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Blue Racer to Build New Wet Gas Plant in Mahoning County, OH

Listen up supply chain companies who want to get involved with a big new project coming in the Ohio Utica Shale. Blue Racer Midstream, the $1.5 billion joint venture between Caiman Energy II, LLC and Dominion formed in December of 2012, plans to build a new wet gas processing facility in Mahoning County by June 2016. The new facility, located near Petersburg in Springfield Township appears to be “back on track” according to an article in the Youngstown Business Journal…
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Final Chapter for Youngstown Illegal Wastewater Dumper: Prison & Fine

The long, sad and maddening saga of Ben Lupo is now just about complete. Lupo, previous owner of D&L Energy and its associated company Hardrock Excavating, directed employees to dump frack wastwater hauled by Hardrock into a drain that emptied into a stream that emptied into the Mahoning River near Youngstown, OH (see Youngstown Business Dumped >200K Gal of Untreated Wastewater). It was later discovered that from September 2012 to end of January 2013, Lupo was responsible for dumping at least 30 loads of frack wastewater literally down the drain and into the river. It was a breathtaking environmental crime, of that there is no doubt. After a long investigation and criminal charges, Lupo finally plead guilty and earlier this week he was sentenced–to 23 months in prison and a $25,000 fine (although it cost over $3 million to clean it all up)…
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Fourth Time the Charm for Youngstown Frack Ban Measure?

You’ve got to hand it to those anti-drillers in Youngstown. When anti-fracking insanity takes hold–it goes deep. Anti-drillers have successfully gotten enough signatures to put a ballot measure before voters three times now. The measure would enact a ban on fracking in Youngstown. Not that anyone actually wants to drill in the City of Youngstown. However, passing such a ban would a) force some employers to relocate out of town (not an empty threat, they’ve said it many times), and b) send a signal loud and clear that Youngstown wants to drop out of the flourishing Utica Shale bonanza taking place in the state. Makes no difference to the fracking insane that they will royally screw the city with such a ban–they’ve just collected enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot a fourth time…
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Youngstown Frack Ban Vote Goes Down in Flames for 3rd Time

Youngstown has now voted for a third time on a proposed fracking ban in the city. And for the third time, it was voted down by an overwhelming majority. (For our most recent coverage, see 20 Youngstown U Profs Attempt PR Stunt on Frack Ban – Goes Limp.) Three strikes and you’re out, right? Not according to the virulent anti-drillers who have made opposing the miracle of shale drilling in Ohio their life’s cause.

Susie Beiersdorfer and Lynn Anderson, two of the chief agitators for the ban, something they and others have intentionally mislabeled as a “Community Bill of Rights” (it’s nothing of the sort), say they’re happy to keep wasting taxpayer’s money on useless votes that don’t pass. Didn’t pass the third time? They want it to come back a fourth, fifth, umteenth time. We say it’s time to start sending them the bill for votes that don’t pass. That would stop this nonsense but quick…
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20 Youngstown U Profs Attempt PR Stunt on Frack Ban – Goes Limp

On Wednesday, 20 Democrat faculty members who teach at Youngstown University, most of whom (perhaps all) are *not* professors in the geosciences area (i.e. they’re clueless about fracking) attempted a PR stunt that well, went limp. They all endorsed a frack ban that’s coming around for the THIRD time on the ballot in Youngstown (voting happens May 8). Even the Democrat mayor of Youngstown knows that such a ban would be a “jobs killer” for the city and recommends a “no” vote next week (see Anti-Drillers Force 3rd Vote on Frack Ban in Youngstown).

Here’s the limp effort from 20 professors at a university you probably should not send your children to because people like those listed below mis-teach there:
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Company Sets up in Youngstown to Handle Radioactive Shale Waste

Too hot to handle? A Pennsylvania company operating in the Youngstown, OH area, Austin Masters Services, has been awarded a permit to handle and treat frack waste that potentially contains radioactivity. Anti-drillers want the permit revoked. Fracking waste is just too hot to handle, according to the nutters. Fortunately the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources, which studies these things, has confidence that Austin Masters Services knows what it’s doing, and does it right. The company knows how to test oil and gas drilling waste for radioactivity without exposing anyone or anything in the process.

