Morgantown has a lot to protect from air & water pollution

From an Article by Tracy Eddy, Morgantown Dominion Post, June 9, 2011

Municipalities — such as Morgantown and Westover — do not have the authority to extend their jurisdictions up to one mile outside of their city limits, the Monongalia County Commission said in 2011. “It’s unconstitutional,” Commissioner Eldon Callen said.

But Morgantown Mayor Bill Byrne and Westover Mayor Dave Johnson beg to differ, saying a state code gives cities that power. Morgantown City Council approved Tuesday the first reading of a law to ban horizontal drilling and fracturing — or fracking — in the city limits and up to one mile beyond Morgantown’s borders. Westover City Council is considering a law that would require potential drillers in its one-mile buffer to prove — with data — the drilling would be safe to Westover residents.

Commissioners said the county would take legal action to prevent the cities from enforcing those laws, if they are passed. Commission President Asel Kennedy said the same goes for any other municipalities that would impose restrictions on property owners living in the county.

Callen said the issue is not about Marcellus shale — it’s about the cities trying to use their authority outside their limits. “We as a county commission have a responsibility to all the people in the county,” he said. “The people inside municipalities and the people outside them.”

During its Wednesday meeting, the county commission voted unanimously to send letters to Morgantown and Westover city officials, requesting a work session to discuss the proposed city laws.

Morgantown drafted its law using W.Va. Code 8-12-19, Byrne said, which allows cities to extend their powers up to one mile outside their corporate limits if it is necessary to efficiently exercise those powers. Byrne said the city didn’t discuss the law with the county prior to drafting it because the city was trying to move as quickly as possible to protect its water supply and its residents. “We had a responsibility and a legal right to do this,” he said.

Callen said that particular section of code has never been tested in court. The city hasn’t said what specific power it is trying to exercise by passing the law, he said. He also said the one-mile figure was “arbitrary.” Also, “you can’t just draw a one-mile circle around the town,” he said.

Kennedy said he understands Morgantown is concerned about the water supply and its proximity to the two Marcellus wells being drilled, but, “a mile outside the city is a long way.” He said areas such as Point Marion Road and Grafton Road fall into the one-mile buffer but aren’t near the water supply.

If people living outside the city limits wanted to sell the mineral rights to their property, the city law could stop them, if it were passed. “We, as a commission, need to intercede [if the law is passed] so that hundreds of others don’t have to use their time and money to do so,” Kennedy said.

The two Marcellus wells being drilled at the Morgantown Industrial Park are about 3,000 feet from the Morgantown Utility Board’s water intake. If any fluid discharged from the site enters the Monongahela River, it will do so 1,500 feet from the water intake.

Commissioner Bill Bartolo said this situation exists because the governor and the state Legislature failed to develop new regulations for the Marcellus shale permitting and drilling process. The County Commission sent a letter to the governor last week, urging him to call a special session so the Legislature could come up with regulations to better control the drilling statewide.

Bartolo said the issue should be addressed at the state level, not at the city level. He does support cooperation between the county and the cities, he said. “We need to do the right thing,” he said. “Whatever it is.”

Byrne said the city would be willing to meet with county officials. Johnson said Westover would be willing to listen to the county as well, but he doesn’t think the one-mile buffer is unconstitutional because it’s allowed by the state code.

Westover is taking a more conservative approach to its law than Morgantown is, Johnson said. “Westover is going to be very careful about how we do this,” he said. “We’re not trying to shut [the drilling industry] down completely, but we want to make sure it’s going to be safe.”

W.VA. CODE § 8-12-19 ~ Wherever the powers and authority granted in this chapter cannot be reasonably and efficiently exercised by confining the exercise thereof within the corporate limits of the municipality, the powers and authority of the municipality shall extend beyond the corporate limits to the extent necessary to the reasonably efficient exercise of such powers and authority within the corporate limits. Such powers and authority, unless other wise provided in this code or elsewhere in the law, shall not, however extend more than one mile beyond the corporate limits, and such powers and authority shall not extend into the corporate limits of another municipality without the consent of the governing body thereof.

