Is natural gas really a clean fuel?
“Natural gas is marketed as a clean fuel with less impact on global warming than oil or coal, a transitional fuel to replace other fossil fuels until some distant future with renewable energy. Some argue that we have an obligation to develop Marcellus Shale gas, despite environmental concerns. I strongly disagree.
“Natural gas as a clean fuel is a myth.”
- Cornell professor: “Gas and drilling not clean choices”
See also Cornell scientist tarnishes natural gas’s clean image
The Shreveport Times reports:
Recent incidents raise issues on drilling, environment
By Alisa Stingley
astingley@gannett.comBlanche Jefferson lives in Shreveport, but her worries are all south of here.
Her granddaughter and five great-grandchildren live south of Spring Ridge and close to where 17 cows died after ingesting liquid that spilled from a nearby natural gas drilling rig site into a pasture.
“I’m mostly concerned … stuff might get in the water,” said Jefferson, 79, adding that the family depends on well water.
The environmental impact of drilling has her so concerned that she’s rethinking whether she wants to lease mineral rights from property she owns in that area to an energy company in the future.
“Money is nothing if something happened to them,” she says of the children.
. . . . . Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is reviewing several area incidents:
April: Seventeen cows died in a south Caddo Parish pasture after ingesting a liquid found pooled in the pasture, a spill from a nearby Chesapeake Energy drilling site. No reports on what killed the cows have been made public.
May: Fifteen Naborton families evacuated when a Chesapeake well east of Mansfield began blowing natural gas into the air. The air quality was monitored, and a Chesapeake spokesman said there was no threat to public safety or the environment. According to DEQ files on the case, 50 million standard cubic feet of methane gas — the main component of natural gas — was discharged after a casing valve failed.
DEQ doesn’t require notification of the release of 1 million standard cubic feet but does require notification of more than 2.5 million in a planned release. The Naborton release, however, was unplanned. Otis Randle, manager of the DEQ regional office here, said 50 million is “a lot of gas.” But he said people would not suffer health problems unless they breathed in a concentrated amount.
The main risk to nearby residents is the potential for explosion, and methane causes an adverse impact on the planet’s ozone layer, since methane is a greenhouse gas. The DEQ report on the Naborton well said the release did not have an off-site environmental impact. (un-naturalgas.org note: guess the atmosphere doesn’t count)
July: A natural gas well blowout occurred in north Sabine Parish, about six miles east of Converse. No residents were evacuated. The well was owned by Chesapeake, whose spokesman said there was no threat to the public or environment, and air quality was being monitored as a precaution. DEQ’s regional office in Shreveport investigated the blowout, finding it “pretty routine,” said Randle. No details on the amount released were available.
There are environmental concerns beyond reported incidents too:
Ground and surface water issues have arisen, particularly in south Caddo and DeSoto parishes, which heavily depend on the fragile Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer. On the last day of June, about 1,000 customers of South DeSoto Water System had no water while workers replaced a pump. Officials wondered publicly if a natural gas drilling operation just 500 feet from their water well was making their equipment work harder to pump.
. . . . .
Many of the Web sites of the major competitors in the Haynesville Shale tout their dedication to preserving the environment.
Chesapeake’s page notes that it is a key contributor to The Nature Conservancy, and “our objective is to leave each site in as good, if not better, condition than when we started drilling.”
The U.S. Department of Interior recognized Devon Energy with a national award for its outstanding environmental and safety performance in the Gulf of Mexico.
And EnCana’s page notes: “We are looking at opportunities to recycle water and this option will become more viable as the play is further developed.”
While the proliferation of drilling in the Haynesville Shale is making environmental issues more visible and prominent, such concerns didn’t just arrive with the shale. Two cases from DEQ files:
In June, a Carthage, Texas, man pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of illegally discharging a pollutant into Louisiana waters after ordering a truck driver to discharge well treatment fluid into a Natchitoches Parish creek in April 2006. The man was sentenced to 24 months probation and agreed to pay a $5,000 criminal fine.
