| | |

EPA Public Hearing on Proposed Fracking Fluid Injection Wells in Warren County, PA

UPDATE: The EPA hearing scheduled for Feb. 23 was postponed because a stenographer was not available to attend and record the meeting. It will be rescheduled “in the next several weeks.”

Application has been made to inject wastewater from hydraulic fracturing operations in Pennsylvania into two wells in Warren County, PA.

Read More “EPA Public Hearing on Proposed Fracking Fluid Injection Wells in Warren County, PA”

| | |

Hydraulic Fracturing Debate at SUNY Cortland, Ingraffea vs Siegel

Yesterday, a debate on horizontal hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”), the process used to extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale, was held on the campus of the State University of New York at Cortland. “Debating the Pros and Cons of Gas Drilling” featured Professor Anthony R. Ingraffea from Cornell University on the anti-drilling side, and Professor Donald Siegel from Syracuse University on the pro-drilling side. Unfortunately MDN could not be in attendance. Since those opposed to drilling focus almost exclusively on the issue of fracking, one would expect this event to be heavily covered by the media. But checking news sources in the Binghamton, Cortland, Syracuse and Ithaca areas finds only a single report from all of the news outlets, from Binghamton’s WBNG-TV Channel 12 (embedded below).

Read More “Hydraulic Fracturing Debate at SUNY Cortland, Ingraffea vs Siegel”

| | | | | | | |

PA Marcellus Gas Coming to Broome County, NY via New Gathering Pipeline

Laser NY-PA Gathering LineThe Town of Windsor, located in Broome County, NY is about to get a new natural gas pipeline built that will connect gas wells across the border in PA (where drilling is happening) to the Millennium Pipeline which runs through Broome County. Yesterday the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) gave the green light for construction to begin*. The pipeline, being built by Laser Northeast Gathering Company, will be about 9.8 miles long on the New York side of the border, out of a total 33 miles.
Read More “PA Marcellus Gas Coming to Broome County, NY via New Gathering Pipeline”

| | |

Marcellus Shale Drill Cuttings Pay for New Equipment, Training for First Responders in Bradford County, PA

One more economic benefit from Marcellus shale drilling in Pennsylvania: Shale cuttings, the bits of rock that are left over after drilling gas wells in the Marcellus Shale, are paying for new equipment and training for first responders in Bradford County, PA.

Read More “Marcellus Shale Drill Cuttings Pay for New Equipment, Training for First Responders in Bradford County, PA”

| | |

Free Bus Ride from Binghamton Area to DRBC Hearings in Liberty, NY on Feb 22 for Pro-Gas Supporters

MDN received the following email from the Joint Landowner Coalition of New York, offering free bus rides to the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) hearings scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 22 in Liberty, NY. Pickup locations include Binghamton, Windsor and Deposit, NY. The hearings are to accept public comments on the DRBC’s draft regulations that will govern drilling in the Marcellus Shale within DRBC-controlled areas. The DRBC adds an extra layer of regulation for drilling within watershed areas as part of it’s charter to protect water supplies. As Dan Fitzsimmons points out, it’s important for those who support drilling to make their voices heard at the DRBC hearings.

Read More “Free Bus Ride from Binghamton Area to DRBC Hearings in Liberty, NY on Feb 22 for Pro-Gas Supporters”

| | | |

Anschutz Exploration Responds to Lawsuit Claiming Drilling Operations Contaminated Water Wells in Big Flats, NY

Yesterday MDN ran an article about a lawsuit filed in Chemung County, NY against Denver-based Anschutz Exploration Corporation (see here). The New York City personal injury law firm Napoli Bern Ripka & Associates recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of nine families in the Big Flats, NY area who are experiencing problems with their water wells.

Read More “Anschutz Exploration Responds to Lawsuit Claiming Drilling Operations Contaminated Water Wells in Big Flats, NY”

Former BP Chief Executive Lord Browne Says Unconventional Gas is “A Game Changer”

“Unconventional gas,” or natural gas from sources that have traditionally not been used to provide natural gas, is increasingly a big deal. Not only here in the U.S., but in Europe and Asia as well. There has also been activity of late in Africa. Unconventional gas includes shale gas, like that found in the Marcellus Shale in the Eastern United States.