The litigious Lea Harper, head of the so-called Fresh Water Accountability Project (who is suing the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District over a drilling lease in the Seneca Lake area, and has sued to stop injection wells, etc.), has her knickers in a twist about the Austin Masters Services operation. So too do other anti-drilling wackos, although there’s not much to be upset over. Austin Masters doesn’t even have any customers for their services in Ohio, yet…
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3rd Person Pleads Guilty to Dumping Wastewater in Mahoning River

A few weeks ago MDN told you that a third person, Mark Goff, had been charged in last year’s Youngstown, OH frack wastewater dumping case (see 3rd Person Charged in Youngstown Frack Wastewater Dumping Case). He’s now plead guilty to violating the Clean Water Act by dumping frack wastewater into a drain that eventually emptied into the Mahoning River on nine different occasions…
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Anti-Drillers Force 3rd Vote on Frack Ban in Youngstown

Even the Democrat Mayor of Youngstown, OH knows that passing a fracking ban for the city would be a “job killer.” Too bad the nutters on his side of the political isle don’t listen to reason. In January MDN told you that the nutters had gathered enough signatures to force a third time-and-money-wasting vote on whether or not the city should outright ban fracking within its borders (see Third Time the Charm? Youngstown Anti-Drillers Try Again for Ban). Not that passing a ban would make a difference–there’s little chance of any active drilling in and around Youngstown. It would be a poke in the eye–spit in the face–of the drilling industry. The drilling industry notices such things and elects to take their business elsewhere when it happens. Hence Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally’s comments last week encouraging residents to reject the ban when they vote on May 6th.

Along with Mayor McNally, local union reps from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Ohio Council 8 says three votes is enough and it’s time for this crap to stop…
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3rd Person Charged in Youngstown Frack Wastewater Dumping Case

jail cellJust when you thought there was a conclusion to the story of Ben Lupo and Hardrock Excavating and the dumping of frack wastewater down a drain that eventually emptied into the Mahoning River–the story takes a new turn. MDN previously told you that Hardrock’s owner, Ben Lupo, changed his plea to guilty last week (see Ben Lupo Admits Guilt in OH Frack Wastewater Dumping, Prison Next?). Previously one of his employees, Michael Guesman, a truck driver, plead guilty (see Youngstown, OH Illegal Wastewater Dumping Happened “At Least” 24X).

Apparently Guesman was the second employee Lupo wrangled into doing his illegal bidding. What has just come to light is there was a first employee illegally dumping the month prior to Guesman. The first employee has now been charged…
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Ben Lupo Admits Guilt in OH Frack Wastewater Dumping, Prison Next?

Last week MDN speculated that Ben Lupo, the business owner of a trucking company who instructed an employee to repeatedly dump frack wastewater down a drain that emptied into the Mahoning River near Youngstown, OH, would change his plea from not guilty to guilty (see Youngstown Wastewater Dumping Case Nears End, Lupo to Plead Guilty?).

Indeed, Lupo did change his plea yesterday in a federal court in Cleveland…
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OH Earthquakes May Delay Opening of New Niles Injection Well

Although Niles (Trumbull County), Ohio is about 18 miles from Poland (Mahoning County), Ohio by car, it’s only about 8-9 miles “as the crow flies.” And that proximity may be a problem for a new Class II frack wastewater injection well set to open in just a few weeks in Niles. Why? Because nearby Poland is where there was a recent series of earthquakes (see # of Youngstown Earthquakes go from 2 to 11 – Fracking to Blame?).

American Water Management Services Inc. say they are about two weeks away from opening their new injection well in Niles–or could open if they get the necessary permits. The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) says it’s too early to say whether or not the new injection well will be allowed to open in the next few weeks because of the ongoing earthquake investigation…
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Hilcorp Awarded Permits to Drill 7 New Wells Near Earthquake Zone

Oh oh. It appears one hand does not know what the other is doing. Last week a new series of small earthquakes–barely able to be felt, but there all the same–rumbled through the Mahoning Valley–near Youngstown, OH. Because of injection well related earthquakes near Youngstown two years ago, residents are understandably jittery and wonder if the drilling industry is somehow at fault with this new outbreak. So the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR), out of what they call “an abundance of caution,” asked Hilcorp to stop all drilling and fracking activity in the area (see # of Youngstown Earthquakes go from 2 to 11 – Fracking to Blame?).

