Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Joe Martens Says NY Will Vote “No” on DRBC Drilling Rules
November 10, 2011November 10, 2011

As MDN reported yesterday, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is set to vote on new drilling rules to allow limited drilling in the DRBC jurisdiction on Nov. 21 (see this MDN story). The DRBC has five voting members: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and the federal government.

According to NY State DEC Commissioner Joe Martens, New York will be a “no” vote on the new regulations at that meeting, no doubt to the delight of anti-drilling groups. His reasoning?…

Read More “Joe Martens Says NY Will Vote “No” on DRBC Drilling Rules”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

New UT Study: Fracking Does Not Contaminate Groundwater
November 10, 2011November 10, 2011

The University of Texas is conducting a study of hydraulic fracturing and its impact on groundwater. According to the UT professor leading the study, it shows there is no “direct link” between fracking and groundwater contamination. A final report is due to be published in the next two months. When it becomes available, MDN will bring it to you.

Professor Charles Groat discussed the preliminary findings yesterday in Forth Worth:

Read More “New UT Study: Fracking Does Not Contaminate Groundwater”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Court Tells Dimock PA Residents to Share Medical Records
November 10, 2011November 10, 2011

A group of more than 60 residents in the Dimock, PA area sued Cabot Oil & Gas in 2009 claiming they had been exposed to pollution as a result of hydraulic fracturing in the area. The lawsuit wants Cabot to pay for medical monitoring as part of the settlement, but they refused to allow Cabot access to their medical records in order to verify their claims. Last week a court told the claimants if they want Cabot to pay, they will have to share their medical records.

Read More “Court Tells Dimock PA Residents to Share Medical Records”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

DRBC Releases New Shale Gas Drilling Rules, Votes Nov 21
November 9, 2011November 9, 2011

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) yesterday released a final version of new shale gas drilling regulations (copy embedded below). A vote will be taken on Nov. 21st to adopt the new regulations. So far, no Marcellus Shale gas wells have been drilled in the areas covered by the jurisdiction of the DRBC which includes large portions of Pennsylvania and New York, in addition to Delaware and New Jersey. Of those states, only PA has allowed gas drilling to date. The DRBC is a quasi-governmental body charged with protecting the environmental “health” of the Delaware River and its tributaries.

There has been an ongoing battle to allow drilling in the DRBC’s jurisdiction, which culminated in a series of public hearings in February of this year. The comments received at those hearings, and via email and post, were analyzed and some of the feedback incorporated into the newest version of regulations just released. If the new regulations are approved at the Nov. 21st meeting and the years-long moratorium is lifted, only maximum of 300 gas wells will be allowed until the DRBC reviews the effectiveness of the regulations and votes to allow further drilling.

Read More “DRBC Releases New Shale Gas Drilling Rules, Votes Nov 21”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Washington County

Ballot Measure to Ban Fracking in Peters Twp PA Fails Big
November 9, 2011November 9, 2011

Looks like it was only a tiny minority of vocal people who wanted a complete ban on gas drilling in Peters Township (Washington County), PA after all. The measure was put on the ballot over the objections of the town council who believe it would have brought a costly lawsuit from drilling companies. The question of whether or not the measure would appear on the November ballot went to court and a judge allowed it to go forward (see this MDN story). The ballot measure includes language that the township has “the right to a sustainable energy future.” Not sure what planet those folks live on!

So the measure was on the ballot yesterday and the results are in:

Read More “Ballot Measure to Ban Fracking in Peters Twp PA Fails Big”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

IOGA NY Strongly Worded Letter to DEC Commissioner Martens
November 8, 2011November 3, 2012

The Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York (IOGA NY), after studying the new draft drilling rules issued by the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) wrote a letter to DEC Commissioner Joe Martens and Gov. Andrew Cuomo on September 2 stating that the new rules, as written, are not acceptable if the state wants there to be any shale gas drilling. A copy of the 15-page letter with attachments (31 pages total) was obtained by Gannett News and can be downloaded below.

Read More “IOGA NY Strongly Worded Letter to DEC Commissioner Martens”
Broome County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York

Water & Energy Development Forum in Binghamton on Weds
November 7, 2011November 7, 2011

MDN received the following invitation for readers that live within driving distance of Binghamton, NY to a forum discussing water issues in shale gas drilling, on Wednesday, Nov. 9th:

Read More “Water & Energy Development Forum in Binghamton on Weds”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

EPA Releases Plan to Study Fracking, Jumps the Gun
November 4, 2011November 4, 2011

Yesterday, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally released its plan with specifics for how it will conduct research into the question of whether or not hydraulic fracturing contaminates, or otherwise negatively impacts, drinking water supplies. A copy of the 190-page plan is embedded below.

The first (preliminary) results from the study are due in 2012, but a final report is not due until 2014. In order to meet those deadlines, the EPA has already begun collecting field data and water samples. The problem is, that data was collected before the the plan itself was completed—before the rules for how the data collection should be done were established. Industry groups rightly have asked EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson how data collection for the study can begin before the methodology, the “how we will do this” part of the study was complete. It immediately calls into question the veracity of the data itself.

