EPA Finds Fracking Fluids In Tainted Water in Wyoming

Despite claims by drillers that the shallow depth of natural gas deposits in Wyoming could explain the presence of off-smelling and tasting water in parts of the Pavillion deposit field, the EPA found that natural processes alone could not explain why chemicals used in hydrofracking (fracking) showed up in test wells.

The draft report, after a three-year study by the Environmental Protection Agency, represents a new scientific and political skirmish line over whether fracking, as it is more commonly known, poses a threat in the dozens of places around the nation where it is now being used to extract previously unreachable energy resources locked within rock.

The study, which was prompted by complaints from local residents about the smell and taste of their water, stressed that local conditions were unusual at the site, called the Pavillion field, in that the gas wells were far shallower than in many other drilling areas around the country. The shallow depth means that natural gas itself can seep upward naturally through the rock, and perhaps into aquifers.

But the suite of chemicals found in two test wells drilled at the site, the report said, could not be explained entirely by natural processes. The agency’s analysis of samples taken from deep monitoring wells in the aquifer indicated the presence of synthetic chemicals, like glycols and alcohols consistent with gas production and hydraulic fracturing fluids, benzene concentrations well above standards in the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards, and high methane levels.

Also complicating the inquiry is the Pavillion field’s long history. The oldest wells there were drilled 40 years ago or more, and chemicals that might have been used were not required to be listed or reported to anyone.

This has repercussions for the fracking of the Marcellus field in New York, where the state DEP is examining proposed regulations on allowing fracking, and which could affect the New York City watershed. No one really knows what chemicals were used 40 years ago in the drilling processes, and while it is plausible that the chemicals found in the test wells could be the result of decades-old contaminations, it still shows that those chemicals can migrate into well water and aquifers in and around the natural gas formations.

It means that the energy companies have to do a whole lot more to protect the watershed than they are now doing, and that fracking has to be carefully so as to prevent contamination of the watershed and aquifers. So, while fracking might not leave much of a trace on the surface, the underground damage could be substantial and far more long-lasting than the energy companies are willing to admit.

It means that regulators, politicians, and local groups have to be a whole lot more careful about accepting fracking and the promises of a clean and environmentally responsible fracking process. It means that the energy companies have to be far more careful in their use of fracking fluids that can lead to irreparable harm to aquifers and the watersheds.

Gov. Paterson Okays Drilling In Marcellus Shale Deposit

The Marcellus shale deposit, a geological formation that runs through the Southern Tier of New York, is reportedly capable of providing the nation's need for natural gas for 60 years. Governor Paterson appears to have decided to allow drilling in the region, which would be a boon for the region, which has been hit hard by a loss of manufacturing jobs as a result of approving a draft environmental impact report:

The Paterson administration has finally given a green light to proposed drilling in the Marcellus Shale, considered by many to be the nation's largest natural-gas reservoir. Covering several states and extending more than 600 miles, the basin may contain as much as six decades' worth of US natural-gas needs.

Drilling is already under way in Pennsylvania and other Marcellus states. Well over a year ago, Gov. Paterson put energy production on hold here at home so regulators could study the issue. This delay satisfied the demands of anti-drilling greens, but it denied the Empire State's economy a much-needed boost.

So let's give Paterson credit, then, that his team's long-anticipated draft environmental review comes down on the side of natural-gas drilling in New York.

More than that, Paterson has rebuffed extreme environmentalists' demands for a ban on drilling in the New York City watershed. That's a real accomplishment, since one of the main groups calling for such a ban, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Riverkeeper, boasted in August about helping shape the state study.

Pennsylvania officials claim that drilling on their portion of the formation has created 100,000 jobs. If the New York portion could produce half that many jobs, it would be a boon to the local economy upstate, provide additional revenue to the state, and enhance and improve the energy needs for the region, which is heavily dependent on natural gas for power production and home heating particularly downstate.

The drilling would have to conform to state environmental laws to minimize impact on watersheds and take other steps to minimize the environmental impact. I think this is the right step and I applaud the Governor on this action given that it enhances the state's energy policy and provides the groundwork for sourcing more energy from natural gas and may lead to a further reduction in the state's need for coal fired plants, which lead to far more emissions.

New York Sits Atop Major Natural Gas Formation?

And no, we're not talking about the hot air formed here (that would be the New York State Capitol building in Albany). We're talking about the Marcellus shale formation. What does the Marcellus shale formation look like? $$$$ if the oil companies can run the gauntlet of environmental review and eco-leftists.

Proponents for drilling for that natural gas note that it would provide immense economic opportunities for upstate New York in both direct and indirect ways. Owners of land would receive income from mining rights. The state would get revenue from severance taxes, and tens of thousands of jobs would be created both directly and indirectly in an area that has been suffering from job losses for more than three decades. Already, we're seeing oil companies opening offices and beginning the process of beginning operations. That translates into real jobs and real opportunities for local communities that have not seen much in the way of economic opportunity for the past three decades.

The formation is believed to sit atop anywhere from 1.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas to upwards of 500 trillion cubic feet. Techniques developed and used in Texas can be applied to the Marcellus formation in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to release far more natural gas and increase the rate of return per wellhead. The Marcellus shale formation is several times larger than the Texas natural gas field.

The State is already examining the techniques involved and the environmental impact.

At the direction of Gov. David A. Paterson, DEC officials have begun the work to supplement what is known as the department's Generic Environmental Impact Statement which is applicable to natural gas and oil drilling. The supplement will specifically address the potential environmental impacts of horizontal natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation, a natural gas reserve that stretches from West Virginia to New York. Drilling into the deep formation was long considered economically unfeasible, but rising fuel prices have spurred new interest from energy companies who have been trying to secure land leases from property owners across a number of counties.

While the process of scoping and preparing the Supplemental GEIS is ongoing, any entity that applies for a drilling permit for horizontal drilling in the Marcellus Shale and opts to proceed with its permit application will be required to undertake an individual, site-specific environmental review. That review must take into account the same issues being considered in the Supplemental GEIS process and must be consistent with the requirements of State Environmental Quality Review Act and the state Environmental Conservation Law. Four drilling applications have been filed by companies at this point.

''New York state is committed to working with the public and local governments to make sure that if drilling in the Marcellus Shale goes forward, it happens in the most environmentally responsible way possible,'' said Pete Grannis, DEC commissioner.

There are concerns about how this might affect the watershed that includes the NYC metro area's upstate reservoirs. It's a discussion worth having, especially if it could result in an economic boon to upstate, provide a stable source of energy to the ravenous appetite for energy in the Northeast, and do so in an environmentally responsible manner.

It remains to be seen if the eco-leftists move to shut down this effort before it gets off the ground. I wouldn't bet against that happening, given that they've sought to restrict construction of new transmission lines across the Southern Tier and seek to restrict construction of new power plants.

UPDATE:
I'd further note that the oil companies would likely work on and with Indian reservations in upstate New York, including the Allegheny Reservation, Cattaraugus Reservation, Tonawanda Reservation, Tuscarora Reservation, and Onondaga Reservation. The Tribes may also seek addition compensation since a good portion of the Southern Tier falls within what was once historical tribal lands and the tribes have had longstanding disputes with the state over ownership of lands.