Franks Run was heavily polluted during pipeline construction

From an Article by Kate Mishkin, Charleston Gazette, April 19, 2019

A gas company has agreed to a $124,030 deal with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for its environmental violations in Doddridge and Wetzel counties.

MarkWest Liberty Midstream & Resources and the DEP entered into the consent order March 28. The order is subject to a comment period that ends May 16.

The 134-page consent order outlines environmental issues while the company was working to install a pipeline in Doddridge and Wetzel counties between August 2018 and February 2019.

Most recently, DEP inspectors visited the site on Feb. 27 and found the company had failed to keep sediment-laden water from leaving the site, and had “caused conditions not allowable in waters of the State by creating distinctly visible settleable solids” in one of the bodies of water. Inspectors subsequently wrote a Notice of Violation, which does not include a financial penalty.

The consent order includes a breakdown of fines: a $99,200 base penalty; $9,920 for willfulness or negligence; $24,800 for compliance or noncompliance history; and $30 for public notice costs. The company got a $9,920 discount for cooperating with the state.

That doesn’t account for staff investigative costs and the cost of dealing with repeat violators, said Angie Rosser, executive director of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition.

“This penalty, as with others, does not consider the economic benefit MarkWest Liberty gained from cutting corners. The order documents chronic lack of maintenance that’s required to control polluted run-off, yet there’s no acknowledgement that MarkWest saved money by choosing not to hire the personnel needed to avoid these damages,” Rosser said. “If paying the penalty is less than it costs to do the job right, then it’s not an effective deterrent.”

The consent order includes about 115 pages of photos of the project, including photos of muddy water and overflowing water.

“After seeing the pages and pages of photos, I’m grateful for the DEP doing their job, but mostly I just get upset. I’m upset with this company. I’m upset with the industry to not hold itself to a higher standard. Companies showing such blatant disregard for laws that protect our citizens’ water simply shouldn’t be allowed the privilege of doing business here,” Rosser said.

The company did not respond to a request for comment. The DEP would not answer additional questions about the consent order.

“WVDEP has no further comments beyond those provided on the signed consent order,” Casey Korbini, deputy director for remediation programs, said in an email.

This facility is on US Route 50 east of West Union

From an Article by Charles Young, WV News, 4/13/2019

WEST UNION — The operators of the MarkWest Sherwood Complex in Doddridge County plan to further expand the facility’s capacity this year.

Randall Eastham, facility manager of the Sherwood Complex, said it has 2.2 billion standard cubic feet per day of processing capacity, making it the largest gas-processing facility in the nation.

“We plan to expand it by another 400 million cubic feet per day this year,” he said. “Gas processing removes the heavier and more valuable hydrocarbon components of natural gas, which are extracted as a mixed natural gas liquids (NGL) stream, which includes ethane, propane, butane and natural gasoline.”

Liquid natural gas has multiple commercial applications, Eastham said. “They are used as inputs for petrochemical plants, burned for space heating and cooking and blended into vehicle fuel,” he said. “In addition, Sherwood has a 60,000-barrel per day de-ethanization plant, which removes ethane from the other NGLs. We plan to expand this de-ethanization capacity by 20,000 barrels per day this year.”

MarkWest is a wholly owned subsidiary of MPLX. The Sherwood Complex first began operations in October 2012, according to Jamal Kheiry, communications manager for Marathon Petroleum Corp.

Sam Schupbach, vice president of Operations Processing for MPLX’s Gathering and Processing segment, said the company employs more than 200 workers in West Virginia. The company has spent more than $10 billion building infrastructure in the region over the last decade, Schupbach said.

In 2017, MPLX entered into a partnership with Antero Resources, which allowed it to expand the Sherwood Complex’s capacity, Schupbach said.

“We formed a joint venture with Antero Midstream Partners LP to support Antero Resources’ development in the Marcellus Shale,” he said. “At the time we formed the joint venture, Sherwood’s six cryogenic processing facilities had a total capacity of 1.2 billion cubic feet per day.

“At the time the joint venture was formed, ongoing development of gas processing infrastructure included three new joint-venture processing facilities totaling an additional 600 million cubic feet per day of processing capacity for Antero Resources. Since then, another 400 million cubic feet per day of capacity has been added.”