An additional exit on I-79 would serve the M.I.P. Build an Exit and new companies will come.

To: Morgantown City Council, Tuesday, 2/15/22

My name is Duane Nichols, Coordinator for the Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition. We have been concerned about the air quality in this region since the Longview coal fired power plant was proposed back in 2003. I’m here to talk about a proposal from the Marion Energy Partners, LLC. These are the same people at the same address as Northeast Natural Energy that has drilled one vertical well and four frack gas wells in the Morgantown Industrial Park (MIP).

[They call the well that is only vertical a “science well” because it was used for only research as part of a seven year ($25,000,000) project called the Marcellus Shale Energy & Environment Laboratory (MSEEL). What have we learned from this project that makes for a better environment? The answer is elusive.]

A ‘Science Facility’ has now been proposed that would burn excess frack gas from existing vertical+horizontal wells. The only justification provided thus far is that surplus frack gas exists so Northeast Natural Energy wants to burn it to make electricity. (Anyone can make their own electricity anytime and anywhere? But, what if you pollute the neighborhood or region and create other nuisances like noises, vapor plumes, truck traffic, etc.)

I need to tell you that because of the location in the valley, near the Caperton trail, the Deckers Creek Trail, the Westwood and Skyview schools and even residential Morgantown, this facility could generate serious health effects. It will be running 24 hours per day 365 days per year. There would be four large engines of 3,000 horsepower each. The exhaust stacks would only be 20 feet tall with essentially no monitoring of the pollutants.

I have talked to Glen Adrian, manager of the Industrial Park and to Mike John, CEO of Northeast Natural Energy as well as twice speaking before the County Commission. I went to Charleston and met with the Secretary of the WV-DEP. They all are unaware of the actual purpose and seem to be in a state of confusion. Any of these individuals could stop this project by publicly stating what is obvious to me. This project is unacceptable at this particular location. It could easily be moved to the Boggess pad or another of the Northeast Natural Energy locations, if they would only do it.

The window of time for the WV DEP to evaluate and grant a “final air permit” has been exhausted, but DEP is still working thru all the public comments received at the public hearing on January 11th. If a revised permit is released, there will then be a 30 day period open for appealing this permit to the WV Air Quality Board (AQB).

I am here today to recommend that the City of Morgantown consider making such an appeal, a rather straight forward process that is outlined on the AQB web-site. A number of reasons to appeal exist, given that the proposed facility may well become a substantial nuisance due to excess air pollution, on-going noises, toxic and hazardous chemical emissions, excess greenhouse gases and unsightly vapor plumes from the four stacks. (It would generate 55,000 tons per year of carbon dioxide.)

Here are a few of the responsibilities of the WV-DEP that they appear to have neglected: WV Code § 22-1-1, b-10, viz. “ To promote pollution prevention by encouraging reduction or elimination of pollutants at the source through process modification, material substitutions, in-process recycling, reduction of raw material use or other source reduction opportunities.” Moreover, this project appears to not be in the public interest.

Thank you for this opportunity to address the Morgantown City Council.

Duane Nichols, Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition (MVCAC)

Aptude Consulting, Leslie, IL, has some ideas ...? ..? ..?

>>> From an Article by Ben Conley, Morgantown Dominion Post, January 12, 2022

MORGANTOWN — “Science Facility” & “Data Center” — These are the terms used to describe a project proposed by Marion Energy Partners for placement in the Morgantown Industrial Park.

What is known is that a 10,000 square-foot facility would pull natural gas directly from a nearby Northeast Natural Energy well pad to power four natural gas-fired engines around the clock, 365 days a year.

