Truck & School Bus Collide in Wetzel Co. (11/19/15)

Wetzel School Bus Routes Hit by Heavy Drilling Truck Traffic

From an Article by Dan Heyman, WV Public News Service, September 21, 2015

Charleston, WV — A local emergency medical technician says natural gas drilling in Wetzel County has damaged roads so much that it’s occasionally unsafe for school buses to take their normal routes.

Ray Renaud is a Wetzel County emergency medical technician who handles oil and gas-related road issues for local emergency services. He says at times, two or three rural school bus routes have been unsafe for the buses to use, because of damage caused by the large number of heavy trucks.

“These are very limited-access highways, not much more than one lane to start with,” he stresses. “And typically what you have is, one of the shoulders will totally give way.”

An official with the state Department of Transportation insists that drilling traffic is not causing safety issues for school buses. He says the state checks the roads before drilling starts, and requires that road conditions be as good when drilling is finished.

The Wetzel County Schools’ transportation office refused to comment, although an official said bus drivers always have the right to refuse to take their normal route if weather or any other road condition makes it unsafe.

According to Renaud, that’s how the process has worked – including on roads with damage from heavy truck traffic. “The bus driver usually is the one that initiates the action,” he explains. “He has the authority to not run a road.”

Everyone contacted for this report said the drilling companies have been responsive when an issue has come up. For example, the drillers try to keep their trucks off the roads at certain times of day to make way for the school buses.

Renaud says he knows of “10 or so” sections of Wetzel County road that are unsafe because of drilling traffic. He says one very steep hill has an intersection with a main artery at the base – and a drilling truck fails to stop there every couple of months.

Road conditions are a topic of local concern, says Steve Conlon, a farmer and activist. “The only roads that haven’t been impacted are the roads that they can’t use with the big trucks,” Conlon maintains.

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See also: Tensions High At Oil And Gas Meeting, Safety of Children an Issue Among Residents, Lauren Matthews, Wetzel Chronicle, January 13, 2016

1st Annual Shale Safety Institute, Nov. 2014

Shale drilling spawns need for safety training

Article by Casey Junkins, Martins Ferry Times Leader, November 28, 2014

As the Ohio Department of Natural Resources continues issuing permits for Utica and Marcellus shale oil and natural gas drilling, firefighters and emergency responders across the region realize they need to learn the proper manner for dealing with potential problems at well sites.

“Energy development in the Ohio Valley has presented many great opportunities, including a stronger local economy and incredible advancements and research,” Belmont College President Paul Gasparro said. “With this development has also come a heightened awareness regarding safety issues. Through the Shale Safety Institute, first responders and emergency service personnel are receiving the highly relevant training and education they need to be able to respond to oilfield related incidents and keep our communities safe.”

Recently, the college partnered with New York City-based driller Hess Corp. to welcome more than 250 local first responders today to the Shale Safety Institute 2014. Sixty-six fire and EMS stations sent representatives to participate in the training.

“Hess holds its commitment to social responsibility as one of its top values as a company,” Rob Williams, Hess manager of Operations in the Utica field, said. “Hess is dedicated to developing trusted partnerships to build programs like the Shale Safety Institute 2014 that can make long-lasting positive impacts in the communities where we work and live.”

A mass casualty session taught triage methods where participants practiced their skills on mannequins altered to represent emergency victims. During a foam application course, responders simulated spraying firefighting foam firsthand from a fire engine. Participants also practiced establishing a landing zone as a helicopter flew into the site.

“Training events, such as the Shale Safety Institute, are highly relevant to our local first responders. It is important to have hands-on instruction to familiarize ourselves with the necessary equipment and guidelines in case of an emergency situation,” Curtis Kyer, Belmont College Assistant EMS and Fire Coordinator, added.

Also, the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program recently completed its fall firefighter training series. First responders from the Barton Volunteer Fire Department, Brookside Fire Department, Cumberland Trail Fire District, Neffs Volunteer Fire Department, Sunset Heights Fire Department and Wolfhurst Volunteer Fire Department recently completed the training course.

“I learned a wealth of information that I will take back to my department,” said Lt. Robert Ice from the Wolfhurst VFD upon completing the training.

