,000 wells in WV, 17 inspectors and 15 inspections a day per inspector. He said WV ought not to issue permits if there is an insufficient number of inspectors.

4 -  Jim Butler discussed citizen watershed monitoring and showed slides showing the need for a good base line, monitoring trends and early warning, weekly reports. He said an increase of TDS in Dunkard Creek could occur again.  

5 -  Pam Judy discussed her personal situation in Carmichaels, near Waynesburg, PA. Her house was built in 2006 and a compressor station was placed nearby (20 feet) in 2009. There was no notice. Her windows vibrate. She can smell petroleum, and got sick - head aches, sore throat, running nose and nose bleeds. Blood tests showed benzenes and petroleum in her.

Barry Pally said that Pam Judy's experiences were the public implications of unregulated Marcellus Shall gas drilling. There are no emission standards and no long term studies have been undertaken. Pallay said it was analogous to experiences with asbestos and tobacco. Industry must be regulated.  

6 - Lee Avery showed slides of charts showing there were 57,000 active wells, 50,000 were gas and 5,000 were oil wells. In 2007 and 2008 3,000 wells were permitted. In 2011 the number was 300.

The number of Marcellus wells permitted was 3234. In 2009, 60 were in production and the number was increasing.

7 - Tim Manchin called in via phone from the Legislature to report industry opposition to regulation and permit fees of $10,000 per well. He discussed pooling options. There was no local interest.

8 - Amanada Pitzer said: 1) we need to educate legislature year round; 2) PA needs a legislative group; 3) legislators need facts; 4) check out FRAQCHECK.org.

9 - Vince Trivelli said the Marcellus Shale Gas drilling bills needed to be expanded to cover pipelines and processing. There may be less drilling and more forced pooling. He noted the Acting Governor Thomblin appointed a Marcellus Shale Gas Commission. It consisted mainly of industry representatives.

10 - Bill Hughes, of the Wetzel County Action Group, showed slides regarding air quality issues:  burning diesel fuel in trucks, emissions from tanks, trucks, and other equipment.

11 - John King said we need to collect the facts. He explained citizens collecting information.

12 - Kevin Coyne showed Golden Algae related slides. He said there was  no algae bloom the past Summer (2010).

13 - Frank Jernejcic said there was a lack of communications in the organization. There was no coordination with WVU and PA.

14 -  Duane Nichols - discussed his views regarding the Resolutions and Press Releases.

15 - Bill Wyant spoke of his ideas regarding a play, "The Monongalia River in a Changing Nation."

16 - Barry Pallay  wrapped up the meeting and thanked all for their participation. He also said the next - Seventh WV/PA Monongahela Area Watershed Compact meeting would occur on Wednesday, March 23 at the Morgantown Airport Annex at 1 PM.