Beyond that, information about the project is very limited. It’s believed the engines will provide electricity for a cryptocurrency mining operation, but attempts to confirm that with Marion Energy Partners have been unsuccessful.

Cryptocurrency mining uses banks of specialized computers to validate blockchain transactions for a specific cryptocurrency in order to receive percentages of said currency in return. Popular examples include Bitcoin and Ethereum. As of this writing, one Bitcoin was worth $42,631.80.

A virtual public comment meeting held Tuesday, January 11th, by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Air Quality drew more than 40 participants.

For about two hours, participants, including local and state elected officials, offered comments and asked questions, including why so little information is available and who beyond Marion Energy Partners & Northeast Natural Energy would receive any benefit.

“I would propose this permit be rewritten in a way that people would know with transparency what is going to transpire as far as what the business actually is,” Morgantown Mayor Jenny Selin said. Morgantown City Councilor Bill Kawecki said the facility will offer no benefit, only environmental cost.

Delegate Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, agreed. “Often there’s balancing acts and decisions that are made where there are pros and cons to a type of development that would bring jobs or economic opportunities or community benefits to the table,” he said. “But I don’t see any of those in this proposal. What I see is local air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and noise.”

Air quality-related public comments can be submitted to the DEP at edward.s.andrews@wv.gov until 5 p.m. Thursday, January 13th. “Marion Energy Partners LLC” should be included in the subject line.

Non-air quality related comments may be emailed anytime to: depadvocate@wv.gov

Duane Nichols, who first brought this project to the attention of the Monongalia County Commission late last year, called on WV-DEP Cabinet Secretary Harold Ward to get involved. He challenged Ward “to look at this project and to make a public statement of whether there is any redeeming social value and whether there is any value to the public interest that can possibly justify polluting the Mon River Valley, the neighborhoods, and Mon County. Otherwise, this project stands as an insult to our community.”

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DIVERSE OPPORTUNITIES OFFERRED ~ Creating an Integrated Data Science Center of Excellence (COE) - Linda Atteo, Aptude IT Consulting & Support Services, Leslie, IL, June 19, 2020

A five (5) step process for creating an Integrated Data Science Center of Excellence (COE)

COE – Is a centralized data analytics hub surrounded by a selected group of highly intelligent experts that are like-mined and consistently aligned within business units to make better strategic decisions. A company’s success is established by managing resources conclusively, processes efficiently through ambitious data science projects, data-focused mindset, and a strategic technology roadmap to grow its business. (How much electricity is required for planning, data reduction, analysis and presentation? How many road maps are needed to conduct business? DGN).

ACP Storage Yard at Morgantown Industrial Park

Report to Monongalia County Commission By Wallace Venable, September 21, 2020

Early this month Dr. Duane Nichols appeared at a Commission meeting to tell you about potential dangers from the degradation of the epoxy coating on the pipe stored outdoors at Morgantown Industrial Park. As he noted, the coating contains numerous carcinogenic and toxic substances that could leach or blow off stored pipes. These substances could result in negative impacts to the health and safety of residents or workers in proximity to the locations where the pipes are stored.

This brief report adds quantitative estimates to his information.

Quantities of Pipe in Storage

Ariel photos accessible through Google Maps allow some appraisal of the extent of the pipe storage at Morgantown Industrial Park. There are two pipe storage areas. Based on shadows, most, if not all, of the stacks are four pipes high.

Not all pipes are the same length, but the majority appear to be 40 feet long. The pipeline has been described as using 42 inch diameter pipe.

In the upper storage area there are approximately 5,680 lineal feet of pipe stacks, which with a 40 foot pipe length, gives approximately 227,200 square feet of pipe in the top layer. Roughly, this area contains about 6,500 pieces of pipe.

In the lower storage area there are approximately 2,690 lineal feet of pipe stacks, which with a 40 foot pipe length gives approximately 107,600 square feet of pipe in the top layer. Roughly, this area contains about 3,075 pieces of pipe.

