Posted on 07/11/2010 12:06:21 PM PDT by Willie Green
A controversial method for extracting oil and natural gas from rock is prompting environmental organizations to action. But oil and gas experts say the fracking is safe and necessary to provide clean energy.
The Marcellus Shale is a rock formation deep under Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and West Virginia.
It's believed to hold 1.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Oil and gas company's use a method called hydraulic fracking to extract it.
The process involves drilling a hole and pumping in water to fracture the rock to release the gas.
"The fracking fluid itself is 99.5 percent sand and water so it's mostly harmless it does contain other things like a little bit of petroleum as well so it's possible I guess in terms of environmental impacts," said Dr. Kurt Friehauff of Kutztown University.
The HBO Documentary "Gasland" talks about those possible environmental impacts on ground water.
In one scene a man lights a running faucet on fire.
"All the places where the shale will be developed will leave this pollution legacy behind just like we've seen coal in Pennsylvania," said Tracy Carluccio of the Delaware River Keepers.
The Delaware River Keepers said they plan to protest fracking in the Marcellus Shale at the next meeting of the Delaware River Basin Commission.
The commission has put a moratorium on exploratory wells.
The Delaware River Keepers say they want it to expand to include all gas projects until regulations and safety standards are examined further.
The Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association said "Gasland" is and inaccurate portrait of fracking made to create an atmosphere of fear. In fact, they said fracking is being performed safely in 38 states.
"They are all saying the same thing in a million wells we have not had a problem with contamination by hydrolic fracturing," said Lou D'Amico, President of the Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association.
D'Amico said there are two studies being done on fracking in the state. One by the Environment Protection Agency and another by a group of industry experts and environmental activists.
Both sides of the debate are expected to voice their concerns at the Delaware River Basin Commission Meeting July 14th.
Oops, excuse me — I thought this was going to be a Battlestar Galactica thread...
Gasland is misleading...
latest ECO-SCARE the are creating because, by gosh, we actually found some valuable fossil-fuel domestic energy source and THAT JUST CANNOT STAND!
http://www.pennlive.com/letters/index.ssf/2010/07/gasland_is_misleading_about_fr.html
Quote from letter:
“Your recent review of the documentary “Gasland” notes not everything in the film’s narration is precisely accurate. In other words, the film is filled with distorted and misleading statements. Yet your editorial (June 20) urges Pennsylvanians to watch with the presumption they are getting an accurate picture of the hazards of natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania.
Claims about the secrecy of fracking fluids are false; these fluids are disclosed to DEP and available online. The film makes no mention of the safety record of hydraulic fracturing the process never has been linked to confirmed cases of groundwater contamination in 1 million applications through 60 years.
38
0
0Share
Natural gas drilling is subject to eight federal and 11 Pennsylvania acts or laws that regulate the impact of drilling. Before a well is drilled, thousands of pages of documentation must be filed and all locations are regularly examined by industry and regulatory inspectors. The call for a severance tax to ensure companies pay for infrastructure and environmental monitoring overlooks the fact that drillers already pay for road repair, construction and thousands in DEP fees for each well permit to cover monitoring costs.
With so much need for a clear evaluation of natural gas drilling, the biased and misleading “Gasland” is a missed opportunity.”
Me too.
What a frakking misleading headline.
What a frakking letdown!
Just a bunch of enviro-whackos trying to put the kibosh on gas drilling. Like the coal mines? I’m in an area where there was nothing but coal mining once-upon-a-time and we’re just fine. You can see cows grazing in the same field where the tanks for these gas wells stand. These people are trying to make something out of nothing.
So Willie, what is your opinion on this?
“As Ireland notes: “There’s never been a documented case of contaminated water supply.”
What more do you need to know?
How about an article discussing the depths at which fracking occurs, the geological depths of the water basin, the fates of fluids at different depths and the amount of mixing, etc, etc? Until I see some of those, and well-reasoned ones, I’m going to view these worries as being of the blind “Energy — Bad” variety.
Me too, Alley Cat.
In fact, we are having a Great Fracking Debate in our house right now. My 14-year-old (who isn’t even allowed to WATCH BSG), has taken to saying “Frack!”
RESOLVED:
The use of “Frack” by an irritated 14-year-old is not equivalent to the use of standard vulgarity.
Which of my FReeper friends will take the affirmative, and which will take the negative?
Happy Fracking Debating!
Regards,
Sssshh don’t tell anybody about how much CO2 we use.
Controversial? It’s been used for decades.
“Hydrolic” fracking?
****** “ So Willie, what is your opinion on this? “ *******
I can’t see how this Frakkin thing can do a Frakkin thing to them Frakkin Trains anyway.
TT
“presents,” not presengs
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.