Plastics production generates greenhouse gases and ...

From Peter Dykstra, Environmental Health News, September 27, 2020

While climate change remains environmental issue #1, the worries over plastic in our water, soil, food, and bodies continue to grow.

It’s hard to ignore the looming mountain of plastics problems. Plastic pollution has been hiding in plain sight as the next eco-calamity for decades. With climate change teed up as the major global environmental challenge, let’s take stock of another modern crisis.

Nurdle alert! My first encounter with nurdles was on what should have been a pristine Costa Rican beach in 1986. The lentil-sized, grayish pellets spread the sands for miles, along with a stunning number of shoes. I never figured out the source of the shoe spill, but nurdles eventually became a headline-maker in the oceans world.

Nurdles are resulting in many forms of pollution

One example: in 2017, 600 volunteers scoured 279 U.K. beaches, reporting that two-thirds of them were “littered” with nurdles.

Let’s talk recycling. For years, much of what we think of as recycled plastic was collected in communities and eventually shipped to Asia. In 2018, the People’s Republic of China formally announced that they’d officially had it. Imports of recyclable plastic had choked China’s landfills beyond reason. Early, rudimentary successes with recycled goods had run their course. But we reached Peak Flip-Flop, and China’s National Sword initiative slammed the door, barring plastic waste imports from the U.S. and about two dozen industrialized nations.

Most of our plastic goes to the landfill. In 1960 the U.S. sent roughly 390 tons of plastic waste to landfills, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 2017, the most recent year there is data for, that number shot to 26,820 tons, which is about nine times more than was recycled. Yikes.

Part of this is driven by the market to make plastics: the U.S. fracking boom caused an abundance of cheap natural gas and oil. By mid-2019, it was cheaper to make new plastic than it was to recycle the old stuff.

Here are some other quick facts to put a damper on your day:

§ >> In 2018, Norwegian researchers reported an enormous rise of plastic particles found in Arctic wildlife as well as similar increases of plastic particles in melting Arctic sea ice.

§ >> A 2019 Scripps study of sediments in California’s Santa Barbara Basin shows deposits of plastic have doubled every 15 years since the end of World War II.

§ >> Micro-plastics are of increasing concern in farm soils, including those placed there intentionally as seed coatings, artificial mulch, and more. Yes, intentionally.

In June of this year, a Utah State University researcher reported finding at least 1,000 tons of microplastics in 11 remote locations in the American West, including Grand Canyon National Park and Joshua Tree National Monument. The researcher suggested that “plastic deposition” in such remote places could mean we’re bathing in it, even when we’re miles from water.

We know the problem has been building for years, and the paths to solutions are often blocked by the fossil fuel industry, which sees salvation in plastics production as its other marquee products fade.

While we all rightly call for leaders to address, and in some cases just acknowledge, the climate crisis, let’s also remember to skip the straws and question those that keep pumping plastic out into our planet.

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See also: New Report On Plastics & Climate — The Hidden Costs Of A Plastic Planet, Cynthia Shahan, May 18, 2019

Contamination At 3,900 Fracking Spill Sites In N. Dakota Alone 

From an Article by Sami Grove, PopularResistance.Org, May 6, 2016

There’s no doubt that fracking has provided a boost to the North Dakota economy in recent years, but at what cost? New research from Duke University scientists has mapped 3,900 fracking spill sites in North Dakota, analyzing both water and soil around these locations and finding significant, persistent pollution levels that could have serious implications for human and environmental health alike.

Researchers found high levels of ammonium, selenium, lead and other toxic contaminants as well as high salt levels and radium, a naturally occurring radioactive element. And the problem appears to be persistent—pollutant levels regularly exceeded federal safety limits for safe drinking water or aquatic health, and at one site at least, the researchers were still able to detect high levels of contaminants in spill water four years after the spill occurred. This problem is apparently exacerbated by the fact that, unlike oil, many of the inorganic chemicals found in the wastewater are resistant to biodegradation, creating a long-term legacy of contamination.

Avner Vengosh, professor of geochemistry and water quality at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment, suggests these findings present a new picture of the potential downsides of fracking when wastewater is not safely managed:

“Until now, research in many regions of the nation has shown that contamination from fracking has been fairly sporadic and inconsistent. In North Dakota, however, we find it is widespread and persistent, with clear evidence of direct water contamination from fracking. The magnitude of oil drilling in North Dakota is overwhelming. More than 9,700 wells have been drilled there in the past decade. This massive development has led to more than 3,900 brine spills, mostly coming from faulty pipes built to transport fracked wells’ flowback water from on-site holding containers to nearby injection wells where it will be disposed underground.”

Assessing the full scope of contamination is also hindered, say researchers, by the fact that many smaller spills have occurred on tribal lands where monitoring is either insufficient or non-existent.

Once again, the true cost of gas proves a lot higher than what we’re paying for it.

