LNG exports will bleed the US of longterm resources and increase global warming

Essay by S. Tom Bond, Resident Farmer & Retired Chemist, Lewis County, WV

“U. S. Liquefied Natural Gas Hits Record Highs Again” (January 8), seems to hit all the bells and whistles for what is essentially a political movement devoid of practicality. See the recent article post and comments here in FrackCheckWV.net.

It trashes the countryside where it is conducted, due to the Halliburton amendment of Dick Chaney, and will surely destroy the life sustaining capacity of the earth, due to its effluvia (methane, other hydrocarbons, & carbon dioxide). All this to squeeze out the last dregs of natural gas under the earth in the United States, as though none would be needed here in the future.

The author ignores the fact that it is increasingly difficult to get capital for fracking because the companies aren’t making money, many are going broke and there is an active, effective divestment movement which values life more than quick wealth.

LNG export and import facilities are a fat target in an uncertain and increasingly warlike world. Each LNG tanker holds energy equivalent to an atomic bomb! These ships are easily attacked with cheap missiles, too.

Fracking has become the practice due to the exhaustion of “conventional” reserves, still abundant elsewhere, but in nations the U. S. chooses to compete with. The huge quantities of manufactured chemicals and truly vast quantities of water required for the method have two main effects: (1) they make it expensive compared to drilling a well where the petroleum will simply flow to the hole and can be pumped out, and (2) it has gross effects on the countryside where it is conducted.

One effect is contamination of well water and water that flows on the surface, making residence and farming difficult or impossible. Large areas are removed from forests and pastures and converted into roads and drill pads covered deeply with gravel and made incapable of vegetation. Local roads are crowded and destroyed, at public expense and great cost to local residents and local communities.

As long as the banks are willing to loan, and investors can be suckered in, fracking moves great sums of money. More than most can imagine, money is moved to lobbies at state legislatures and congress to obtain legislation permitting this irrational initiative.

I know these things because I live in the Marcellus Field, and I am a chemist. Fracking is a political movement first and foremost. It is not economic or rational.

S. Thomas Bond of Jane Lew, WV

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See also: The U.S. is helping the natural gas industry make a profit | The Texas Tribune

See the house? From WVSORO.org

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Comprehensive Report by Evan Hansen, Lara Cushing, Meghan Betcher, Christian Thomas

Downstream Strategies, 911 Greenbag Road, Morgantown, WV 26508

Publication Date: August 15, 2017

Executive Summary

In the past decade, natural gas drilling and extraction from the Marcellus Shale in West Virginia has grown rapidly. The technique of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” has allowed for the extraction of gas from areas that were previously uneconomic. Further, in comparison with conventional gas wells, the impacts of fracking are also potentially much greater. Fracking requires the construction of large wellpads—often home to multiple wells drilled over a few years—and produces large amounts of solid and liquid waste containing toxic chemicals. In recent years, the public health and medical communities have expressed concerns about environmental issues and the potential for adverse human health impacts in communities located near fracking activities.

In this study, we explore whether gas production has become more common near places essential for everyday life in West Virginia, increasing the potential for human exposure to contaminants associated with drilling and natural gas extraction. First, we map and measure the footprint of Marcellus Shale gas development in West Virginia between 2007 and 2014 to evaluate the extent to which drilling has expanded near sensitive land uses such as homes and schools. Most prior studies of the growth of unconventional gas extraction have utilized point location information from permit data rather than polygons. Our approach using aerial imagery more accurately reflects the actual timing and aerial extent of wellpad development. Second, we characterize the toxicity of a set of chemicals used to frack wells near sensitive populations to better understand the potential for harmful exposures.

Marcellus Shale development in West Virginia

The footprint of gas extraction in West Virginia’s Marcellus Shale has grown substantially. The average size of wellpads grew from 1.6 to 2.4 acres between 2007 and 2014, and the average size of wastewater impoundments—structures for storing liquid waste—grew from 0.1 to 1.3 acres. The total land area covered by wellpads and impoundments grew from 12 to 1,286 acres. Compared with other West Virginia counties, wellpads occupy the most land in Marshall, Wetzel, and Doddridge counties.

Proximity of Marcellus Shale development to sensitive areas

Over time, an increasing amount of Marcellus Shale fracking-related infrastructure has been located near sensitive areas, including homes, schools, public drinking water intakes, public lands, and health care facilities.