“Unfortunately, economic incentives drive environmental crime,” said Jeffrey T. Nolan, DEQ’s criminal investigations division manager.
In August 2006, DEQ responded to a landowner’s complaint that a well site where Winchester Energy was operating near Frierson had released at least four barrels of saltwater from a fracturing tank. According to DEQ files, the company had not contacted DEQ about the spill, which violates regulations. Also, the landowner said he asked Winchester to clean up the site but it refused. A few days later, DEQ noticed a cleanup in progress at the site, where vegetation had been killed in an area about 20 feet by 100 feet. DEQ in April this year deemed the site OK and did not take any action against Winchester.
For complete article, visit:
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090809/NEWS01/908090333/1060
Tags: cattle, cows, DEQ, explosion, family, greenhouse gas, groundwater, hydraulic fracturing, Louisiana, methane, money
Does Schreiner’s ‘right’ to extract natural gas supersede residents’ right to clean water and safe homes? And does the industry’s ‘right’ to process natural gas supersede the neighborhood’s right to clean air?
These folks didn’t move into this neighborhood knowing their air and water was going to be ruined. They had good water and air. Drilling and processing of (un)natural gas by someone else has taken their property.
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June 9, 2009
“Our neighbor who has been out of his house for 11 weeks brought a sample of his water from his newly drilled well up to our house, and it still catches on fire- we got video again. Plus, now there is some weird black stuff in it- it’s a little like oil but a little like charcoal or something. Very strange. Schreiner apparently didn’t know that our neighbor already tested his water, because he told him that he has great water now and can move back in! I just can’t believe that. Also, it appears that Schreiner has lied to State Representative Martin Causer’s secretary Rhonda because he told her that the Bailey family was already back in their home- definitely not true.
“Another neighbor told me that he heard that Schreiner has been kicked out of New York state and Sheffield, PA for bad practice before. I’d sure like to try and find those details.
“Another neighbor has a new well and a reverse osmosis system, and his water is still bad. DEP alluded to the idea that as long as they can get good water out of one tap in the house for drinking, then that will be all that Schreiner has to do. Ridiculous.
“The stripper plant is still way too noisy and the vapors coming off of it are not getting any better. The couple of neighbors who have detectors in their homes (I think CO2 and methane) have had the alarms go off several times. These are issues that we are going to stress at the next township meeting on the 22nd.”
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June 16, 2009
“My neighbor who has been out of his home for 12 weeks now was forced to move back in tonight. His water still catches on fire, but Schreiner said that he’s done and won’t pay for a hotel anymore. DEP claims that it’s perfectly safe… even though when my neighbor runs the washer there is free methane left in the machine after the laundry is done! Unbelievable. Schreiner says he put $100,000 into addressing our problems, and even though not one house has their issues fixed, he is “done” and if we want more we just have to sue him. He’s even been giving State Representative Causer’s secretary crap telling her to stop calling him with our complaints and that he is just going to stop answering his phone.”
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DEP, why do you side with industry?
It’s time to take the oil & gas industry in hand.
Tags: Bradford Township, contaminated, DEP, gas drilling, groundwater, hydraulic fracturing, Marcellus, McKean County, methane, PA, property values, Schreiner, water wells
“DEP holds Schreiner responsible for compromising the water supplies of 7 households. But there are more – maybe more like 15.
“One neighbor lost water in October – had only about 7ft of water above pump until February when got new well. New well required filtration. Even with filtration system, the water is bad – currently looking for better filtration system.
“One neighbor has been out of his home for 10 weeks now because of high levels of methane in well – see the video of the vapors catching fire:
Click here>> Video: Flammable water
“DEP told him not to light a match in his bathroom or start a bonfire in his yard. Just got new well dug last week- waiting to see about water quality.
“Several homes now require methane detectors – we know at least one has gone off twice.