That gives a total of about 9,600 pieces of pipe, covering an actual ground space of about 334,600 square feet. The surface area of the pipe itself exposed to the atmosphere is approximately four million square feet.

Degradation of Epoxy Coating Four Years in Storage

There is some information publicly available from 3M on typical rates of the coating’s degradation. Their estimates range from 0.375 to 1.5 thousandths of an inch per year. The degradation happens faster in higher temperatures, higher humidity, and wetter conditions. Presumably this is after underground installation. Degradation is accelerated by exposure to the sun. The top layer is directly exposed to the sun, and will have the highest degradation rate due to ultraviolet light exposure.

Quantity Estimates of Degradation Products

I have made two estimates of the amount of degradation products with which the Morgantown area will have to deal. The first is based on the area exposed directly to sun and rain, the second based on the total area of the pipe exposed to the atmosphere.

Using the area exposed directly to sun and rain and a rate of degradation of 0.0015 inches per year, we can expect to generate on the order of 42 cubic feet, or two tons, of chemical sludge per year.
Using the total area of the pipe exposed to the atmosphere and the lower rate of degradation of 0.000375 inches per year, we can expect to generate on the order of 120 cubic feet, or six tons, of chemical sludge per year.

While we cannot make a precise estimate of the total pollution being generated, a reasonable estimate is that the site is currently creating a few tons of particles per year.

Given that pipe has been stored on the site for several years, we can expect that as much as twenty tons has already been released. Even immediate removal of the pipe itself will not remove this material.

Dispersal and Disposal of Degradation Products

As Dr. Nichols told you, the primary danger to people is probably through air-borne dust breathed by employees at the Morgantown Industrial Park. Construction of the new I-79 Interchange will both increase the number of affected workers and increase dust distribution through increased traffic.

Degradation products not carried away by wind will be carried primarily to the three settlement ponds on site. There will also be other ground run-off mixing with the chemical sludge.

We have no evidence that these have been unable to contain past run-off, but they will eventually fill. Because they will be laced with chemical sludge, a plan for their eventual disposal will be needed.

Recommendation to Local County Government

The Monongalia County Commission should establish a plan to assure that the pollution from this storage area is professionally monitored.

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Dr. Wallace Venable is Emeritus Associate Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at WVU and Chief Technical Officer of the Upper Monongahela River Association.

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See also: “Toxic Residues from Atlantic Coast Pipe Coatings Pose Public Health Risks in WV, Va & NC,” FrackCheckWV, September 1, 2020

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See also: ”Scotchkote Epoxy Resin Coating for ACP & MVP Results in Toxic Chemicals”, FrackCheckWV, September 2, 2020

THIRD FIVE-YEAR REVIEW REPORT FOR ORDNANCE WORKS DISPOSAL AREAS SUPERFUND SITE MONONGALIA COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA

Smokestacks of Morgantown Ordnance Works

DATE: September 12, 2016 (Five year intervals)

§ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

USEPA Region III, conducted this Third Five-Year Review (FYR) of the remedial actions implemented at Operable Unit 1 (OU-1) of the Ordnance Works Disposal Areas (ODWA) Superfund Site (also known as the Morgantown Ordnance Works Site or MOW), located in Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. The purpose of this FYR was to determine if the remedial actions that have been implemented are protective of human health and the environment. The review process consisted of the following activities: notification and involvement of stakeholders, review of existing and relevant documentation and data, identification and review of recent and new information, and an assessment of Site conditions. This report documents the review process and presents the findings, conclusions, and recommendations. It is important to note that Operable Unit 2 of this Site was addressed under removal authorities. Since all of the contaminated material was removed, no operation and maintenance (O&M) of OU-2 is required and it is therefore not part of this Five-Year Review.