• • Homes. 7,235 homes were located within one-half mile of at least one wellpad in 2014. West Virginia State Code specifies a setback distance of 625 feet between the center of wellpads and homes; however, homeowners may waive this setback, and several homes are located closer than this distance to wellpads.
• • Schools. In 2007, the closest wellpad was 0.9 miles from a school. By 2014, seven schools had at least one wellpad within one-half mile, 36 schools had at least one wellpad within one mile, and six schools had two or more wellpads within one mile. West Virginia State Code does not specify a setback distance for construction of wellpads near schools, nor does it specify setback distances for public lands or health care facilities.
• • Public drinking water intakes. West Virginia State Code specifies that wellpads must be more than 1,000 feet from a public drinking water intake; however, the Code does not restrict the construction of wellpads within drinking water protection areas such as zones of critical concern or zones of peripheral concern. In 2014, 30 wellpads and seven impoundments were located within zones of critical concern, and 532 wellpads and 17 impoundments were located within zones of peripheral concern.
• • Public lands. In 2007, no wellpads or impoundments existed within two miles of public land boundaries. By 2014, 21 wellpads and five impoundments had been developed within this distance of public lands.
• • Health care facilities. In 2007, only three wellpads and three impoundments were located within two miles of a health care facility; by 2014, 81 wellpads and 21 impoundments were located less than two miles from at least one health care facility.

Chemicals used at fracking sites in close proximity to sensitive sites

Our ability to characterize the potential health threats posed by fracking in West Virginia is limited by the lack of disclosure and monitoring related to the chemicals used at fracking sites, as well as limited data on the health effects of many of the chemicals being used. Nevertheless, a systematic, screening-level evaluation of the toxicity of chemicals self-reported to the FracFocus Chemical Disclosure Registry revealed that several hazardous substances have been used in West Virginia to frack wells near schools and within zones of critical concern for surface public drinking water intakes.

• • Schools. Thirty percent of wellpads located within one kilometer of a school reported their chemical usage to the FracFocus database, and 59 different chemicals were used between July 2013 and March 2016. Twenty percent of these 59 chemicals have been identified as possible reproductive and/or developmental toxicants, and one has been identified as a probable human carcinogen.
• • Public drinking water intakes. Twenty percent of the 177 wellpads located within zones of critical concern for drinking water supplies reported their chemical usage to the FracFocus database, and 98 different chemicals were used between May 2013 and March 2016. Nineteen percent of these chemicals could be identified as possible reproductive and/or developmental toxicants, and two are probable or likely human carcinogens.

Conclusion

As the extent of fracking has grown since 2007, fracking infrastructure—wellpads and impoundments—has encroached on places essential for everyday life in West Virginia. Roughly one-fifth of the chemicals being used to frack Marcellus Shale wells close to schools and public drinking water intakes are possible reproductive and/or developmental toxicants or human carcinogens. Most operators are not voluntarily disclosing the chemicals they use, and toxicity information is unavailable for many of the chemicals used at fracking sites, limiting our ability to evaluate the potential health threats posed by fracking in the area.

West Virginia State Code requires setbacks to keep wellpads from being developed too close to homes and public drinking water intakes. However, the other types of sensitive areas assessed in this report are not protected from nearby Marcellus Shale development. Setback distances for schools, health care facilities, and public lands—and restrictions in zones of critical concern and zones of peripheral concern above drinking water intakes—would help protect vulnerable populations and recreational opportunities as fracking development continues.

Source: http://www.downstreamstrategies.com/documents/reports_publication/frackfinder_8-14-17_final.pdf

Marcellus Pad in Butler County, PA (Winter 2014)

The Marcellus Shale Documentary Project in Pittsburgh

From an Article by Kara Holsopple, The Allegheny Front, June 10, 2016

The story of the fracking boom in Pennsylvania and nearby states runs as an almost continuous narrative in the region’s press. But covering the blow-by-blow of new drilling sites, protests, lawsuits and regulations is just one way to look at how fracking has changed the region. Back when unconventional natural gas drilling started gaining momentum, a group of photographers set out to gather a more personal perspective—by using photography to document the lives and landscapes that were being transformed by the drilling boom.

The Marcellus Shale Documentary Project has collected hundreds of images since, many of which are included in a new exhibition titled “An Expanded View.” Co-curator Laura Domencic says, in many ways, not much has changed since the project first started back in 2010: Health issues and the industrial footprint that fracking imposes on rural landscapes remain familiar themes.