See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

Soil Contamination & Water Pollution

Research is Reported Behind NY State-wide Fracking Ban

The  ”final supplemental environmental impact statement” (SEIS) incorporating public comments will be published in 2015

From the Article by Nicholas St. Fleur, The Atlantic Monthly, December 18, 2014

The battle over untapped natural gas in New York State appears to have reached its end. Following an extensive public health review of hydraulic fracturing, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a complete ban on the oil and natural gas harvesting practice in the state on Wednesday.

The 184-page report, conducted by the New York State Department of Health, cites potential environmental impacts and health hazards as reasons for the ban. The research incorporates findings from multiple studies conducted across the country and highlights the following seven concerns:

• Respiratory health: The report cites the dangers of methane emissions from natural gas drilling in Texas and Pennsylvania, which have been linked to asthma and other breathing issues. Another study found that 39 percent of residents in southern Pennsylvania who lived within one kilometer of a fracking site developed upper-respiratory problems compared with 18 percent of those who lived more than two kilometers away.
• Drinking water: Shallow methane-migration underground could seep into drinking water, one study found, contaminating wells. Another found brine from deep shale formations in groundwater aquifers. The report also refers to a study of fracking communities in the Appalachian Plateau where they found methane in 82 percent of drinking water samples, and that concentrations of the chemical were six times higher in homes close to natural gas wells. Ethane was 23 times higher in homes close to fracking sites as well.
• Seismic activity: The report cites studies from Ohio and Oklahoma that explain how fracking can trigger earthquakes. Another found that fracking near Preese Hall in the United Kingdom resulted in a 2.3 magnitude earthquake as well as 1.5 magnitude earthquake.
• Climate change: Excess methane can be released into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming. One study predicts that fracking in New York State would contribute between 7 percent and 28 percent of the volatile organic compound emissions, and between 6 percent and 18 percent of nitrogen oxide emissions in the region by 2020.
• Soil contamination: One analysis of a natural gas site found elevated levels of radioactive waste in the soil, potentially the result of surface spills.
• The community: The report refers to problems such as noise and odor pollution, citing a case in Pennsylvania where gas harvesting was linked to huge increases in automobile accidents and heavy truck crashes.
• Health complaints: Residents near active fracking sites reported having symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, nosebleeds, and headaches according to studies. A study in rural Colorado which examined 124,842 births between 1996 and 2009 found that those who lived closest to natural gas development sites had a 30 percent increase in congenital heart conditions. The group of births closest to development sites also had a 100-percent increased chance of developing neural tube defects.

In 2008, New York State suspended its fracking activities pending further research into the health, environmental, and economic effects. Since the moratorium six years ago, many different scientific groups have conducted hydraulic fracturing research, as the state’s report reflects.

“I asked myself, ‘would I let my family live in a community with fracking? The answer is no.”

Howard Zucker, the acting state health commissioner who helped spearhead the report, addressed the ban with Gov. Cuomo in Albany. “I cannot support high-volume hydraulic fracturing in the great state of New York,” said Zucker, according to The Wall Street Journal. He added, “I asked myself, ‘would I let my family live in a community with fracking? The answer is no,” The Los Angeles Times reported.

But Cuomo and Zucker’s critics were quick to blast the ban, which they say will cost the state millions in jobs and energy. Dean Skelos, the Republican co-leader of the New York State Senate, said the move was shaped by politics, not science. “The decision implies that at least 30 other states, Senator Schumer and the Obama Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency are wrong about the health impacts and do not care about the well-being of millions of American citizens,” he said in a statement. Others have lashed against Zucker’s comments about not letting his family live in a fracking community despite not having children.

Zucker also voiced concern over how little is known about the long-term effects of injecting water and chemicals into the Marcellus shale, the disputed natural gas reserve that has been the subject of debate in New York and elsewhere. The new report, he said, highlights gaps in the current scientific understanding of fracking’s impact on groundwater resources, air quality, radon exposure, noise exposure, traffic, psychosocial stress, and injuries.

“The bottom line is we lack the comprehensive longitudinal studies, and these are either not yet complete or are yet to be initiated,” Zucker said according to The Syracuse Post-Standard. “We don’t have the evidence to prove or disprove the health effects. But the cumulative concerns of what I’ve read gives me reason to pause.”

See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

ASCENT Cracker Project Site

Appalachian Shale Cracker Enterprise, LLC (ASCENT) Submits Voluntary Remediation Program Application to WV-DEP

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WV-DEP: Monday, August 25, 2014
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The Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) at the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) has accepted a Voluntary Remediation Program application submitted by Appalachian Shale Cracker Enterprise LLC (ASCENT) to address environmental conditions at the SABIC Innovative Plastics (SABIC) facility in Wood County.