The EPA has “jumped the gun” by starting before the methodology was released. GIGO—garbage in, garbage out.

Read More “EPA Releases Plan to Study Fracking, Jumps the Gun”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WV Official: No Cases of Water Contamination from Fracking
November 3, 2011November 3, 2011

$frack here frack now$ The top oil and gas regulator in West Virginia said at a conference on Wednesday that he has not seen any confirmed cases of groundwater contamination from fracking in West Virginia.

Read More “WV Official: No Cases of Water Contamination from Fracking”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA Lawmakers Close to Passing New Drilling Rules, Impact Fee
November 3, 2011November 3, 2011

Pennsylvania lawmakers are getting close to passage of legislation that would adopt many of the recommendations from Gov. Tom Corbett’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission, including an impact fee on wells and including a measure that would supersede some local drilling ordinances.

Read More “PA Lawmakers Close to Passing New Drilling Rules, Impact Fee”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Public Opinion | Statewide PA

Mercyhurst Poll: Majority of PA Residents Support Fracking
November 3, 2011November 3, 2011

Mercyhurst College recently completed a statewide poll in Pennsylvania covering several issues, one of which is Marcellus Shale drilling in the state. A copy of the full questions and responses is embedded below. On the straightforward question, “Do you favor or oppose extracting natural gas through fracking in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus shale region?” the results were: Favor 55%; Oppose 27%; Depends 9%; Don’t Know 9%. A very clear and convincing majority of Pennsylvanians support fracking.

From the Mercyhurst press announcement summarizing the results:

Read More “Mercyhurst Poll: Majority of PA Residents Support Fracking”
Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Lackawanna County | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Southwestern Energy

Benton Twp Supervisors Back Down on Exploratory Well
November 3, 2011November 3, 2011

Rather than pay legal fees to defend their legislation, the supervisors in Benton Township (Lackawanna County), PA voted Wednesday to change the language of their legislation restricting the drilling of an exploratory well by Southwestern Energy. The supervisors voted to grant Southwestern the right to drill the exploratory well back in June, but slapped 18 specific (and costly) conditions on the project, making it unfeasible according to Southwestern who challenged 11 of the 18 conditions. The supervisors changed 9 of those 11 yesterday.

Read More “Benton Twp Supervisors Back Down on Exploratory Well”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY Hydraulic Fracturing Advisory Panel Member Speaks Out
November 2, 2011November 2, 2011

In July, New York Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Joe Martens announced the formation of a Hydraulic Fracturing Advisory Panel to make recommendations to the DEC on how to oversee, monitor and enforce new shale drilling regulations in the state (see this MDN story). The initial panel of 13 members was heavily tilted to anti-drillers, with a few pro-drillers thrown on to make it look good. In August, Martens appointed an additional five members (all pro-drilling) to the panel, to provide balance and give landowners a voice. Those new members include:

Read More “NY Hydraulic Fracturing Advisory Panel Member Speaks Out”
Cattaraugus County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York

Private Property Rights in Allegany State Park Threatened
November 1, 2011March 24, 2012

Allegany State Park is New York’s largest state park at 67,000 acres. The park is located approximately 60 miles south of Buffalo on the border of New York and Pennsylvania in Cattaraugus County. Before being designated a state park in 1921, more than 200 oil wells were drilled in the area, including the very first oil well completed in New York State in 1864. The state created the park by purchasing surface rights from landowners in the area, but many of the landowners retained the subsurface rights and oil drilling continued in the park for a number of years, until energy companies moved on to more lucrative locations.

Oil drilling has not happened in the park for many years, but now with gas drilling a real possibility, state authorities who want to “protect” the park are making moves to force those who legally own subsurface rights to either register their interest or lose it. That is, the state wants to forcibly take private property rights away from those who legally own it.

Read More “Private Property Rights in Allegany State Park Threatened”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Monongalia County | Regulation | West Virginia

Morgantown Not Ready to Admit Defeat on Fracking Ban
November 1, 2011November 1, 2011

The next chapter for the Morgantown, WV ban on fracking seems to be an official rescinding of the ill-fated ban which included inside and up to one mile outside of the city lines. But Morgantown Mayor Jim Manilla is not ready to throw the towel all the way in just yet. He wants to make another run at a ban, this time only within city limits by using existing zoning laws.

Read More “Morgantown Not Ready to Admit Defeat on Fracking Ban”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

How Will NY Gov Cuomo Handle the Fracking Mutiny?
October 31, 2011October 31, 2011

An editorial in yesterday’s New York Post says that New York DEC Commissioner Joe Martens is leading a mutiny against Gov. Andrew Cuomo on the matter of allowing hydraulic fracturing to move forward in the state and asks the question, Is Gov. Cuomo up to the task of putting down the mutiny? Good question!

The editorial begins this way:

Read More “How Will NY Gov Cuomo Handle the Fracking Mutiny?”