But she says it’s also important to continue this work to gather a broad perspective on an issue that will no doubt have a lasting impact on the region. “When you document something, it helps tell that story for generations to come,” she says. “And not that this is the entire story, but this is a part of the story that wouldn’t be heard otherwise.”

For more commentary on the new exhibition, listen to our interview with Laura Domencic. And special thanks to the Marcellus Shale Documentary Project for use of the photos below.

LISTEN: Co-curator Laura Domencic talks about the new exhibition of the Marcellus Shale Documentary Project — Audio Player

>>> Photo: Martha Rial – Longtime resident Patricia Lyons looks at a line of parked rail cars outside her home in Greentree, Pennsylvania. The trains are carrying liquefied natural gas from the Rook Rail Yard, which only saw a few trains a week until the natural gas boom turned it into a busy rail hub.

>>> Photo: Nina Berman — Brooklyn, Pennsylvania resident Rebecca Roter decided to move out of her house in 2015 because of the chemical contamination of her well water.

>>> Photo: Lynn Johnson — A town meeting at the Wilmington Township Municipal Building draws a large crowd—including a number of residents from the Amish community. A number of gas wells, pipelines and compressor stations have been proposed for the area.

>>> Photo: Scott Goldsmith — An unconventional drilling site is prepared in Butler County, Pennsylvania in the winter of 2014.

>>> Photo: Noah Addis — View of the FirstEnergy R.E. Burger power plant in Shadyside, Ohio, January 31, 2016. The plant’s coal-fired boilers were taken offline in 2011 and the facility was completely closed in 2015. Dozens of coal-fired power plants have closed around the country since the fracking boom, as utilities move to meet new environmental regulations and take advantage of cheaper natural gas. The site in Shadyside is now being considered for a new ethane cracker—a petrochemical processing plant that would take ethane from the Utica and Marcellus Shale formations and convert it into the building blocks of plastic.

Preparations for drilling & fracking

>>> Photo: Brian Cohen — Janet Muffet stands on Jan Pierce’s property, adjacent to the Muffet farm. Formerly a mix of woods and meadows that was used for farming and riding trails, this land was cleared in 2015 in preparation for a drilling site. There has been no further activity, and none of the neighbors has been able to make contact with the gas company to learn when, if at all, they will return. The assumption is that the project was put on hold when the price of gas fell in 2016.

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Want to learn more? On this Thursday, June 16^th: Martha Rial, Scott Goldsmith, Noah Addis and Brian Cohen of the Marcellus Shale Documentary Project will be participating in a public discussion about the group’s new exhibit. The event starts at 6 p.m at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PCA). Admission is free for PCA members; $5 for non-members. You can find more details and RSVP here. Also, an editor’s note: The Marcellus Shale Documentary Project and The Allegheny Front both receive financial support from the Pittsburgh Foundation and the Heinz Endowments.

Source information: 10 June 2016fracking

See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

New website explores impacts of Marcellus gas development

From an Article by Matt Carroll, Penn State News, June 7, 2016

University Park, PA — A new website is giving people in rural Pennsylvania — and beyond — high-tech tools to learn about Marcellus Shale gas development in their backyards.

The website, Marcellus by Design, introduces some of the complex issues surrounding the industry’s development, and through interactive games and other resources, shows that communities can play a role in the process.

Penn State researchers will take the new technology to rural communities across the state this summer as part of “Marcellus Matters: Engaging Adults in Science and Energy,” a larger project that seeks to boost scientific literacy among adults.

“Our whole project is geared toward giving community members the knowledge they need to understand they can have impacts within their communities as far as development issues,” said Terry Noll, project coordinator and a researcher in Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute.

Noll and her team have crisscrossed the state hosting discussions, lessons and field trips since the project started in 2012 with a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation. Now, with the website, they can reach more people than ever.

“We wanted to create a digital record,” said Timothy Murtha, a Penn State landscape architecture professor and a member of the Marcellus Matters project. “There are communities in Pennsylvania we haven’t had a chance to work with, or other places in the U.S., that can look at the planning that took place and some of the creative ideas our students had.”

The website, developed by Murtha and Brian Orland, a former Penn State professor now at the University of Georgia, is based partly on the work of Penn State landscape architecture students.

Their work seeks to show communities the environmental, economic, sociological and aesthetic factors that go into planning for energy development, and how to weigh these issues and make informed decisions about their land.

“We engaged in a series of design studies in landscape architecture and asked students to engage communities about things they found to be important in their landscape in the context of change,” Murtha said. “The students developed broad master planning ideas like how to reconcile wonders like the Pennsylvania Wilds and the energy industry’s need for natural gas extraction.”

