WV-DEP Revises & Updates Permit Process for Horizontal Gas Wells

March 18, 2012

Horizontal Marcellus Gas Well The West Virginia Office of Oil and Gas has revised and updated the permit process for Permits to drill and frack in the Marcellus shale of the State.  Based upon the ”Horizontal Drilling Act” enacted by the Legislature in late 2011 and the “emergency rules” established by the Governor early in 2011, [...]

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Photographs of Marcellus Activities in the Northern Panhandle of WV

March 17, 2012

MARCELLUS AIR WV: WETZEL COUNTY REGION: [Source: marcellus-shale.us] NEW Photos are presented from the Marcellus Shale areas of northern West Virginia, primarly Wetzel and Marshall counties. These aerial views give you an idea of what it is like where natural gas and its by-products are produced on the mountainous terrain in and around Wetzel and Marshall counties in [...]

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New Chemical Plant to Crack Ethane into Ethylene Set for Ohio Valley in Beaver County, Pennsylvania

March 16, 2012

Possible World-scale Petrochemical Complex Shell Chemical announced on Thursday, March 15th, the securing of the land for a major chemical industry facility, to utilize ethane from shale gas, on the Ohio River about 25 miles downstream of Pittsburgh. This industrial site is actually in Beaver County, close to Allegheny and Washington counties, and close to [...]

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Climate Central Releases New Report on Global Warming: “Surging Seas”

March 14, 2012

Climate Central, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization was formed in 2008 with seed money from The Flora Family Foundation and development funds from 11th Hour Project. The founding board members were Jane Lubchenco, Professor of Marine Biology and Zoology at Oregon State University; Stephen Pacala, Professor of Biology and Director of Princeton’s Institute for the Environment; [...]

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Who Wants to Crack Ethane in WV, PA, and/or OH, and When?

March 13, 2012

Recent news from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review provides a significant update to the Ethane Cracker situation: Shell, which has announced plans to build in Pennsylvania, Ohio or West Virginia, is still “quite a few years away from a potential final investment decision,” Chief Executive Officer Peter Voser said last week at CERAWeek, a Houston conference held [...]

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The Pennsylvania Gas Law (Act 13) Fails to Protect Public Health

March 12, 2012

The Public Health Is At Risk in Pennsylvania (and Elsewhere) [The following is from a Guest Editorial appearing in the Opinion/Perspective Section of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sunday, March 11th.  See this site for the full text written by Dr. Bernard Goldstein and Jill Kriesly of the School of Public Health at the University of [...]

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Nicholas County Gas Well Flare Burns for Months in Violation of State Law

March 12, 2012

Example Marcellus Gas Well Flare Since no pipeline is available, Bluescape Resources has been burning gas from three Marcellus wells near Fenwich in Nicholas county since August of 2011.  And, now the WV-DEP has provided approval to continue the burning until the end of May 2012.   No permit is needed to flare natural gas up [...]

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Draft General Stormwater Permit Offerred by WV-DEP for Oil & Gas Industry

March 11, 2012

WV-DEP Building Public comment is invited until April 9th on a proposed general stormwater permit for oil and gas activities associated with exploration, production, processing or treatment operations or transmission facilities that disturb one acre of land area or more.  While this does not apply to drilling pads, it does cover pipelines where substantial acreage [...]

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Well Water Contaminated with Arsenic in Doddridge County

March 9, 2012

Danny and Sharon Kinney’s well water is contaminated with arsenic and lead.  The couple believe that the gas drilling next door is responsible for the contamination and for structural damage to their home.  The well water was tested by the drilling company, was found to have elevated and unsafe levels of arsenic, yet no agent [...]

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Well Pad Slip near Wetzel-Marshall County Line, Closes Road and Limits Communications

March 8, 2012

Road to Silver Hill, Still Open Henry and Cecilia Ries said they are very frustrated they can’t get out of their residence for necessary trips to town including work. In addition to the debris blocking the driveway, the slip has also taken out their phone and internet lines, as reported in the Wetzel Chronicle. “We’ve [...]

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