“One neighbor lost water a couple of weeks ago and was filling his own tote to supply water to his home. It sounded today like they have just begun drilling him another well- we’ll see about its quality.
“One neighbor has depleted quality and quantity of spring because a road was built through her spring. DEP’s response was that it was not much of a spring anyway. The spring has supplied this home with water for at least 50 years and is the only water supply that this neighbor has.
“One of my neighbors had disgusting black slime that DEP would never test- they would run the water until all of the black stuff was out before they tested it. The neighbor had an independent lab test it, and it turned out to be iron bacteria.
“Some neighbors have complained of rashes and excessively dry skin and hair.
“The majority of these wells have existed for over 40 years, and have never had these troubles. Our water was pristine- no filter required. Friends and family used to bottle our water to take home with them.
“So far it does not seem that the oil company wants to take much responsibility. They have provided us with bottled water for drinking temporarily, and drilled a few wells that are most likely still contaminated. They have about another 60 wells they want to drill.
“We are almost sure that the site of the propane tank and access road was wetland. It met almost all of the criteria that DEP has listed for wetlands (mottled soil, indicator species, presence of water…..). When we called DEP out, they said that there were areas that could be wetland, but a full study would have to be done to delineate it. We expected them to do the study – next thing we know, all of the trees are down and construction had begun.”
Tags: Bradford Township, DEP, McKean County, methane, natural gas, PA, Pennsylvania, Schreiner
N E W S R E L E A S E COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Northwest Regional Office
230 Chestnut St.
Meadville, PA 16335
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5/4/2009
CONTACT:
Freda Tarbell
Phone: (814) 332-6816
DEP IDENTIFIES RESPONSIBILITY FOR BRADFORD TOWNSHIP GAS MIGRATION/WATER SUPPLY PROBLEMS
MEADVILLE – The Department of Environmental Protection has determined that Schreiner Oil and Gas Company has affected at least seven water supplies along Hedgehog Lane in Bradford Township, McKean County, and has notified the company of its responsibilities to those residents.
Two of the water supplies were affected by methane and five supplies have iron and manganese above established drinking water standards.
Schreiner has been actively drilling combination oil and gas wells in the area since last fall and did not establish background water quality in the area prior to drilling. Therefore, Schreiner is presumed responsible for restoring water supplies within 1,000 feet of the drill sites.
Last week DEP also issued a notice of violation to Schreiner for failure to submit well records in a timely manner, the second notice of violation that the company has received regarding this issue.
“On Thursday, we notified the affected residents that Schreiner will be taking measures to restore or replace their water supplies,” said DEP Regional Director Kelly Burch. “It is our intention that this action will resolve the water issue for residents who have been living with major inconvenience and disruption.”
At this time, the operator is providing bottle water to many of the residents in the affected area.
On April 30, DEP Regional Director Kelly Burch met with about 30 neighborhood residents to discuss their worries about water quality, concerns associated with a natural gas stripper plant installed behind some of the homes, and accelerated erosion and sedimentation associated with the drilling activity.
Previous to last week’s notice of violation, DEP had issued three notices of violation to Schreiner pertaining to drilling on Hedgehog Lane. On November 13, DEP cited Schreiner for over-pressured wells. On February 19, DEP issued a notice of violation for pit violations and failure to post a well permit. On March 20, DEP cited Schreiner for new over-pressured wells and failure to submit well records.
All of the violations were corrected except for the submission of well records.
The department assessed 17 water supplies during the investigation. One water well still has methane present and the resident currently is staying at a motel provided by Schreiner as a precaution. DEP continues to monitor the water well that was affected by this gas migration on a daily basis and has observed a decrease in the amount of natural gas evident in the water well.
The department suspects the stray gas occurrence is a result of 26 recently drilled wells, four of which had excessive pressure at the surface casing seat and others that had no cement returns. In an effort to eliminate the source of methane, Schreiner has installed packers on all hydraulically fractured wells and has vented all of the wells that have been drilled but have not been fractured to stimulate production.