Based on these conversations, the students created detailed story maps that examine how Marcellus development affected specific communities. The stories examine how development affects everything from tourism to water quality.

Also included on the website are interactive games, a history of energy industries in Pennsylvania, and interviews with diverse stakeholders in natural gas development, like well workers, environmental advocates and county planners.

“For us, it was how to get as much information from as many stakeholders as possible and bring it together and illustrate it to the community,” Murtha said. “Landscape planning is more than where to put a wellhead. There are lots of factors.”

Noll said people who attend her workshops are often surprised by how many variables there are when making landscape decisions about gas development. The website, with its interactive games and other resources, are a good start to putting the puzzle together, she said.

“I don’t think people understand that communities can state their desires,” Noll said. “They can work with gas companies to find what’s hopefully beneficial to both parties. We want them to understand that they can provide input during the process.”

See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

Utica Shale Development Educational Series

Press Release: West Virginia University Extension Service, January 7th, 2013

Through a series of educational programs, West Virginia University Extension Service hopes to help educate community members on development and leasing issues related to Utica shale and its impact on the state. The Utica shale is a large natural gas field that lies below Marcellus shale rock, underneath much of the northeastern U.S. and adjacent parts of Canada.

The educational programs will take place in Parkersburg at the Parkersburg City Building on Jan. 29, and in New Martinsville at the Wetzel County 4-H Camp’s Mollohan Center on Jan. 30. Both programs begin at 6 p.m.

This is the third year for the educational programs. Organizers say there’s a continued need and demand for updated information regarding the natural gas industry and its drilling.

Presenters include experts from the Marietta College’s Dept. of Petroleum Engineering and Geology; The Ohio State University’s Agricultural and Resource Law unit; and WVU Extension Service agents and specialists.

The program is open to the public, regardless of a person’s level of knowledge and interest concerning the oil and natural gas industry.

A second series on Natural Gas Pipelines is scheduled for February in Kingwood and Beverly.

For more information, contact WVU Extension Service Program Coordinator Georgette Plaugher at 304-329-1391.

Connecting the people of West Virginia to the University’s resources and programs is the primary goal of WVU Extension Service and its 55 offices throughout the state. Local experts, like WVU Extension’s agents and specialists, work to help improve the lifestyles and well-being of youths, workforces, communities, farms and businesses through trusted research in the counties in which they serve.

To learn more about WVU Extension programs, visit www.ext.wvu.edu, or contact your local office of the WVU Extension Service.

 ”The Marcellus Shale Documentary Project”  is opening October 11th at Filmmakers Galleries in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh.

Horizontal hydraulic-fracturing or “fracking” is the process used to break up rock layers with a pressurized solution of water to retrieve the natural gas deep below. Some people have health and safety concerns partly because of that video. Others are embracing the possibility of jobs and money flowing into their depressed communities.

In Western Pennsylvania, Marcellus Shale drilling is the defining industry of our day, similar to the historical impact of the steel industry and coal mining industry that came before. It affects our economy, environment, politics and daily lives. Naturally, opinions are strong.

A new photography exhibit — “The Marcellus Shale Documentary Project,” opening October 11th at Filmmakers Galleries in Oakland — looks at both sides of this passionate, polarized debate.

Laura Domencic, director of Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and curator of the exhibit, was eager to show how photography fits into the discussion.

“Our intention is to inject some thoughtful observations to help facilitate a community dialogue,” says Ms. Domencic. “Arguments can be made on both sides of this debate and this project is not about taking one of them.”

The show features more than 50 photographic images from six regionally and nationally renowned photojournalists: Noah Addis, Nina Berman, Brian Cohen, Scott Goldsmith, Lynn Johnson and Martha Rial.

The validity of the work in this show is established not by the credentials of the artists, including two Pulitzer Prize winners. Instead, she explains, it is the level of intellect, sensitivity and skill with which they approach their work.

“Good documentary photographers understand they have a dual and occasionally contradictory responsibility. First, to represent the truth … second, to create empathy for their subjects, to draw the audience closer to the individuals being photographed,” says Mr. Cohen, who co-created the exhibit.

“The Marcellus Shale Documentary Project” exhibit will be on view through January 6th. The project includes accompanying lectures, a 220-page book and an online archive. Visit the Marcellus Shale Documentary Project online at http://www.the-msdp.us/.