MPLX has plans in the works for another natural gas facility in Doddridge County to be called the Smithburg Complex, which will have the capacity to process 1.2 billion cubic feet per day, Schupbach said. An expected in-service date has not yet determined for the future facility, Schupbach said.

Doddridge County Commission President Greg Robinson said the Sherwood Complex is an important contributor to the local economy. “The plant itself provides real estate taxes, but there’s also numerous pipelines that feed that plant,” he said. “And those are all part of the tax. When a facility provides employment in addition to the tax base, that helps the community and helps the people — it’s how some residents earn their income.”

The facility and its employees are also highly involved in local affairs in the county, Robinson said. “They’ve contributed to many different good causes. If there’s some big event going on, most of the time we can count on them to be a willing partner,” Robinson said. “We appreciate the willingness of the plant to help — to be good neighbors, and for their willingness to contribute.”

The county’s tax base has grown substantially in recent years, largely due to increased oil and gas activity, Robinson said. “In addition, the oil and gas provides through the royalties. Many residents get a significant amount of income every year,” he said.

NGL are separated from “wet” natural gas

Marcellus shale & drill cuttings are radioactive

From an Article by the Associated Press, WV Public Broadcasting, December 19, 2017

Environmentalists have reached an agreement with Antero Treatment that calls for monitoring for radioactivity and bromide around its landfill in northern West Virginia that takes the waste from recycled groundwater used in hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.

It settles an appeal by the West Virginia Rivers Coalition and West Virginia Highlands Conservancy of the state permit for the landfill, which takes salt byproducts from Antero’s adjacent wastewater recycling facility. Both are located on 447 acres in Ritchie and Doddridge counties.

The environmental groups say the permit allows discharging stormwater runoff and associated pollutants into tributaries of the Hughes River upstream within 5 miles of Harrisville’s public water system intake.

“This is one example of how the state is tasked with evaluating new sources of pollution brought about by the fracking boom,” said Angie Rosser, executive director of West Virginia Rivers Coalition. “We need to find out sooner rather than later if we’re seeing harmful things, like radioactivity, affecting our water supplies.”

The groups say the compound bromide is known to cause problems for treating drinking water.

According to Denver-based parent company Antero Resources Corp., about 95 percent of the water it uses for fracking will be treated at the recycling facility, nearly eliminating the need for wastewater disposal wells and reducing withdrawals from West Virginia’s waterways. Salt will constitute about 92 percent of all solid byproducts, it said.

The company (Antero) drills for natural gas in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The agreement signed December 8th requires one initial year of monitoring for radioactivity in materials entering the landfill and in groundwater monthly, as well as regular monitoring for bromide and solids in surface water discharges.

That includes a monthly lab analysis of salt samples from a truck that passed through the landfill’s radiation detection equipment. If two or more lab samples significantly deviate from the detection equipment measurements, Antero will conduct an additional year of sampling.

If any monthly groundwater sampling for radium is significantly higher than background levels, the agreement says Antero will conduct another year of that sampling.

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Environmental Working Group Prepares Report on Radioactivity in Public Drinking Water in the United States

Some 170 Million in U.S. Drink Radioactive Tap Water. Trump Nominee Faked Data to Hide Cancer Risk.

From an Article by Bill Walker and Wicitra Mahotama, Environmental Working Group, January 11, 2018

Tap water used by 170 million Americans in all 50 states contains some level of radiation that may increase the risk of cancer at least marginally, according to the new report from the Environmental Working Group analyzing state data from 2010 to 2015. Only a small percentage of water systems serving a total of 276,000 people in 27 states reported radiation levels exceeding federal limits, but environmentalists warn those limits are already too high and should be updated to improve water quality.

Radiation in drinking water comes from naturally occurring elements in the Earth’s crust and may be higher in areas disturbed by mining or oil and gas extraction, according to the report. The most common sources of radiation are radium-226 and radium-228, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires utilities to test for these elements to make sure radiation in tap water does not exceed the federal limit.