Until the gas migration issue is resolved, Schreiner will not be drilling any new wells.
To address another neighborhood concern, the company has added stone to stabilize the access roads to reduce sedimentation on Hedgehog Lane. Schreiner also is seeding and mulching disturbed areas to stabilize the drilling sites and access roads to further reduce sedimentation and accelerated erosion.
For more information, visitwww.depweb.state.pa.us., keyword: Oil and Gas.
Tags: contaminated, contamination, DEP, gas drilling, hydraulic fracturing, methane, migrated, water wells
http://www.cleveland.com/sunnews/news/index.ssf?/base/news-0/123988722216420.xml&coll=4
BAINBRIDGE, Ohio -
More than 100 people crammed into an overflowing meeting room at the Federated Church Tuesday to hear what the state was going to do about problems created by oil and gas well drillers.
Sean Logan, the Ohio Department of Natural Resource’s director, had few answers to calm fears. He failed to satisfy the concerns of more than 40 residents whose water wells were damaged by an English Drive gas well drilled in December 2007 that blew one house off of its foundation.
It was for these residents that he called the meeting.
In addition to Bainbridge residents, fire chiefs, public officials and residents came from neighboring communities and as far away as Highland Heights, Broadview Heights and Twin Lakes.
They wanted to see how the state responds to gas well accidents because they face new wells in their own communities.
Logan had no answer for Niki Kakoleck of Scotland Drive.
“What is the state going to do for me and my family?” she asked point-blank.
“I tried to refinance my house today and the bank told me my house has no value,” she continued. “My husband and I paid $180,000 for it before the gas well blew up. Now it has no value. I have to pay an attorney now on top of it.
“We’re on the verge of bankruptcy. I hired a sitter to watch my nine-year-old and 11-year-old so I could come here and hear what you are going to do.”
When Logan repeated that he was ordering a new municipal water line, she cut him off.
“This sucks,” she said. “You guys dropped the ball for me and my family.
Life in a hotel
“You don’t understand what we’ve been through. I had to live in a hotel for a week before Christmas with my kids and two dogs when the gas well blew up. My electric fence I paid a couple thousand dollars for was ruined by your temporary water line.
“The water delivery trucks have ruined my driveway — it’s all cracked now. I have to leave my garage door open two days a week and let strangers come and go in my house to fill the temporary water tank. I worry about the safety of my kids.
“The temporary water line freezes in the winter right in the middle of giving my kids a shower — it stopped. I had to wash soap from them with freezing cold water. I didn’t sign up for the gas well. I’m not getting any royalties from it. What are you going to do for me?”
Lou Wagner of Scotland Drive said he is more concerned about safety than the water line, which Logan said last week that the ODNR would install because drilling has fouled water wells.
“What’s going on with the trapped gas underground?” he asked. “Is it going to seep into my basement and blow up my house? We’re living on a minefield. Even if we had good water you can’t drink it if you’re dead.”
Logan replied that the gas is venting underground.
“Yes, it is — it’s venting into the aquifer,” a woman said as the crowd roared in laughter.
‘No evidence’
Logan said he does not have evidence that the gas is continuing to flow into the aquifer.
“But, you don’t have evidence that it’s not,” said another resident.
Although Logan said, “The buck stops here with me,” he placed most of the blame on the driller, Ohio Valley Energy for not moving fast enough to install a municipal water line.
He called OVE’s actions “egregious” and repeated his pledge of last week to order OVE to install the water line to the homes considered to be affected by the faulty gas well.
Several residents asked how they could find out if their home was among those deemed affected and entitled to the proposed water line. They did not receive a clear answer.
When asked when the water line would be installed, Logan said he would give OVE 15 days to submit a plan.
Last week Jerry Morgan of Geauga County Water Resources Department told Sun News he has seen plans for the waterline from OVE’s engineering firm, but it could take months to get it approved through the county and the Ohio EPA before digging could begin.
At Tuesday night’s meeting, Logan told residents the delay was with OVE.