This FYR concludes that the remedy is protective of human health and the environment. The PRPs have implemented the remedy at Operable Unit One in accordance with the remedial action objectives of the 1999 ROD, and it is currently functioning as intended. The landfill has not been found to be a significant source of contamination to the groundwater in the area and the COCs identified in the 1999 ROD have not been detected in groundwater samples during this FYR period. The multi-layer RCRA landfill cap was determined to be effective in containing hazardous waste materials, the treatment wetland ponds appeared to be functioning as intended, and Site access restrictions were found to be functional. Institutional controls are in place to prohibit disturbing the landfill cap, use of groundwater, and non-commercial use of any kind within OU1. Operation and Maintenance including annual inspections, leachate monitoring and treatment wetland monitoring are performed pursuant to the 2012 Operation and Maintenance Plan. Additionally, results of this FYR report indicate that the remedial action objectives for the selected remedy have been achieved.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Region III, with assistance from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), conducted this Third Five-Year Review (FYR) of the Ordnance Works Disposal Areas Site (OWDA or Site), pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Section 121(c), National Oil and Hazardous Substances Contingency Plan (NCP) Section 300.400(f)(4)(ii), and OSWER Directives 9355.7-02 (May 23, 1991), 9355.7-02A (July 26, 1994), and 9355.7-03A (December 21, 1995). The Comprehensive Five-Year Review Guidance, EPA 540-R-01-007 (USEPA, 2001), was consulted in preparation of this FYR. This is a post- Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) remedial action, enforcement- lead response action, statutory review. The triggering action for this statutory review is the signature date of the Second Five Year Review, September 16, 2011.

This document will become part of the Site file and is the Third FYR for the OWDA Site. This review evaluated the OU-1 remedial measures at the OWDA. The review process consisted of the following activities: (1) notification and involvement of stakeholders, (2) review of existing and relevant documentation and data, (3) identification and review of recent and new information, and (5) an assessment of current Site conditions.

This report presents the methods, findings, conclusions, and recommendations for the FYR of the former OWDA. The purpose of the FYR is to ensure that a remedial action remains protective of human health and the environment and is functioning as designed.

1.1 PURPOSE

The primary purpose of this FYR was to evaluate whether the response actions undertaken at OU-1 are functioning as intended and remain protective of human health and the environment. Another objective was to identify and provide recommended remedies for any issues of concern associated with the implemented response actions. Section 121(c) of CERCLA, as amended by SARA, and §300.430(f)(4)(ii) of the NCP mandate that a post-SARA remedial action be reviewed no less often than every five years after initiation of the remedial action at sites where hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants remain at levels above those that allow for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure. This is the Third FYR for the OWDA Site.

1.2 SITE OVERVIEW

The OWDA is part of the former Morgantown Ordnance Works (MOW), and is located approximately one mile southwest of the city of Morgantown, West Virginia, along the west bank of the Monongahela River (See Figure1). The OWDA Site is often referred to as the MOW Site. The OWDA Site is located within a 670 acre industrial park known as the Morgantown Industrial Park which is owned by Enroute Properties, Inc. The property which comprises the OWDA OU-1 Site is currently owned by the Morgantown Industrial Park Associates (MIPA) which are the previous owners of the Morgantown Industrial Park (MIP). For the purposes of environmental investigation and remediation, OWDA is made up of three segments:

A. OU-1 encompasses a small portion of the MIP formerly used for disposal of tar and other wastes;
B. Two tracts of land currently owned and operated by Crompton Corporation (purchased from General Electric (GE) Company in 2003). The tracts are known as the North Plant and South Plant. Crompton/GE properties are not covered under the Superfund Program, but are covered by Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action authorities.
C. Operable Unit 2 (OU-2) covers all other parts of MIP, including abandoned production areas, never used parts of the property (undeveloped woodlands), and currently leased parcels.