Hilcorp readily complied. We’ve discussed (endlessly) that fracking simply does not cause earthquakes–injection wells can and have caused earthquakes, when injecting fluid over an active fault. However, it’s best to play it safe in this situation. Two days after the earthquakes and Hilcorp’s cessation of drilling in Mahoning County, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) awarded Hilcorp permits to drill seven new horizontal shale wells in Lawrence County, PA–about six miles from where they stopped drilling over the border in Ohio. Oops…
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Youngstown Wastewater Dumping Case Nears End, Lupo to Plead Guilty?

Last year the owner of Youngstown area Hardrock Excavating and its sister company D&L Energy, Ben Lupo, allegedly instructed one of his employees who hauled frack wastewater (through the Hardrock company) to dump the wastewater down a drain–at night so no one would notice. And it wasn’t just one or two times (see Youngstown, OH Illegal Wastewater Dumping Happened “At Least” 24X). The employee and Lupo were eventually caught. After both businesses were effectively closed down by the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources, the assets were eventually auctioned off (see Denver Co Buys OH Wastewater Polluter D&L Energy for $20.7M).

The employee plead guilty and will be sentenced tomorrow. Until now Lupo has maintained innocence. However, the judge in the case has scheduled a “change of plea” hearing for Lupo next Monday in Cleveland. That almost always means the defendant is changing his plea to guilty. To which we say, it’s about time…
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OH KOA Campground Says No Better Guests than Shale Workers

One of the refrains from anti-drillers who desperately seek ways to bash shale drilling is to say that when shale drilling comes to town, so too do higher rents (making it impossible for welfare slugs to get a decent apartment), and loud, carousing, hell-raising men who spread sexually transmitted diseases all over the place (see Shale Gas Drillers Spread STDs Says PA Democrat Legislator).

And then there’s the truth. A KOA campground in eastern Ohio is now open in the winter as well as summer because of the demand from the Utica Shale drilling industry. The campground is full to capacity with shale workers and reports that after workers have put in a 10-12 hour shift, they just want a place to rest and relax. The campground even holds a “family food night” for the men, serving them a free meal once a week as their token of appreciation. Once again, the truth is far different from the fictional lies spun by those who oppose drilling…
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# of Youngstown Earthquakes go from 2 to 11 – Fracking to Blame?

earthquakeTwo days ago MDN told you about a pair of earthquakes near Youngstown, OH (see 2 New Earthquakes Near Youngstown, OH – Fracking Connection?). That number has now grown. So far there have been a total of 11 measurable earthquakes ranging from 1.2 (not felt by humans) to 3.0 (barely felt by some humans). We suspect most people around Mahoning County didn’t feel anything, but that doesn’t stop mass hysteria when it’s announced that there have been a series of earthquakes and the only thing (supposedly) going on in the area is drilling and fracking.

As we previously pointed out, we are aware of one instance–in England–where fracking over an active fault caused an earthquake. So it can happen. But that’s one time out of 60,000+ horizontally, hydraulically fractured shale wells worldwide (maybe more than that now). Statistically it’s zero. We need to keep perspective in this situation. Initially the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) said there are no active Class II injection wells in the area pumping waste fluids deep below the surface for disposal, and so the well being drilled and fracked by Hilcorp near the epicenter of the quake looks like the prime candidate as the cause. But one news story we’ve read (below) seems to cast doubt. There may be injection wells, which also have been known to cause earthquakes when injecting near a fault, operating in the area…
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2 New Earthquakes Near Youngstown, OH – Fracking Connection?

A few years ago a now-shuttered injection well near Youngstown, OH was linked to a series of earthquakes in the area (see ODNR Finds Youngstown Injection Well Caused Earthquakes). The injection well was found to be located over an active fault–and when you inject a lot of liquid into a fault area, you get earthquakes.

When earthquakes happen in areas like Youngstown–an area that doesn’t usually see such activity–it’s cause for concern. Yesterday morning there were two more earthquakes big enough to be felt in the Mahoning Valley area. The first quake was a 3.0 on the Richter scale, and the second a 2.6. So, out of “an abundance of caution,” the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) has asked the single drilling operation in the area–Hilcorp Energy–to suspend their drilling activity for now. There are no active injection wells in the area–only Hilcorp’s Utica Shale drilling operation of 7 wells on 2 well pads…
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