Pipeline Slips & Scars Continue

Loud noise in Doddridge County wakes up residents

Information From Local News Reports, WDTV News 5, November 12, 2016

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — Several viewers reached out to WDTV News 5 on Saturday morning after hearing loud, explosive noises near the Stonewall Jackson momentum pipeline in Doddridge County.

After investigating and sending a reporter to the scene where Big Isaac Road and Meat House Fork intersect, Doddridge County 911 officials told 5 News that the noise was simply due to a pressure release valve on the pipeline letting go and building up with additional pressure.

No injuries were reported and there were no damages outside of the noises and regional disturbance.

>  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >

Why We Believe the Gas Companies Can Do Much Better

The small community of Big Isaac woke up at 5:30 AM Saturday morning to a huge hissing sound loud as thunder. It has been badly trammeled by the 36 inch Stonewall Gathering line. The quiet rural village at the intersection of Big Isaac and Meathouse Fork had the big transmission line put right through the middle of the community, with attendant disruption and destruction of meadow land vital to use of the adjoining slopes as pasture.

The sound awoke the community and provoked calls to 911, which didn’t respond and no one was able to get through to Equitable Gas (EQT), who owns the line. The residents were afraid of a blow out. Calls were made to activists far enough away to be safe, who were also unable to get a response.

It was established that the sound was coming from a compressor station. That wouldn’t prevent a horrendous fire if the gas ignited, of course. The sound did not slowly die out, as it would if the lines emptied, but about 7:30 AM it suddenly stopped. The big question is “What happened?”

One working hypothesis follows. Since it was the first colds nap of the season, a compressor “froze off.” As gas expands it cools, what is called adiabatic cooling, so compressors are subject to cold as the seasons change. They must be kept in a certain temperature range. A frozen compressor activates a pop-off valve, and with the huge compressors for a 36 inch line a lot of gas would be released, with consequent noise.

Now the people in this community are members of the human race. Several of them have college degrees, although the settlement is located in a rural area. The idea that they should be treated like rubes is outrageous. A call from the company to offer a brief explanation of what was going on when the alarm was raised, just a call to one or two families, either from the company (whose responsibility it was) or even 911 (assuming they contacted EQT and got an explanation from them) would have done a lot to allay fear of a fireball. The over-bearing attitude of gas companies toward the people their activities affect does more to damage to the companies then one can imagine.

S. Tom Bond, Jane Lew, Lewis County, WV

>  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >

Important Details on Unscheduled Blowdown of Stonewall Pipeline

I would add that it started with a huge explosion at 5:30, according to residents, “a sound like you never heard before,” followed by a loud hissing that went on for 2.5 hours.

The press person I finally got hold of contacted the company and was told that “nothing” had happened but a gas release, and the gas was apparently shut off around 8:00 a.m. Since the resident was afraid to go out there for fear of being caught on fire, he did not get any video or audio of the explosion or hissing sound.

This is the second time it has happened; the first one was soon after the line was first buried, last October. At that time, 2 or 3 people witnessed a large fire coming from the trench where the new pipe had just been buried. The people there now have to face the MVP being buried in a cross-trench right over or under the Stonewall, a line that was so badly screwed up we aren’t sure if we are going to survive it as it is.

I hope we can get a better system in place for the next time this happens! Know the residents called the WV-DEP and the spill line, but it was hours after the initial explosion. Interested persons went over the get an eye-witness account, but again, it was too late.

Anyone have other information, comments or suggestions?

April Pierson-Keating, Mountain Lakes Preservation Alliance

See also: www.mountainlakespreservation.org

Wastewater Evaporators

Antero Announces 60,000 Barrel per Day Advanced Wastewater Treatment Complex

Press Release from Antero Resources Corp., Denver, CO, PRNewswire, August 19, 2015

Antero Resources Corporation announced today that it has signed an agreement with Veolia Water Technologies Inc. and Veolia North America to design and build a state-of-the-art advanced wastewater treatment complex in Doddridge County, West Virginia.

This complex includes an initially designed 60,000 barrel per day facility that will allow Antero to treat and reuse flowback and produced water rather than permanently dispose of the water in injection wells. Antero will own the treatment assets including any ancillary facilities.

