Fire in Hopewell Twp.

A waste water collection pond at a drilling site in Hopewell Township caught fire today.

The full article on WTAE: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/23017687/detail.html

A follow up article from the PG: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10091/1047159-58.stm

Long term impacts from drilling

Not only does the drilling process impact the community and environment while it is in process, but it also has long term effects on the surrounding communities and properties.

While the time to drill a single well is approximately 6-8 weeks, once it is complete it requires a significant amount of infrastructure to pump and filter the gas that it produces.

The more wells that are located in a given area, the more pumping stations that will be required. These pumping stations will be in use 24 hours a day for as long as the wells in that area are producing. Which can be upwards of 20 years.

The following is an article from the PG about the long term noise and air pollution from having compressors and pumping station in Hickory, PA:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10073/1042737-58.stm

Another potential issue to the drilling process is their seismic impact. Do drilling operations, which break apart a geologic layer of rock, cause earthquakes? What happens in the long term when layers of rock on top of the shale formation shift and settle?
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2009-06-15-drilling-earthquake_N.htm

Split Estate screening - 3/18/10

There will be a screening of the documentary "Split Estate" on Thursday, March 18th, hosted by the Environmental Law Council. The screening will be in Room 109 in the Barco Law Building at the University of Pittsburgh. The Barco Law Building is located on the corner of Forbes and Bouquet St.

The documentary focuses on the issues of gas drilling in the western states, however it involves many of the issues and impacts resulting from drilling that will be affecting our community.

For more info:
http://splitestate.com/

TDS in the water supply

Total Dissolved Solids, or TDS, have been found in increasing amounts in the Monongahela River which is the water supply for many of the communities in Southwestern PA.

Pennsylvania American Water issues this water quality alert in November '09: http://www.amwater.com/alerts/alert10674.html

According to the PAW's web site, TDS are chemicals and minerals that end up in the water supply from a number of sources, including gas drilling operations.

PAW has, and does, work to ensure quality drinking water to its customers. The concern is that as drilling operations increase year after year, our water supplies are going to be used for supply and disposal of the frac water from drilling operations. Are the current facilities prepared for their increased use?

There have been a number of other alerts regarding 'unregulated compounds' in various PA water supplies: http://www.amwater.com/paaw/alerts/PA-AlertList.html

For additional information and pictures please see this article on Bob's Blog: http://www.donnan.com/fracking-water-2.htm

And this an article on Pro Publica's site regarding waste water issues: http://www.propublica.org/feature/wastewater-from-gas-drilling-boom-may-threaten-monongahela-river

This issue not only affects our communities, but everyone who uses the water supply between here a New Orleans.

Eyes on Drilling

The EPA has created a hotline for people to report any environmental issues resulting from drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

Their phone number is toll free number is :1-877-919-4372, and their email is : eyesondrilling@epa.gov

For more information please see the following PG article:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10027/1031453-100.stm