“As someone who works with the industry and the fire service, this training was very helpful,” said Lt. Charles Thompson II from the Barton VFD. “It provides a great overview of what could happen in the field and I think every firefighter should take the course.”

Those completing the course gain information in Ohio oil and gas activity and development, differences between emergencies and non-emergencies or common oilfield practices, common terminology and types of equipment used during oilfield activity, and hands-on techniques for responding to potential incidents, including live demonstrations.

Since 1999, the organization has trained more than 1,200 firefighters from Ohio and seven other states. The training curriculum was collaboratively developed by the group, the oil and gas industry, regulatory agencies, firefighters and emergency response experts and meets state and federal fire safety standards.

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Noble County sheriff identifies dead worker from oil well explosion

By Bob Downing, Associate Press,  November 13, 2014

Summerfield, Ohio (AP) — Authorities say a worker at an eastern Ohio oil well has died in an explosion at the facility. Noble County Sheriff Stephen Hannum said in a statement Thursday that 48-year-old Norman Butler of Virginia died in the accident Wednesday afternoon near the CONSOL Energy well pad, about 40 miles north of Marietta.

Authorities say the explosion occurred near an oil well head and caused a fire, which was contained but continued to burn Thursday. Rescuers were also still on the scene late Thursday morning attempting to recover Butler’s body from the site.

A spokeswoman with Blue Racer Midstream, which owns and operates the facility, says all production wells and pipelines at the site have been secured. She says the company will continue to work with authorities to investigate the accident.

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Another Man is Dead Following a Well Pad Accident

From RESQ_WV, WTRF 7 News, November 29, 2014

Tyler County, WV – WTRF 7 News has learned one man is dead following an accident at an Antero Resources gas well pad in Tyler County. The accident happened around 2 p.m. Friday November 28th at the well pad on Braden Hill Road.

The victim’s name is not being released at this time. The Tyler County Sheriff’s Department, Middlebourne Fire Department, Shirley Fire Department, and Middlebourne EMS were all on scene.

The details of the accident are not being released, but the investigation is being handled by the Tyler County Sheriff’s Department.

NOTE: The Shirley Volunteer Fire Department of Tyler County has issued an appeal for money to purchase a new or used tanker truck.  This would replace the tanker that became damaged beyond repair at a gas well pad fire earlier this fall in Tyler County.

See also:  www.FrackCheckWV.net

Cover Photo: North Central and Central WV Working Fires

Ten Local Fire Departments Extinguish Fire on Noble Energy’s Shirley 1 Pad

From an Article by Fred Connors, Wheeling Intelligencer, October 16, 2014

Alma, WV – Fire departments from four counties responded to a gas well pad fire Wednesday on WV Route 18 near Centerville.

Tyler County EMA Director Tom Cooper said today, Tyler County dispatch received a cell phone call at 10:10 p.m. Wednesday in which the caller reported a well pad fire near the WV Division of Highways facility on WV Route 18.

“The caller said all workers were safely evacuated from the pad and then we lost the phone connection,” he said. “Tyler County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene and verified that flames could be seen at the top of the hill.”

Cooper said (15) fire department (trucks) from Tyler, Wetzel, Pleasants and Doddridge counties responded. They extinguished the flames by 2 a.m. and no injuries were reported.

“The well site turned out to be Shirley One owned by Noble Energy,” he said.  ”Any estimate of damage will have to come from Noble Energy.” The site is one of two on WV Route 18 (a few miles south of Centerville).

Cooper said the call presented a particular problem for the Shirley Volunteer Fire Department. “As they were leaving the site, they broke an axle on the steep gravel road and had to call for a wrecker,” he said.

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Notes:

1. From the Charleston Gazette:  The company told state officials that a piece of equipment caught fire during “flowback operations,” when liquids flow back to the surface after the hydraulic fracturing of a well.

2. The fire response activity was monitored on the “North Central and Central WV Working Fires” community page on Facebook.  The responding fire companies were Alma, Greenwood, McCllelan, Middlebourne, Paden City, Pennsboro, Shirley, Sistersville, St. Marys, and West Union.  Ellenboro was on standby.