Pennsylvania Fracking Spill: Natural Gas Well Blowout Spills Thousands Of Gallons Of Drilling Fluid (VIDEO)

Thousands of gallons of fracking fluid have spilled following an accident at a natural gas well in Pennsylvania, WNEP reports.

The Chesapeake Energy well in Bradford County lost control late Tuesday night.

From WNEP:

The well blew near the surface, spilling thousands and thousands of gallons of frack fluid over containment walls, through fields, personal property and farms, even where cattle continue to graze.

Francis Roupp, deputy director of the county emergency management agency, told AP that there were no injuries, and that although fluids have reached a small stream, "no adverse effects" have been reported.

Roupp suggests a cracked well casing could be the culprit behind the fracking spill, but that certain details won't be known until the situation is under control.

Pennlive.com reports that seven families have been evacuated as a result of the spill.

The chemicals used in fracking fluids have been a contentious subject, as many energy companies have long guarded them as a "trade secret." A recent report released by three House Democrats says that millions of gallons of potentially hazardous chemicals and known carcinogens, such as methanol, have been injected into wells across the country by energy companies using the controversial fracking method.

Developing reports of the fracking spill in Pennsylvania come at a time when the fossil fuel industry is facing intense public scrutiny, as today marks the one-year anniversary of the Gulf oil spill.

WATCH Newswatch 16's report on the situation in Pennsylvania:   

Comments

[Hugh Everett]

10:44 AM on 05/30/2011

Fracking technology has allowed the development of massive new oil plays called Eagle Ford in South Texas and Bakken in North Dakota. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/28/business/energy-environment/28shale.html?_r=2

These oil fields have been described as producing volumes equivalent to Kuwait or Venezuela. The number of new American jobs is estimated in the millions.

Fracking is rapidly expanding the recoverable reserves of American oil and gas, allowing us to become energy independent, and potentially driving down the cost of energy worldwide.

My suggestion is that you learn to love fracking, because it’s here to stay.

[Briget Shields]

03:22 PM on 04/22/2011

If you read the account of what happened in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette the industry is quoted "we're not sure where the leak came from" and "we're not sure of how many gallons of fracing fluid was lost" they weren't sure what to do and had to bring in people from Texas like they do with all the accidents that occur. By it being labeled "a mechanical failure" they get exempted from any violations or penalties. It's criminal what is happening to Pennsylvania right now. Our drinking water is being compromised, with very toxic, carcinogenic, highly dangerous chemicals. There are thousands of stories just like this in Texas. PA will become the next industrial waste dump in the nation. The scary part, is the recent news of earthquakes being linked. They are fracking here in PA near Shippingport Nuclear Power Plant. Does that even sound reasonable to anyone??? This could destroy the Eastern US and then some. This industry isn't sure about a lot of things, one thing I'm sure of, this is the most important environmental issues we are facing today.

[knappAP]

11:15 PM on 04/24/2011

A Doug Shields supporter (or relative?) that is completely uninformed about natural gas drilling? WHY AM I NOT SHOCKED. Doug Shields and his Pittsburgh drilling ban are a total joke.

The BP spill was a "mechanical failure". Did they get exempted? Nope. What on god's green earth makes you think that because it was a mechanical failure that Chesapeake would be absolved of any responsibility? There most certainly ARE NOT thousands of stories like this all over PA. There are EXACTLY TWO. One in Clearfield, and this case. Get your facts straight. And tell Doug Shields to get his facts straight too.

-Mike Knapp
President
Knapp Acquisitions & Production
Kittanning, PA

[kmeccat]

08:25 PM on 04/26/2011

We have this knocking loudly on our door in NY state. Frightening.
My sympathies and best wishes.
At a time when we need political heroes, like Teddy and his cousin FDR, who stood up for the people, we get Govs, Senators and other slime ball politicians who have totally sold out to the corporations.
Even the EPA and DEC seem to be bought.
Profit above people.
Great priorities...

[fiorentina5]

11:47 PM on 04/21/2011

Why is the media not covering this, oh wait I already know.

[INDIVIDUALTERRY]

09:12 AM on 04/22/2011

Because its the equivalent of a dump truck turning over in Pookepsie ?
Its sensationalism , not journalism.

[Subtext]

09:54 AM on 04/22/2011

Perhaps more like a dump-truck filled with toxic materials turning over directly into the water-table.
But otherwise, close.

[fiorentina5]

11:34 AM on 04/22/2011

True true.

[JPETERB]

06:58 PM on 04/21/2011

*Facts about fracking, NYT

More than 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater was produced by Pennsylvania wells over the past three years, far more than has been previously disclosed. Most of this water — enough to cover Manhattan in three inches — was sent to treatment plants not equipped to remove many of the toxic materials in drilling waste.
*

At least 12 sewage treatment plants in three states accepted gas industry wastewater and discharged waste that was only partly treated into rivers, lakes and streams.
*

Of more than 179 wells producing wastewater with high levels of radiation, at least 116 reported levels of radium or other radioactive materials 100 times as high as the levels set by federal drinking-water standards. At least 15 wells produced wastewater carrying more than 1,000 times the amount of radioactive elements considered acceptable.

