PADEP to Sewage Plants: Stop Discharging Marcellus Wastewater, Please.

April 21, 2011

The Pennsylvania DEP has taken action geared to reduce the problem of state legitimized discharging of Marcellus waste water into the rivers.  There are many unhealthy components in frack wastewater, but bromide has emerged as the red flag that stimulated the change in policy.   The DEP has asked 15 municipal sewage treatment plants to [...]

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Investigation Yields List of Chemicals Used in Fracking; Many are Known Carcinogens, Regulated Pollutants

April 17, 2011

A report showed that 464,231 gallons of fracking fluid containing the toxic chemical 2-BE were injected into West Virginia gas wells and 747,416 gallons of 2-BE bearing fluids were employed in Pennsylvania.  This is the same chemical that showed up in contaminated well water in Pavillion, Wyo. and is likely the cause of the adrenal [...]

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Candidate for Governor John Perdue Says He Will Lead on Shale Regulations

April 17, 2011

State Treasurer John Perdue criticized three other candidates in the race to be the new Governor of West Virginia – present acting governor Earl Ray Tomblin; acting Senate President Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall; and House Speaker Richard Thompson, D-Wayne – for the failure of legislation to regulate Marcellus Shale drilling to pass into law at this [...]

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Shale Gas Development Involves Many Lawyers and Legal Questions

April 15, 2011

A rapid expansion is underway in Pennsylvania and West Virginia to tap into vast amounts of natural gas lying deep beneath the earth’s surface.  Companies have invested billions and are increasing the number of wells rapidly. With the increase in drilling comes an increase in legal activity, from attorneys who help landowners with leasing issues to [...]

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Chesapeake Sued for Burying Drilling Waste Pits

April 14, 2011

Action was taken in one of at least three West Virginia  lawsuits against Chesapeake Energy relating to waste pits and their toxic contents.   A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order against Chesapeake Energy to stop the company from removing contaminated soil from the area of a buried waste pit on a Wetzel [...]

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Marcellus Shale Development Challenges Mineral Owners, Surface Owners and the Public Domain

April 14, 2011

The Industralization of Rural West Virginia is Underway (www.wvsoro.org) State Senator Clark Barnes, 60, has represented Randolph County in the West Virginia Senate since 2004; and, now he is a candidate for Governor.  He is after a fair deal for property owners who enter leases for Marcellus shale gas development. “When out-of-state leasing hit in [...]

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Unhealthy Public Drinking Water Linked to Bromide Pollution; Frack Wastewater Suspected

April 10, 2011

One problem led to another at the Carmichaels (PA) Municipal Authority.  First the amount of chlorine used to disinfect the water drawn from the Monongahela River was reduced to lower the level of an unhealthy chlorination byproduct. Then algae and other organic matter began showing up in the filtered water delivered to customers.  On Friday [...]

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Trucking in the Marcellus Gas Industry is Drawing Attention

April 9, 2011

Union members protest non-local truck drivers at the Hastings natural gas extraction plant in Wetzel county. On April 6,  Union Local 1149 (Operating Engineers 132) members were at the Hastings plant in Wetzel County  protesting the use of non-local  truck drivers, according to the Wetzel Chronicle.   This County currently has a 15 % unemployment rate.  Joe Bowen, [...]

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Morgantown City Council Passes Marcellus Resolution for Special Session, not Moratorium

April 5, 2011

Tuesday evening, during their regular meeting, the Morgantown City Council considered a resolution that would call for a moratorium on new permits on drilling for gas in the Marcellus Shale.  Representatives from industry spoke out against the resolution, as well as the Convention and Visitors Bureau who voiced concerns that Morgantown would lose hotel and [...]

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New Complications to an Old Problem: Unplugged Gas Wells a Threat to Drinking Water

April 5, 2011

With all the permits being issued for new gas wells, and all the complications from current drilling activities, why worry about old abandoned gas wells? Since 1989 there have been over 100 documented cases of drinking water contamination linked to old deteriorating gas wells, and house explosions caused by migrating gas.  These problematic abandoned wells [...]

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