John Hanger, former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and candidate for governor of Pennsylvania admits what we’ve known all along: industry mistakes can cause water to light on fire.
VIDEO: John Hanger admits gas drilling can cause water to light on fire
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
An abject failure when he headed up the DEP. Now he wants to be Governor. If he didn’t have the courage to do the right thing when he was at DEP , then we should expect something different as governor?
What Tim said.
And in Texas:
http://m.weatherforddemocrat.com/weatherforddem/db_310387/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=MtbCypHl
Mary Ann Williamson, owner of MKS Natural Gas Company, appointed by Big Hair Perry to state water board.
Whew! I’ve been so worried about the water situation here. I’m so glad a gas driller will have major influence on it!
Oh, wait …
OTOH;
He was/has been the ONLY person with either authority or meaningful knowledge from a regulator perspective to clearly assert that methane migration was a problem. THE ONLY ONE.
NY DEC did not consult with him re the “PA Experience” when they were carrying out the most recent EIS and formulating regs.
In fact, the NY DEC on their second try (2011) did about as lousy a job with methane migration as I could imagine – 3d grade level. Their failure to meaningfully consult about the PA experience was shameful.
Again, altho he was vague about the levels of methane migration and the prevalence, etc he was the only “authority” person at that time saying indeed the “emperor” had no clothes.
Stanley R Scobie, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, PSE Healthy Energy, Binghamton, NY.
Ok let’s just get something straight here. The water in the video and otherwise is NOT on fire. Your ignorance is unbelievable. Let’s see how many “like” minded people we can incite. Sad
Oh yes! You are so right! Let’s make the very important distinction that water can’t actually light on fire. It’s only the METHANE that, seeking the pathway of least resistance, has, with the help of drilling and fracking activity, found a pathway to your water source. So it’s that methane that now travels with your water to your tap where it can accumulate to explosive levels–as it has in homes and well houses all across fracking zones–and, inconsequently, that methane coming from your tap or hose with your water can be lit on fire. It’s not actually the water that is burning but the methane traveling with your water.
It’s kind of like during the Exxon Valdez spill when the ocean appeared to be burning but it was only the oil spill floating on top of the water that was burning. I’m sure we all remember that one.
There now. All better?
Thank you for your comment. I think I’ll make a whole new blog post highlighting it.