The complex will be centrally located in Antero’s footprint in the southwestern core of the Marcellus Shale play with the ability to serve the Company’s development in both the Marcellus and Utica Shale plays.

Announcement Highlights:

>> Veolia will design, build, operate and maintain a 60,000 barrel per day advanced wastewater treatment facility under a turnkey contract for Antero in Doddridge County, West Virginia

>> Antero will own the $275 million treatment complex, which is expected to take two years to build, and generate on a standalone basis $55 million to $65 million of EBITDA at full utilization three years following the in service date

>> Complex will allow Antero to treat and reuse flowback and produced water rather than permanently dispose of the water in injection wells

>> Treatment facility will save Antero approximately $150,000 per well on future completion costs

>> Combined with Antero’s existing freshwater pipeline distribution system, the advanced wastewater treatment complex places Antero at the forefront of environmentally conscious water management in U.S. shale plays

>> The complex will be an integral part of Antero’s water business and is subject to Antero Midstream’s option to purchase the business

Advanced Wastewater Treatment Complex

The Antero advanced wastewater treatment facility will incorporate Veolia’s proprietary AnoxKaldnes™ MBBR biological treatment and its CoLD Process®, an advanced evaporation and crystallization technology, to treat a full range of water qualities including Antero’s completion flowback and produced water.

This same technology has been successfully utilized in dozens of facilities around the world. The 60,000 barrel per day facility will produce fresh water that meets stringent fresh water quality specifications, resulting in the treated water being delivered back into Antero’s existing fresh water distribution system and reused for ongoing completions and development.

In addition to reusable fresh water, the facility is expected to produce marketable byproducts with commercial value including salt and other brine products currently used by oil and gas operators for drilling and completion activities.

Veolia has agreed to build the complex under a turnkey contract and will operate it under a 10-year agreement. The contract contains performance guarantees including uptime availability, which considerably de-risks the project economics and reliability. The treatment facility is expected to be in service by the end of 2017, pending finalization of project logistics including regulatory permitting and construction.

Estimated Capital Expenditures for Advanced Wastewater Treatment Complex

Capital investment for the advanced wastewater treatment complex is estimated to be $275 million, which includes site preparation and construction, byproducts processing equipment and five miles of water pipeline that will connect the Antero treatment facility to its existing fresh water distribution system.

Potential Water Business Drop Down to Antero Midstream

On July 9^th, 2015, Antero Midstream Partners LP notified Antero of its intent to exercise its option to purchase Antero’s water business and transaction negotiations between the parties are ongoing. If Antero Midstream purchases Antero’s water business, it is expected to enter into a 20-year water services agreement covering all of Antero’s areas of operations in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as any future areas of operation. The existing water services agreement with Antero would be included in the expected drop down of the water business. The water business will include the advanced wastewater treatment complex.

>>> See also the Article in the PowerSource section of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette titled “Winners and losers in Antero’s $275 million announcement”

Current fracking practices are unsafe & unhealthy

Subject: Ban Fracking in West Virginia

Petition at Move-On.org: Created by Tina Del Prete, Doddridge County, WV

Background: I live in the middle of the fracking frenzy in Doddridge County, WV. We are the true sacrifice zone folks keep hearing about.

That’s why I created a petition to The West Virginia State House, The West Virginia State Senate, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate, and President Barack Obama, which says:

“New York has banned fracking and West Virginia should too.”

We already have over 2,000 signatures and I am seeking 3,000 or more. As Neil Young asks in his new song, “Who’s Gonna Stand Up?”  He is also concerned about the frack sand open-pit mining in Wisconsin and Minnesota as well as the tar sands open-pit mining in Alberta, Canada, both of which are destroying the land.

Regardless of where you live, will you sign this petition? Click petition here.

Thanks, Tina Del Prete, Doddridge County, WV

See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

Decker's Creek Rail Trail

ENERGY CORPORATION OF AMERICA

501 56th Street, S.E.,  Charleston, W.Va.

For Immediate Release: April 18, 2014

ECA elects not to pursue “injection well project” in Preston County

This week, Energy Corporation of America (ECA) determined not to pursue an injection well the company has been exploring near Masontown in Preston County.