Read More “Former BP Chief Executive Lord Browne Says Unconventional Gas is “A Game Changer””

| | | | | | | |

Dimock, PA Among Likely Locations for EPA Study of Hydraulic Fracturing

A critical component in the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plan to study hydraulic fracturing is where they will conduct case studies. Starting on page 42 of the draft proposal, we find out.

There were 48 proposed locations suggested to the EPA, from which they will select between five and eight locations. We know five likely locations right now, and two of those are in the Marcellus Shale region—the other three are in other shale formations around the country.

Read More “Dimock, PA Among Likely Locations for EPA Study of Hydraulic Fracturing”

| | | |

Supposed “First Claim” Filed in New York Alleging Water Contamination from Hydraulic Fracturing Gas Drilling

UPDATE: The headline and assumptions made for this article were based on lack of information and misinformation. The wells drilled by Anschutz were not hydraulically fractured, and the Trenton Black River formation is a limestone formation, not shale as stated in the law firm’s press release. Please see this article for more details: Anschutz Exploration Responds to Lawsuit Claiming Drilling Operations Contaminated Water Wells in Big Flats, NY.

A New York City personal injury law firm has filed a claim on behalf of nine families located in the Elmira, NY area against Anschutz Exploration Corporation, alleging that Anschutz contaminated their drinking water from natural gas drilling activities. The Anschutz drilling is in the Trenton Black River shale formation, not the Marcellus. So why is this news item included in MDN? Because it involves hydraulic fracturing of horizontally drilled natural gas wells, the same method used for drilling in the Marcellus. The Trenton Black River formation is about 10,000 feet down, the Marcellus “only” 5,000 feet down. So opponents of drilling will try to use this to paint all hydraulic fracturing, for any drilling (natural gas or oil, Marcellus or otherwise) as unsafe. Their aim is to ban the practice. The aim of the law firm is to shake down a drilling company and get as much cash as they can. The aim of the families affected is to get safe drinking water. Everyone has an agenda.

Read More “Supposed “First Claim” Filed in New York Alleging Water Contamination from Hydraulic Fracturing Gas Drilling”

| | |

Forced Pooling for Marcellus Shale Drilling May be Coming to West Virginia Landowners

The West Virginia legislature is actively debating new legislation that regulates drilling in the Marcellus Shale. One of the provisions in the proposed legislation being hotly debated is the issue of forced pooling:

Read More “Forced Pooling for Marcellus Shale Drilling May be Coming to West Virginia Landowners”

|

Federal EPA Releases Plan to Study Hydraulic Fracturing–Study’s Conclusions Won’t be Ready until 2014

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking another run at regulating natural gas drilling in the United States by the back door with its claim that hydraulic fracturing “may” endanger water supplies. To know for sure whether or not hydraulic fracturing is “safe”—even though by its own admission more than 35,000 wells are now hydraulically fractured each year in the U.S.—the EPA will conduct the mother of all studies. The first step in the process is to create a plan for how the study will be conducted. We now have that plan.

Read More “Federal EPA Releases Plan to Study Hydraulic Fracturing–Study’s Conclusions Won’t be Ready until 2014”

|

Hydraulic Fracturing Used in North Dakota Oil Fields Gives that State the Lowest Unemployment Rate in the Nation

Horizontal hydraulic fracturing not only benefits natural gas drilling, but also oil drilling in places far outside the Marcellus, like North Dakota, where the method has revived declining oil fields.

Read More “Hydraulic Fracturing Used in North Dakota Oil Fields Gives that State the Lowest Unemployment Rate in the Nation”

| | |

WV Legislators Consider Forced Pooling for Marcellus Shale Landowners

The West Virginia legislature is considering a couple of bills that deal with rules for Marcellus shale gas development in the state. One of those bills contains a provision for forced pooling, a hot-button issue to be sure among landowners and mineral rights owners. The WV legislature may adopt a pooling provision that is used in the state currently for coalbed methane drilling.

Read More “WV Legislators Consider Forced Pooling for Marcellus Shale Landowners”