1.3 CURRENT STATUS OF OPERABLE UNITS

All OU-1 remedial action work has been completed as part of the overall requirements of the Administrative Order for Remedial Design and Remedial Action, Docket No. III-90-27-DC, signed by USEPA on June 20, 1990. The named Respondents are Rockwell International Corporation, Olin Corporation, GE Specialty Chemical, Inc., and Morgantown Industrial Park Associates, Limited Partnership (MIPA).

OU-2 encompasses all other parts of the MIP. OU-2 is not included within the Site’s NPL boundary. OU-2 comprised the remainder of the property, not including the currently active Crompton/GE Facility, and was addressed through a removal action performed in 1997 that included the following actions:

• Removal of water/debris from on-site sumps and pits;
• Off-site disposal of soils/sediments;
• Backfilling and re-vegetation of excavated areas; and
• Elimination of physical hazards.

USEPA has indicated that it does not expect further CERCLA responses for OU-2, as documented in the OU-1 ROD:

“EPA does not anticipate further CERCLA response actions within OU-2 of the OWDA, expansion of the NPL listing to include OU-2, or issuance of a ROD for OU-2. Although cleanup actions deemed necessary by EPA at the GE properties within OU-2 will likely occur under RCRA, the Agency has reserved its right to perform or require CERCLA response actions in connection with such properties.”

As of the date of this FYR, the GE properties are being addressed through EPA’s RCRA corrective action program. Since all of the contaminated material was removed, no operation and maintenance (O&M) of OU-2 is required and it is therefore not part of this Five-Year Review. Actions taken to address OU-2 are documented in the August 20, 1997 Final Report, Morgantown Ordnance Works, OU-2 Removal Action Report.

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TABLE 1 — OWNERSHIP and ACTIVITY

1940 – 1945
E.I. Dupont de Nemours under lease to U.S. Government produced hexamine from ammonia and methanol

1945 – 1950
Sharon Steel and Heyden Chemical leased property for coke plant and ammonia production

1951 – 1958
Olin Mathieson leased property and produced ammonia, methyl alcohol, formaldehyde, hexamine and ethylene diamine

1958 – 1962
Facility remained idle

1962 – 1978
Purchased and operated by Morgantown Ordnance Works, Inc. Leased to Sterling/Rockwell. 1964, Borg Warner purchase

1978 – 1982
Purchased and operated by Princess Coals, Inc.

1982 – Present
Purchased and operated by Morgantown Industrial Park Associates (MIPA), Limited Partnership

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Morgantown Ordnance Works Panoramas, 1940-1942 – Pieces of History, National Archives, 2018

Panoramic photograph of the construction of Morgantown Ordnance Works looking southeast at the plant, 10/9/1942. (National Archives Identifier 74627974)

https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2018/03/05/morgantown-ordnance-works-panoramas-1940-1942/

Solar co-ops have sprouted up across WV

Morgantown Farmers Market Pavilion, September 8, 2018, 2 – 5 PM,
400 Spruce St., Morgantown, WV

Clean Jobs for a Green Future, at the Morgantown Farmers Market Pavilion, September 8, 2018, 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm

On September 8th, as part of a global day of climate action with hundreds of events worldwide, several local organizations have organized RISE FOR RENEWABLES.

Join us in celebrating the potential and opportunities in clean, renewable energy! Bring your family and friends to enjoy the live music and free activities for children of all ages.

Renewable energy will revitalize our communities by providing good jobs that don’t harm our health or ruin the beauty of our land. West Virginia needs a strong, diverse economy to secure the prosperous future that our people deserve, We call on our elected leaders to stand with the people they serve and support policies that will bring clean jobs in renewable energy to our state.

The Monongalia Chapter of the West Virginia Sierra Club is joined by a number of sponsors, namely: Mountaineers for Progress, Sierra Student Coalition, Solar United Neighbors of West Virginia, the Citizens Climate Lobby, and the Morgantown Municipal Green Team (city advisory board).

