Simon is right; we have to be careful what stories we refer to. Two
key distinctions: what PHASE of gas extraction is involved? And what
TYPE of extraction/what formation is being drilled.
Conventional drilling has enough problems. Unconventional drilling is
far more dangerous. The USGS website has a good article by Bill
Kappel which explains the differences.
The Oil and Gas spokesman, Brad Gill, brags there have been no methane
in water/houses problems from FRACKING. Bill Kappel from the USGS
explained that the problems with methane in drinking water, etc, come
from the DRILLING phase, when they drill through methane-bearing
formations near the surface.
Fracking is sometimes used as part of conventional drilling (but is
very different from fracking for tightly embedded gas such as the
Marcellus) and may well have caused problems, such as the migration
Walter Hang refers to. But Trenton Black River formation is even
deeper than the Marcellus. So again, the problems have probably been
from the drilling phase.
Margaret
On Nov 9, 2009, at 2:11 PM, Gay Nicholson wrote:
Wow, thanks for that video, Alison! What an amazing phenomena.
And thanks for the radioactive map. I think that is a particularly
deadly
side effect of our addiction to natural gas.
Gay
On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 1:48 PM, Alison Fromme
<[email protected]> wrote:
Here's another piece of info to throw into the mix -- this is about
wastewater (not well water):
Interactive Map: Wastewater Samples From Gas Wells Test Positive for
Radioactivity
http://www.propublica.org/special/interactive-map-wastewater-samples-from-gas-wells-radioactivity-1109
"New York's Department of Environmental Conservation analyzed 13
samples of
wastewater brought thousands of feet to the surface from 12 gas
wells being
drilled in the Marcellus Shale. Of those 13 samples, 11 contained
levels of
radium-226, a derivative of uranium, above the legally allowed
amount safe
for discharge. One sample tested as high as 267 times that amount.
Gross
alpha and gross beta represent general detections of multiple kinds
of
radioactive isotopes."
Gay, I'm not sure about your Girl Scout campfire story, but I have
seen a
strikingly beautiful natural, natural gas leak in western NY. If
you're
curious, here's a 30-second video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ2aSUfxo14
Alison Fromme
Freelance Writer
Ithaca, NY USA
[email protected]
website: www.alisonfromme.com
blog: www.ithacasfoodweb.com
On Nov 9, 2009, at 1:31 PM, Gay Nicholson wrote:
A friend of mine who grew up in Cayuga County and worked on his
uncle's
farm
has lots of stories to tell going back to the late 1800s about gas
in well
water and in surface streams from the various sources of natural
gas (not
the Marcellus Shale) in our local geology. Evidently, this is not
uncommon,
but I don't know how much has to do with drilling activities, or if
Chemung
County to the south has any history of this. It would be good to
find out
more about the history of natural gas coming to the surface in our
region.
I remember even hearing a story about Girl Scouts creating a
campfire from
natural gas at the surface near a stream?! I'd like to make sure
our
discourse on this includes whatever we need to know about this
phenomena
in
the region.
On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 11:13 AM, Jan Quarles <[email protected]>
wrote:
Here's a short video of ignitable drinking water in Candor, NY, a
problem
apparently caused by gas drilling nearby in the Marcellus Shale:
http://www.toxicstargeting.com/MarcellusShale/videos/ignitable_drinking_water
_______________________________________________
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607-533-7312 (home office)
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----------------------------------------------------
Gay Nicholson, Ph.D.
President
Sustainable Tompkins
109 S. Albany St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
www.sustainabletompkins.org
607-533-7312 (home office)
607-220-8991 (cell)
607-216-1552 (ST office)
607-216-1553 (ST fax)
[email protected]
_______________________________________________
For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County
area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for:
[email protected]
http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins
Questions about the list? ask [email protected]
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_______________________________________________
For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please
visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for:
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