A number of different factors led to this decision.  It is a complicated and involved process, which took nearly a year to complete.  Throughout this process we considered all of the factors necessary to determine if the project would be practical to pursue.  These factors included well integrity, ease of site access, environmental sensitivities, and many others.  In the end, our exploration simply concluded this well is not a good candidate for conversion to a Class II injection well at this time.

While we had hoped the project would come to fruition, our approach was responsible and produced the most comprehensive decision possible.  We will continue to operate as we have for more than 50 years, focusing on the wellbeing of our employees, safety of the environment, and ongoing commitment to the communities where we operate.         -30-

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WV DEP Issues Cease Operations Orders to Antero at Sites in Harrison & Doddridge Counties

From an Article by Kim Freda, WBOY News 12, Clarksburg, April 18, 2014

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the Office of Oil and Gas have issued violation notices to Antero Resources in relation to an April 11 tank rupture at a well pad located in Doddridge County and an April 15 tank rupture at a well pad in Harrison County.

Two storage tanks at the Antero’s Marsden Well Pad in Doddridge County ruptured due to a build up of pressure, said DEP spokeswoman Kelley Gillenwater. The first notice of violation was issued for the imminent danger to people on or around the pad and issued a cease operations order that will remain in effect until the order is complied with.

A second notice of violation was issued for pollution, due to an undetermined amount of produced water that spilled onto the well pad during the rupture, said Gillenwater. As a result of the violations, Antero is required to produce information to help determine the cause of the rupture, to sample and analyze soil, and to develop and submit a plan to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Remediation may be required upon completion of the soil analysis.

Additionally, the DEP issued an imminent danger notice of violation to Antero in connection to an April 15 tank rupture at the Varner-West well pad in Harrison County. The notice of violation also requires Antero to cease operations at the well pad until detailed information related to the cause of the rupture and an accident prevention plan are provided. In this incident, the DEP said no produced water spilled onto nearby soil. Similar to the Marsden well pad incident, the tank rupture occurred due to a build up of pressure inside the tank, said Gillenwater.

No injuries or fires were reported as the result of either incident.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

Doddridge County Emergency

Two Injured in Fire at Antero Gas Drilling Site in Doddridge County, WV

Article from WTAP, Parkersburg, WV, October 29, 2013

Media outlets report that the fire occurred Sunday morning at a well pad near West Union.

Antero Resources chief administrative officer Alvyn Schopp says there was a condensate leak as the workers were installing a new separator.

Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Tom Aluise says the vapors ignited, causing the flash fire.

Both workers suffered burns. Schopp says one worker remains hospitalized at West Penn Burn Center in Pittsburgh. The other was treated at a Clarksburg hospital and released.

The WV-DEP is investigating the incident.

In July, two workers were killed and three others were injured in a fire at another Antero Resources drilling site near New Milton in Doddridge County.

See also www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Friday, January 18, 2013 @ 10:09 AM
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AIR QUALITY PERMIT NOTICE: Notice of Intent to Approve: Wetzel County, WV

On October 9, 2012, EQT Production Company applied to the WV Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality (DAQ) for a permit to construct and operate a glycol dehydration unit (Big57/Big176 Meter Site) located at the junction of County Route (CR) 15 (North Fork Road) and CR 80 (Shuman Hill Road) approximately 3.6 miles north of Smithfield, Wetzel County, WV at latitude 39.55320 and longitude 80.54511. A preliminary evaluation has determined that all State and Federal air quality requirements will be met by the facility. The DAQ is providing notice to the public of its preliminary determination to issue the permit as R13-2999.

The following potential emissions will be authorized by this permit action: Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns, 0.03 tons per year (TPY); Particulate Matter less than 10 microns, 0.03 TPY; Particulate Matter, 0.03 TPY; Oxides of Nitrogen, 0.31 TPY; Carbon Monoxide, 0.32 TPY; Volatile Organic Compounds, 7.08 TPY; Hazardous Air Pollutants, 0.20 TPY.

Written comments or requests for a public meeting must be received by the DAQ before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 22, 2013. A public meeting may be held if the Director of the DAQ determines that significant public interest has been expressed, in writing, or when the Director deems it appropriate.