If you’d like to volunteer or need more information contact:
Laura Yokochi (304)695-1523, email: lyokochi@aol.com
John Bird (304)864-8631, email: johnbird@frontier.com
_____________________________________________

For any team-related questions, please contact:

Pam Cubberly, Green Team Secretary
Pamela@Cubberly.net
(Alt: Cubberly@Outlook.com)

The West Virginia Water Research Institute at West Virginia University, with the help of the Colcom Foundation, is expanding its successful Monongahela River water quality monitoring program to include the upper Ohio and Allegheny rivers.

The Institute developed the Quality Useful Environmental Study Teams program – known as QUEST – in response to growing concern over total dissolved solids – or TDS – in the Monongahela River in 2009. The newly expanded program is now called Three Rivers QUEST, or 3RQ.

A $700,000 grant from the Colcom Foundation, a Pittsburgh-based private foundation dedicated to fostering a sustainable environment, will allow for a geographic expansion of the program to include the Allegheny and upper Ohio River basins.

The first step in expanding the program was identifying partners to implement the monitoring program in the new geographical regions. Using a Request for Proposals process, Wheeling Jesuit University was selected to monitor the water quality of the upper Ohio River areas from Pittsburgh, Pa. downstream to near Parkersburg, W.Va. The monitoring will include several locations on the main stem of the Ohio River as well as major tributaries in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Duquesne University in Pittsburgh will monitor the lower Allegheny River and its key tributaries while the Iron Furnace Chapter of Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited will monitor the upper portions of the Allegheny River and its tributaries.

The new program partners will be officially recognized and welcomed to the QUEST team at the annual State Water Research Conference on Tuesday and Wednesday (Oct. 30 and 31) at the Waterfront Place Hotel in Morgantown. The success of the QUEST program will be highlighted at this year’s event and presentations by Institute Director Paul Ziemkiewicz and QUEST Program Manager Melissa O’Neal will cover the topic in greater detail. To view the agenda and to register for this year’s event, visit www.wvwaterconference.org/2012.

The QUEST program includes a regimented, bi-weekly monitoring effort. While in the field, the Institute’s technicians record field data and collect water samples that undergo a rigorous chemical analysis at a state certified laboratory. In addition to the research, local watershed organizations participate in the monitoring program by collecting field data from various locations in the headwater streams of the rivers’ tributaries.

The QUEST program supports participating watershed organizations by providing access to monitoring equipment, chemical analysis of water samples and the use of an innovative data management tool that allows volunteers to enter their data via the internet into a secure, self-managed database. All the data collected is displayed on the program’s interactive web site (www.3riversquest.com) where citizens, scientists, federal and state agencies and industry have access to the water quality information and can search by location or date.

Founded in 1967, the West Virginia Water Research Institute is funded through the U.S. Geological Survey. It serves as a statewide vehicle for performing research related to water issues. It serves as the premier water research center in West Virginia and, within selected fields, is an international leader.

The primary mission of the Colcom Foundation is to foster a sustainable environment to ensure quality of life for all Americans by addressing major causes and consequences of overpopulation and its adverse effects on natural resources. Regionally, the Foundation supports conservation, environmental projects and cultural assets.

The grant from the Colcom Foundation was made in conjunction with “A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University.” The $750 million comprehensive campaign being conducted by the WVU Foundation on behalf of the University runs through December 2015.

CONTACT: Dave Saville, WV Water Research Institute
304.293.7066, Dave.Saville@mail.wvu.edu

In the State Journal, Cynthia McCloud has described the June 5th actions of the Morgantown City Council to place limits on drilling and fracking within the city limits by a vote of 7 to 0.  Council members also repealed, on a 6-1 vote, a horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing ban that Monongalia County Circuit Court overturned last year. Councilman Bill Byrne cast the no vote because, he said, he didn’t want to remove the ban before new zoning laws were on the books.

If the ordinances pass the second reading and final vote during the July 3 City Council meeting, drilling will be allowed within city limits only at the industrial zone that includes the Morgantown Airport and, for research purposes, on property owned by West Virginia University.