Who’s to blame?
An insider told Sun News that state and county officials — not OVE –may be to blame for holding up progress on the waterline.
Last week OVE’s president Charlie Masters told Sun News that his company has been trying to bring in the water line since February 2008, but has met with resistance.
Tuesday night, Logan said his technical staff would examine independent laboratory reports on the “black goo” that is showing up in well water where gas wells have been drilled and fracted [sic].
This is a change from his stance April 7 when he said, “It seems to be naturally occurring in Geauga County water.”
At that time, he further stated “It’s well documented that there are problems with well water in Geauga County.”
County officials refuted that statement.
Loud boos
Logan pledged that he would push the envelope of the law to make OVE pay for monthly water bills homeowners would face with a municipal water line.
He was booed when he said although his department issues permits, it has no authority to slow down the drilling by slowing down the number of permits it issues.
He admitted that his department is understaffed and does not have enough inspectors to inspect new wells as they are being drilled, although current rules call for the inspections.
He further said his department does not have the authority to refuse a permit to OVE or any other driller that is caught using faulty practices.
“But you’re the only one who does have control over drillers,” a woman said. “We’re the people, and it’s time you stood up for we the people and stopped standing up for the gas industry.”
“You should just step up,” a man shouted.
Logan said he is working on legislation to change current laws.
State Sen. Tim Grendell and Rep. Matt Dolan attended the meeting.
Grendell told the crowd that he is working on legislation to bring back local control of gas well drilling, while Logan is working with the oil and gas well industry on his proposed legislation.
Attorney Dale Markowitz thanked Logan for meeting with residents. Markowitz also told Logan, “You’re on your last leg.”
Markowitz is representing the 40 residents and Bainbridge Township in their lawsuit against the driller and ODNR.
Dolan declined a resident’s request to speak at the meeting.
Tags: Bainbridge, DNR, family, groundwater, house value, methane, mortgage, natural gas, natural gas explosion, Ohio, refinance, residential, water contamination, water wells
Modified from a post on MarcellusGasInfo:
The following is an outline from James Lovelock’s book, Revenge of Gaia, pages 74-76. Lovelock is a member of Britain’s Royal Society (a scientific body) and originator of the Gaia theory, which postulates that the atmosphere, oceans, and biosphere (all life) compose a single system that regulates the Earth’s climate.
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To reduce global warming, governments welcome the chance to burn natural gas instead of coal or oil.The main constituent of natural gas is methane – one molecule is composed of 1 carbon and 4 hydrogen atoms.
For the same amount of energy, methane combustion releases only 1/2 as much carbon dioxide as burning oil or coal.
Unfortunately, some natural gas leaks into the air before it is burned. Society of Chemical Industry’s 2004 report indicates 2%-4% of natural gas is lost to leakage. Most of the leakage is at production sites, but leakage also occurs in pipelines and in our homes.
Methane is 24 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
Methane has a shorter residence time in the air: 8% oxidizes each year.
In 12 years, only 37% of escaped methane remains, the rest having oxidized into carbon dioxide and water vapor.
Carbon dioxide has an effective residence time in the air of between 50 and 100 years.
If only 2% (the conservative end of the 2-4% estimate) of natural gas leaks before burning, it causes, over a period of 20 years, a peak global warming equal to coal burning.
If 4% leaks, natural gas causes 3X more warming than coal burning over a 20 year period.
The claim that natural gas halves carbon dioxide emissions is only true if there are no leaks anywhere (and also if the CO2 emissions from the very hydrocarbon-consumptive extraction process is not factored in).
Difficult to find estimates of natural gas leakage. An April, 2004 article in the journal Nature estimates 1.4% leakage from Russian piplines and 1.5% from US pipelines. This report does not include leakage at production sites or when the gas is burned.
Failure to consider the effects of natural gas leakage on global warming is a serious gap in our knowledge. The International Panel on Climate Change(IPPC) should study this phenomenon further.
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