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Friday, January 18, 2013 @ 10:11 AM
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AIR QUALITY PERMIT NOTICE: Notice of Intent to Approve: Marion County, WV

On August 27, 2012, Purdys Run Energy LLC applied to the WV Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality (DAQ) for a permit to construct and operate a 6.22 mW electric generating station located near the junction of County Route 27 and Manley Chapel Road (behind the old Reiss Viking Monogah Plant) near Fairmont, Marion County, WV at latitude 39.43860 and longitude 80.23974. A preliminary evaluation has determined that all State and Federal air quality requirements will be met by the facility. The DAQ is providing notice to the public of its preliminary determination to issue the permit as R13-2974.

The following potential emissions will be authorized by this permit action: Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns, 2.45 tons per year (TPY); Particulate Matter less than 10 microns, 2.45 TPY; Particulate Matter, 2.45 TPY; Sulfur Dioxide, 0.18 TPY; Oxides of Nitrogen, 41.96 TPY; Carbon Monoxide, 6.75 TPY; Volatile Organic Compounds, 6.75 TPY; Hazardous Air Pollutants, 3.15 TPY.

Written comments or requests for a public meeting must be received by the DAQ before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 22, 2013. A public meeting may be held if the Director of the DAQ determines that significant public interest has been expressed, in writing, or when the Director deems it appropriate.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2013 @ 3:43 PM
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AIR QUALITY PERMIT NOTICE: Notice of Intent to Approve: Doddridge County, WV

On September 26, 2012, EQT Production Company applied to the WV Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality (DAQ) for a permit to construct and operate a natural gas production facility (OXF-152) located off of Upper Run Road (CR 23/3) approximately 8.0 miles southwest of New Milton, WV, Doddridge County, WV at latitude 39.17720 and longitude 80.81195. A preliminary evaluation has determined that all State and Federal air quality requirements will be met by the facility. The DAQ is providing notice to the public of its preliminary determination to issue the permit as R13-2996.

The following potential emissions will be authorized by this permit action: Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns, 6.18 tons per year (TPY); Particulate Matter less than 10 microns, 6.18 TPY; Particulate Matter, 6.18 TPY; Sulfur Dioxide, 0.04 TPY; Oxides of Nitrogen, 6.14 TPY; Carbon Monoxide, 5.17 TPY; Volatile Organic Compounds, 48.37 TPY; Hazardous Air Pollutants, 1.38 TPY.

Written comments or requests for a public meeting must be received by the DAQ before 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 21, 2013. A public meeting may be held if the Director of the DAQ determines that significant public interest has been expressed, in writing, or when the Director deems it appropriate.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2013 @ 3:46 PM
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AIR QUALITY PERMIT NOTICE: Notice of Intent to Approve: Doddridge County, WV

On October 9, 2012, EQT Production Company applied to the WV Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality (DAQ) for a permit to construct and operate a natural gas production facility (OXF-44) located off of Upper Run Road (CR 23/3) approximately 7.9 miles southwest of New Milton, WV, Doddridge County, WV at latitude 39.18385 and longitude 80.79390. A preliminary evaluation has determined that all State and Federal air quality requirements will be met by the facility. The DAQ is providing notice to the public of its preliminary determination to issue the permit as R13-3001.

The following potential emissions will be authorized by this permit action: Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns, 9.60 tons per year (TPY); Particulate Matter less than 10 microns, 9.60 TPY; Particulate Matter, 9.60 TPY; Sulfur Dioxide, 0.05 TPY; Oxides of Nitrogen, 7.59 TPY; Carbon Monoxide, 6.38 TPY; Volatile Organic Compounds, 38.62 TPY; Hazardous Air Pollutants, 1.02 TPY.

