Mark And Linda Wilfong: West Virginia Couple's Tap Water Lights On Fire, House Smells Like Natural Gas Ever Since Well Drilled (VIDEO)

In this video from CNN, WDTV visits a West Virginia couple who have been experiencing some disastrous problems with their running water.

Ever since Mark and Linda Wilfong drilled their new water well, they've had nothing but trouble. Their tap water now lights on fire and their house reeks of natural gas.

"I've gone to the doctor with ear aches. I mean, the fumes are so bad," Mark Wilfong tells WDTV.

The couple has to use bottled water to cook or shower with, and the Wilfongs say they have made countless calls to address the issue but with no results.

"You would think there would be state or government agencies out there to regulate this stuff. But, nobody is stepping up to do anything. They're putting responsibility back on us and it's not our fault," says Wilfong.

WATCH:

Comments

[DMSmith]

03:55 AM on 09/09/2010

It's the solution to our problems! We can now power our lives, our cars and our homes with water!!
How great is that? LOL

[Morgantheaxe]

12:01 PM on 09/08/2010

Yeh fracking is a practice that needs to stop immediately but this story has zero to do with it. Nat. gas is odorless until they put stinko in it. These folks obviously hit a sulphur deposit or some other problem when they had their well drilled. Fact is they need to get the driller back out there to do his job right. That well needs to be capped and the driller needs to cut em a discount on sinking one to the proper depth for potable water.

[joeamerican3]

04:17 PM on 09/08/2010

Actually your assessment isn't correct, yes Natural gas is odorless, but the odor is coming from all of the chemicals that they pump into the ground during the fracking process.

[Kassandra]

11:32 AM on 09/08/2010

This has happened in CO too.The corporations now get to experiment with our lives any way they think is profitable.
just Google Tap water on fire and see how many places this is going on.
"Why are the American people so unhelathy????"..it MUST be OUR fault. well, no, it's not:
Corporate Meteors Strike US Gulf
(They Got the Whole World In Their Hands)
http://www.rense.com/general91/corp.htm

By the way, I've stopped using my prescription fluoride toothpaste. you really need to check out whatever meds your docs prescribe for you these day too as they don;t know what they are and the FDA is just a rubber stamp for PhRMA and big business anymore.
This is what we get for allowing the Neo Cons to "drown our government in a bathtub"
Grover Norquist.

[The last sane American]

07:07 AM on 09/08/2010

Not sure how far the Wilfong's property in West Va. is from Drake's oil discovery in Pennsylvania.

"Drake had persevered and his drill bit had reached a total depth of 69.5 feet (21 m)."

So drill a little deeper and you will be rich!

[vetxcl]

10:53 PM on 09/07/2010

do they have a digger's hotline in that state?

[vetxcl]

10:52 PM on 09/07/2010

i know i'm asking for attacks, but did anyone bother to ask whether they drilled into a gas main? or would that have created an explosion?

[The last sane American]

07:08 AM on 09/08/2010

BIG ONE

[vetxcl]

03:18 PM on 09/08/2010

ty. faved.

[Angelus2007]

07:02 PM on 09/07/2010

If they are smelling the natural gas, there seems to be a problem with gas from a gas line leaking into their water line. Natural gas is odorless, mercaptan is added so a leak can be identified by smell. So if they are smelling gas, it is coming from already treated natural gas. The two most likely reasons are 1) Natural gas line is leaking into the aquifer (in this case others would have the same issue if they are getting their water from the same place). 2) Natural gas is getting into their water line; when they drilled they may have nicked an already existing gas line.

In the end, if they are smelling gas, they are getting alread treated gas into their water.

[The last sane American]

07:12 AM on 09/08/2010

Rotting vegetation, as well as regurgitation by cows (not in this case) can provide small amounts of hydrogen sulfide to naturally occurring methane, mimicking mercaptan.

[joeamerican3]

04:20 PM on 09/08/2010

Actually your assessment isn't correct, yes Natural gas is odorless, but the odor is coming from all of the chemicals that they pump into the ground during the fracking process.

[hidenout]

07:32 AM on 09/09/2010

And you base this analysis on what, exactly? Have you tested the samples? I don't know, you may be right, but are they using the fracking process anywhere near the Wilfong's residence? Where are you getting this information?

[demorick]

04:51 PM on 09/07/2010

Thank you, George Bush, Dick Cheney, et. al. ...you really put the screws to the people...

[The last sane American]

07:15 AM on 09/08/2010

And thank you demorick for the great insights you have added to this topic.

I will not await your next pronouncement.

[demorick]

10:00 AM on 09/08/2010

Ever hear of the Clean Water Act of 2005? It was a joke...it does absolutely nothing to protect our drinking water. I live about 40 miles north of the Wilfongs and have seen the results of this pathetic piece of legislation. And sorry...but you can blame the Bush administration for that, because they've been so pro-business/anti-environment that it's criminal. As for your awaiting my next pronouncement...I could care less what you think.

[Artemis34]

04:46 PM on 09/07/2010

It is like the 1969 Cuyahoga River fire ON TAP!

http://www.google.com/images?q=cuyahoga+river+fire+1969&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=M6SGTIGXMov4sAPEn9j2Bw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CDIQsAQwAw&biw=1400&bih=792

[lightningbolt]

04:28 PM on 09/07/2010

My advice to the Wilfongs: go around your town and see who else has the same problem. Gather all the people who have the same problem and take them to the entrance of the nearest gas drilling field. Block the entrance to the field until the government decides to do something about your problem. Only FORCE will make our corporate-dominated government work for us again.

[The last sane American]

07:15 AM on 09/08/2010

What happens if there is NOT a field nearby?

[PuertoR954]

02:08 PM on 09/07/2010

This enviormental disaster is brought to you by:

The Republican Party and the Energy Act of 2005

This bill exempted fluids used in the natural gas extraction process of Hydraulic fracturing from protections under the Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act, and CERCLA.

So DRINK UP AMERICA!

[julieintx]

02:18 PM on 09/07/2010

Senator Obama voted for it, as did 74 other senators.

[superjules]

03:03 PM on 09/07/2010

Do you work for Halliburton?

[Artemis34]

04:43 PM on 09/07/2010

The text of the legislation doesn't say "get people's tap water on fire."

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.6:

Senate votes:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00213

[The last sane American]

07:22 AM on 09/08/2010

Do not go near your local swamp or cow farm.

It will disappoint you as nature is also in the business of creating natural gas, smelly at times, especially the cows.

"This bill exempted fluids used in the natural gas extraction process of Hydraulic fracturing" because they are ALREADY controlled by state laws and regulations protecting safe water and air.

[devildog21]

02:03 PM on 09/07/2010

May as well get used to it. This is way things are in today's America. Let the big companies do whatever they want with no repercussions or responsibility.

Welcome to the Corporate States of America. Good news is, the South can start pulling out all that CSA crap from the Civil War again.

[SjayLa]

01:37 PM on 09/07/2010

Well this is just sad.

[Kalie]

01:37 PM on 09/07/2010

Extend the Bush tax cuts, that will help.

[karlo5]

01:14 PM on 09/07/2010

Run it to the furnace and you're all set. No smoking in the shower, please or the water gets real hot.

[The last sane American]

07:35 AM on 09/08/2010

Thank you for the chuckle