“We cannot utilize our zoning regulations in West Virginia to exclude any type of land use,” said Christopher Fletcher, Morgantown’s Director of Development Services. “In fact, it’s the exact opposite. We have to find places in the municipality for all land uses and development to occur.” 

The best places in Morgantown for extractive drilling to occur are its six industrial districts. But those industrial districts can contain an extractive industry site only if it is 625 feet from any residential areas, schools, day care facilities, hospitals, churches or parks. Sites also have to be 100 feet from the floodplain, 1,000 feet from the public water supply intake and 1,000 feet from the floodplain of the Monongahela River south or upstream of the Morgantown Lock and Dam.

“Most of our industrial districts are along the river, are along creeks and other bodies of water. What the state required was 100 feet from a creek or water body or a river or wetland,” he said. “The state code did not provide some direction on where you measure from. The high water mark, the average water mark? There’s no additional information that we need to get an accurate measurement. What we thought the best approach to be in an urban environment is to use the floodplain that is delineated on floodplain maps. Water isn’t flowing in those areas but during flood events, we wanted to protect those sensitive areas.”

When the setbacks are taken into account, the only district suitable for drilling is the one that is surrounded by airport property. Certain conditions will be placed on the operation focusing on security; noise, exhaust and dust control; secondary containment; spill reporting; flaring restrictions, including public notice; waste management and disposal; maintenance, clean-up and restoration.

If you missed the Oil and Natural Gas Expo in Morgantown yesterday and you want to imagine what it was like, combine a career fair, a PR campaign, a press conference, and a trade fair.  Throw in a little carnival food, some heavy industrial equipment, and the image in your mind should come close to the experience.

A map of booths both indoors and outdoors, including lists of participants, is available on the expo’s website.  The 200+ indoor displays included companies directly related to gas drilling and production operations, and a myriad of related services such as security companies, insurance companies, accounting firms, and companies that manufacture work uniforms.

A jar of waste water from a frack job. Please contact us if you find an oil and gas PR campaign displaying this kind of vivid honesty.

Outside booths featured ground moving equipment, cranes, a water storage container, a brine tanker truck, and most notably, a drill rig set up in the parking lot.  Visitors could get up close and personal with the equipment, generating a better sense of the huge scale of shale gas well pad operations, and even hold a jar of fracking waste water while asking questions of the company that cleans and recycles it.

Three forums were held throughout the day, and at least two of them “Expansion an Development in West Virginia,” and “Responding to Regulation,” resounded a theme that the gas industry has some catching up to do with damage it has caused both physically, and as a trustworthy participant in the community.  Speaking during “Expansion and Development in West Virginia,” Scott Rotruck, Chesapeake Energy’s vice president for corporate development admitted that the company tore roads to pieces in Wetzel County and is just now investing in improving and repaving them.  (Read more about the forum here…) At the “Responding to Regulation,” forum, James Walls of Spillman, Thomas, & Battle, PLLC, who represented Northeast Natural Energy (NNE) in the civil suit against the Morgantown city ordinance, spoke of the pressing need for increased transparency in the industry, and the consequences they are facing now from failing to have done a better job of it.  Nothing notable was actually expressed regarding industry stances on regulation; although, in responding to a question, Walls said confidently that there will be a public comment period included in the permitting process– the needed length of which, he said, was debatable.

Give the public more transparency, and fewer catchy phrases

Overall, what can a concerned citizen come away with from a visit to the expo? Industry should save their money wasted on insulting our intelligence through PR campaigns like “Just Beneath the Surface,” and instead provide more opportunities such as this one, where we can learn about the industry first-hand from the people on the ground and behind the scenes.  The expo was an excellent and rare opportunity to speak with equipment operators and industry professionals in person, ask questions, and get specific answers instead practiced televised responses.