The site is located at 9226 DuPont Road in Washington, W.Va., and consists of approximately 363 acres. It is made up of two tracts. The “South Tract” is owned by ASCENT and encompasses mostly undeveloped property of approximately 194 acres. The “North Tract” is owned currently by SABIC – with transfer of title to ASCENT expected in November 2015 – and encompasses developed property of approximately 169 acres. The “North Tract” was originally developed for plastics production in 1955 by Marbon Chemical Company and was known as the Woodmar Site. In 1972, the site was purchased by Borg-Warner Chemicals. GE Plastics (GEP) purchased the facility in 1998, and then sold it to SABIC in August 2007. ASCENT closed on the final purchase of the “South Tract” of the site this past January. The future use for both the “North and South Tracts” will be as an industrial facility with an ethane cracker, three polyethylene plants and associated infrastructure.

OER is currently negotiating a Voluntary Remediation Agreement (VRA) with the applicant. Under the agreement, the applicant will work with the WVDEP to identify human health and ecological risks associated with current and potential future uses of the site, establish applicable remediation standards, and ensure that standards are maintained at the site. Upon completion of the remediation, a final report will be submitted to OER for review and approval.

West Virginia’s Voluntary Remediation and Redevelopment Act encourages voluntary cleanups of contaminated sites, as well as redevelopment of abandoned and under-utilized properties, with an objective of counteracting the lack of development on sites with contamination or perceived contamination. By providing financial incentives to invest in brownfields, this approach protects communities and the environment while still promoting economic development in West Virginia.

Questions about the Voluntary Remediation Program or this application should be directed to either WVDEP Project Manager Erin Brittain (WVDEP-OER, 2031 Pleasant Valley Road, Fairmont, WV 26554; 304-368-2000, ext. 3728) or Licensed Remediation Specialist David Carpenter (ERM, 204 Chase Drive, Hurricane, WV 25526; 304-757-4777, ext. 101).

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How to Regulate WV Storage Tanks?

WV-DEP Requests Public Input on Storage Tank Rules

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From: WV-DEP, April 25, 2014 @ 4:14 PM
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The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV-DEP) is seeking public input on what should be included in the rules related to how above ground storage tanks are regulated.

As a requirement of the newly passed WV Senate Bill 373 legislation, which is known to some as “The Water Resources Protection Act,” and to others simply as “The Tank Bill,” the agency must draft rules for a new Aboveground Storage Tank Regulatory Program in time for lawmakers to consider them during the 2015 legislative session. In order to meet that deadline, the WV-DEP will file its proposed regulations as an emergency rule this fall.

Normally, public comment is taken after rules have been drafted. However, because this program is new to the department, and because of the many interests at stake, WV-DEP Secretary Randy Huffman decided to approach the rule-making process for the tank program a little differently.

“We would appreciate input from industry groups, experts, any member of the public with an idea about what needs to be addressed in the rules,” said Huffman. “We will consider that input as we draft the regulations.”

Ideas can be submitted to the agency via email or through the mail by May 15. The email address is:  WVDEPTankRules@wv.gov

Letters can be mailed to:

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
Tank Rules, 601 57th Street, SW
Charleston, WV 25304

Once the first draft of the regulations is ready, which is expected to occur in mid-July, additional comments from stakeholders will be considered in revising the regulations before they are filed with the Secretary of State’s office. At that time, the rules will be put out for public notice, which includes a process by which the public can submit written comments or speak out at a public hearing.

“We want this process to be as open and inclusive as possible,” Huffman said. “If you have an idea, please feel free to submit it. Your suggestions will help us achieve our goal of making these rules as thorough and as effective in safeguarding public health and the environment as possible.”Again, the deadline to submit ideas for the first draft of the rules is May 15. The WV-DEP asks that contact information be included in the letters or emails so that someone from the agency can call or write back with follow-up questions if necessary.

Lisby Pad (Photo taken from public road)

One Man Injured at Lisby Well Pad on Big Run Road

By Duane Nichols from Internet Reports and Pictures, January 4, 2014

According to information from Indian Creek and Big Run in Tyler County, on January 2nd there was a late night explosion at the Lisby well pad of Jay-Bee Oil & Gas. Apparently one employee on site was injured and taken for treatment, perhaps by helicopter.The Lisby well pad, about a mile up Big Run and three miles from WV Route 18, is partly located on property owned by Terry and Theresa Jackson and partly owned by Donald Lisby. Both live on Big Run Road.

Drilling was completed on this pad a few months ago; and, fracking was begun in December. There did not seem to be any fire associated with the explosion. However the force of the explosion blew the bottom off of a large storage tank, and then blew the tank more than 100 feet over top of some large frack trucks and into the hillside next to the road. (It is surprising that the WV-DEP would approve a well pad directly along side of a public road, with no set back distance what so ever!)

The contents of the tanks, apparently fracking fluids, were dispersed over the well pad and the adjoining creek bottom. Clean up of the contaminated soil in the hay field has not been done. Partial containment appears to have been attempted to try to keep run off from getting into the Big Run creek.

The picture above shows the five remaining storage tanks as well as some of the pieces from the one that exploded. Additional pictures can be seen on Facebook, as posted by Occupy the Hollers.