Written comments or requests for a public meeting must be received by the DAQ before 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 21, 2013. A public meeting may be held if the Director of the DAQ determines that significant public interest has been expressed, in writing, or when the Director deems it appropriate.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2013 @ 3:44 PM
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AIR QUALITY PERMIT NOTICE: Notice of Intent to Approve: Doddridge County, WV

On October 9, 2012, EQT Production Company applied to the WV Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Air Quality (DAQ) for a permit to construct and operate a natural gas production facility (OXF-44) located off of Straight Fork Road (CR 52/3) approximately 8.7 miles southwest of New Milton, WV, Doddridge County, WV at latitude 39.14514 and longitude 80.81368. A preliminary evaluation has determined that all State and Federal air quality requirements will be met by the facility. The DAQ is providing notice to the public of its preliminary determination to issue the permit as R13-3000.

The following potential emissions will be authorized by this permit action: Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns, 4.59 tons per year (TPY); Particulate Matter less than 10 microns, 4.59 TPY; Particulate Matter, 4.59 TPY; Sulfur Dioxide, 0.05 TPY; Oxides of Nitrogen, 7.43 TPY; Carbon Monoxide, 6.25 TPY; Volatile Organic Compounds, 41.41 TPY; Hazardous Air Pollutants, 1.03 TPY.

Written comments or requests for a public meeting must be received by the DAQ before 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 21, 2013. A public meeting may be held if the Director of the DAQ determines that significant public interest has been expressed, in writing, or when the Director deems it appropriate.

000000000000000…………..00000000000000

The purpose of the DAQ’s permitting process is to make a preliminary determination if the construction met all State and Federal air quality requirements. The purpose of the public review process is to accept public comments on air quality issues relevant to this determination. Only written comments received at the address noted below within the specified time frame, or comments presented orally at a scheduled public meeting, will be considered prior to final action on the permit. All such comments will become part of the public record.

Joe Kessler, PE, WV-DEP
Division of Air Quality
601 57th Street, SE
Charleston, WV 25304
Telephone: 304/926-0499, ext. 1219
FAX: 304/926-0478

Doddridge Watershed Association

*** The Anxiety of Doddridge County People   *** By: S. Tom Bond, October 20, 2012

Tom Pyle, president, Institute for Energy Research, published a letter to the editor, in the Charleston Gazette, which is shown below. His little spiel had to do with “activists congregated in Doddridge County.” Using a few of the industry’s oft-repeated phrases, he accuses West Virginians of “anxiety.” The crowd that day was almost entirely Doddridge folk. Having some knowledge of the event myself (I drove by it, and know several of the people involved) I decided to look up the man and his organization.

The Institute for Energy Research (IER) is a far-right tax-free subsidiary for the petroleum industry, funded by tax deductible contributions. Exxon-Mobil is among them. IER doesn’t have academic connections. They are connected to the Cato Institute and the Koch brothers empire. Climate warming denial is a part of their agenda, along with deregulation of utilities and the claim that conventional energy sources are almost unlimited. Low-cost energy is their principal argument for using hydrocarbon energy.

Pyle was formerly Director of Public Relations Policy at Enron.

What these people don’t seem to realize is everywhere they go opposition is self-generating. If you love the earth we live on, you don’t want to see it destroyed. Evidence of the cost when drillers come in is just too overwhelming to ignore. Lacking money to throw at this problem, our time, work and our bodies are what we use.

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Here is the letter below by Pyles that Is discussed above:

Letter to the Editor, Charleston Gazette, October 19, 2012

Hydraulic fracturing no environmental threat

Anti-hydraulic fracturing activists congregated in Doddridge County to challenge the safety and environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing. The fact is: Hydraulic fracturing has been used safely for more than 60 years.

Recent advances in hydraulic fracturing technology have unlocked unprecedented amounts of natural gas. So abundant is natural gas on this continent that there’s enough to supply America’s electricity needs for the next 575 years at current usage, according to the Institute for Energy Research’s North American Energy Inventory. Production of these vast resources is expected to support as many as 6,000 direct jobs for West Virginians by 2014

The discredited film “Gasland” and flawed EPA groundwater studies — recanted by EPA administrator Lisa Jackson herself — have resulted in some confusion among the public. Far from an environmental threat, cleaner-burning natural gas was a major contributor to a drop in U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s June energy report.

Anxiety evoked by new technology is nothing new. Yet West Virginians should not allow unsubstantiated fear to reverse the train of progress.

Tom Pyle, president, Institute for Energy Research

Washington, D.C.