OtegoNY.com

Citizens’ group sponsors second public forum on gas drilling

The Concerned Citizens of the Butternut Valley is hosting a public forum titled “Gas Drilling:  What Lies Beneath, What Lies Ahead,” to be held on March 23 at 7 p.m. at Morris Central School.

It will address concerns related to horizontal drilling for natural gas, an issue which has been the subject of intense public debate over the last year.

“We share concerns for the future of this beautiful area and feel it’s imperative for our residents to know all the implications and “what ifs” associated with natural gas drilling,” said Fred Johnson who has been helping to organize the forum.

“We have an opportunity to make decisions based experiences in other states and on a complete review of the procedures, regulations and consequences associated with the fracking process,” he said.

By “fracking,” Johnson was referring to hydrofracturing or hydraulic fracturing – a process used to extract natural gas from previously impermeable shale. Millions of gallons of water, sand, and chemicals are injected at high pressure into horizontally drilled wells as far as 10,000 feet below the surface to extract contain the gas for energy use.  Concern about the environmental impacts of this process has been expressed by many individuals and environmental groups throughout the state.

Governor Paterson is currently reviewing thousands of public comments on the Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement crafted by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.  Public input on this document was closed at the end of 2009.  The SGEIS will regulate horizontal gas drilling operations, should this process ultimately be permitted in the state.

Presenters and topics for the evening’s program include Brian Brock, a geologist who will talk about how natural gas was formed formed, where it is now, and how gas companies plan to extract it from the earth’s sub-surface. Scott Fickbohm, District manager, Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation will address how gas as drilling issues will affect the local watershed.

Mary Jo Long, attorney, and Afton town board member legal considerations for individuals and towns.
“Gas drilling is a slow train but a big train,” Long said.  “It’s moving toward us but there are things both individuals and town governments need to know and act on in the face of gas drilling.”

Long will speak on liability issues related to personal injury or damage to property or wells and on compulsory integration, a policy which allows gas to be extracted from properties even when the land-owner has not signed a lease with a gas company.

“Some people think that because of compulsory integration they may as well sign a lease, but this is not necessarily a good idea,” she said.

Long will also urge local governments to have noise ordinances and road preservation laws in place.
In addition to panel members, Chris Haddock, real estate appraiser at Wilber Bank, will be available to answer questions regarding the effects of gas leasing on mortgages and property values.

A question and answer session will follow the presentations.

The forum is free and open to the public.  In case of heavy snow, the forum will be held at the same time and place on March 24.

The CCBV has sent announcements to towns and village officials of the Butternut Valley inviting them to attend the meeting.

The CCBV is a group of residents of the Butternut Valley organized to help educate its residents on the many facets of horizontal drilling for natural gas extraction and to encourage them to be active in protecting their communities from its potential dangers. In December 2009, CCBV sponsored its first forum, “Gas Drilling: Impacts on the Butternut Valley.”
Event organizer Bob Thomas of Morris said that his concern about gas drilling was piqued after perusing the DEC website, where he read, “At least 70,000 oil and gas wells have been drilled in New York since the 1800′s, but information is available for only about 30,000 of them. Locations for the others are unknown . . .”

“If they can lose 40,000 wells over the years and leave us all in peril for each one to some extent — will things really be improved by drilling another 100,000 wells or so?” Thomas asked.

Other event organizers include Paddy Lane and David Grodsky of Pittsfield, Joe Richardson of Morris, Flo Loomis of New Lisbon, Fred Johnson of Gilbertsville and Teresa Winchester of Butternuts.

‘Stealth’ Measurements of Air Quality Contradict Shale Gas Industry Claims of Safe Air

New technology finds huge methane plumes around shale gas drilling and processing facilities

Technology is new arrow in quiver of shale gas impacted communities nationwide

DISH, TX,  March 4, 2010 Yesterday a team of environmental scientists presented findings from a novel two day emissions gas detection project showing methane levels as much as 20 times above normal background levels in the air around several counties in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

“These findings raise troubling questions about shale gas industry pollution not only in Texas but for states nationwide where shale gas drilling and production is planned or underway,” said Wilma Subra, EARTHWORKS board member, environmental chemist and MacArthur grant recipient.

The results were collected over the past two days by an undercover team driving an unmarked white van around the metroplex to test a new measurement technology that enables drive-by emissions testing on shale gas drilling and pumping facilities — without leaving the vehicle or slowing down from normal driving speeds.

Methane is a surrogate gas for benzene, xylene and other toxic and carcinogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). As a greenhouse gas that is roughly four-times more potent than CO2, methane is also a significant contributor to the ongoing climate crisis.

The results were presented to an overflow crowd at the DISH town hall where Mayor Calvin Tilman had called a special meeting to discuss the findings. DISH and other metroplex residents are concerned shale gas industry pollution are behind serious health problems in the area.

The sampling team, which included Wilma Subra and environmental testing firm Wolf Eagle Environmental, was able to approach and circle the pumping facilities without detection. Previously, companies that own and operate the shale gas installations had spotted sampling teams and turned off compressor and other production operations that produce emissions gases.

In one area, concentrations of methane from emissions plumes were so high that the instruments — manufactured by Picarro Inc. — reached the higher end of its detection range at 40-50 parts per million. When Subra and Wolf Eagle Environmental CEO Alisa Rich contacted air quality regulators, they learned that the Flower Mound facility had failed to report an emissions event, as required by state and federal law.

“These jaw-dropping results show that the shale gas industry is not to be trusted with public health”, said Sharon Wilson, organizer for the Texas Oil & Gas Accountability Project. “Texas OGAP and EARTHWORKS are considering ways to bring unannounced emissions detection to other shale gas regions — and other mining, digging and drilling facilities — around the country.”

Texas OGAP works with communities statewide to prevent and minimize the impacts caused by energy development. EARTHWORKS has 29,000 members nationwide, and offices in California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Texas and Washington, D.C.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

DISH methane emissions information — authored by Wilma Subra, EARTHWORKS board member

Flower Mound methane emissions mapping — authored by Alisa Rich, Wolf Eagle Environmental

DISH / Flower Mound findings and technical information on Picarro technology — authored by Chris Rella, Picarro, Inc.

texasogap.earthworksaction.org

Read the original article at earthworksaction.org

Brilliant video about the industry bedding government.

Of course lease-signers like to believe they are “against big government,” and of course they want to close their eyes to the fact that crooked, deregulated government is the only way that predatory natural gas companies can do business as they do.

It’s amazing what you can’t see if you don’t want to.