[JPETERB]

06:49 PM on 04/21/2011

"Francis Roupp, deputy director of the county emergency management agency, told AP that there were no injuries, and that although fluids have reached a small stream, "no adverse effects" have been reported."

I'm sorry, but if seven families have already been asked to evacuate their homes, as a result of the spill, there has already been an "adverse" effect for seven families. Evacuation must mean that their property is somehow un-safe. That their health and farm animals are in some type of danger. The health threat of unexpected and uncontrolled release toxic fracking fluid onto their land and a stream is an adverse effect. Mr. George Orwell would not be surprised it was a Pennsylvania public safety official busy at work.

[PAGasDriller]

06:53 PM on 04/21/2011

They evacuated the area because if the situation became worse and gas began to leak, there would be the possibility of an explosion, not because of danger from the frack water. The people are back in their homes and the water hasn't been removed or anything... so it's pretty obviously not the water.

[coyotefe]

07:16 PM on 04/21/2011

Why will the cattle be barred from drinking the water?

[JPETERB]

07:17 PM on 04/21/2011

So you can safely drink the fracking waste water, do you think? It is perfectly safe for us and our livestock to drink, now that is in on our land? And we can use it to water our food and forage crops, right. Because the waste water is sinking into our fields as we speak. If it is so safe then, why are the component chemicals and the producers of fracking fluids exempt from regulation under and prosecution under the Clean Water Act? Talk about a "special" treatment and private corporate conflict of interest here...Why is the whole fracking industry being exempted from the protective law of the land by a big "little" government?

[sprigsss]

03:54 PM on 04/21/2011

I just don't understand why so many people are against pumping diesel down an oil well. By all means don't put diesel in the formation. I mean where do you people think diesel comes from?

It is virtually impossible to contaminate an acquifer from fraccing. The only times chemicals could possibly come into contact with acquifers is in the drilling process or the cementing process.


In order for fraccing to occur there must be casing lining the entire wellbore that passes through the aquifers, and this casing must be cemented to the formation.

The fraccing process occurs thousands of feet below these aquifers. Fraccing companies wish they had the technology and ability to frac through thousands of feet of rock.

[Laura Hanna]

11:06 AM on 04/22/2011

Yes, and the whole problem with aquafier contamination is b/c the cement cracks or isn't installed properly. Then, when all that mess belches back up, it seeps into the water table through the cracked cement. Ask the people of Dimmock or Carmichaels, PA about it. Dead/sick cattle, sick people and "boil all water" orders issued from the DEP and water authority.

[Loretta Weir]

02:36 PM on 04/21/2011

It is outrageous that they use terms like "fluids" and "salt".....These people clearly don't understand the dangers nor do they understand that instead of "fluids", truth be told, they are "poisons" and these farmers think they are talking about table salt, for goodness sake! It is sad that these corporations have taken advantage of the 'uneducated'....they also have a great appeal to the 'greedy'......It is truly a sickening feeling to see what is happening and to know you are collateral damage.....at the hands of the A-moral, greedy and the illiterate....

[PAGasDriller]

06:45 PM on 04/21/2011

It's outrageous that we call things by their names?

[Loretta Weir]

07:52 PM on 04/21/2011

Yes, when toxin laced water is simply labeled 'fluid' and when bromides are labeled 'salts'.....this can mislead the uninformed public.....however I tried not to be too outrageous, so I appropriately named the people who engage and encourage an industry that is clearly committing 'environmental armageddon', A-moral and greedy......

[PAGasDriller]

11:47 AM on 04/22/2011

Speaking of misinformed public, are you speaking for all of them or just yourself?

[Anella Harmeyer]

01:13 PM on 04/21/2011

Every time I read the word Haliburton I feel sick to my stomach.

[lowery2008]

01:07 PM on 04/21/2011

Why are this greedy aholes allowed to use chemicals that the government doesn't even know whats in them. Really is this country ran by corporations? What happened to by the people and for the people. We should know what kind of toxic stuff they are pumping into the Earth and what kind of risks it presents to people and the environment.

[coyotefe]

07:18 PM on 04/21/2011

The Supreme Court ruled that corporations are people too.

[lastshot54]

09:42 PM on 04/21/2011

Then we need to build jails for corporations. Giant jails.

[lowery2008]

12:01 PM on 04/22/2011

Right but they are not held accountable as people are.

[danglines]

01:04 PM on 04/21/2011

Sue the jerks and force them to make it right, or they'l pull the same thing as in the gulf's of Mexico and Alaska.

[Subtext]

09:58 AM on 04/22/2011

It's much more dangerous to all of us, where they're working now.
Please watch "Gasland".

[darkmark]

01:01 PM on 04/21/2011

well there you go the end of the world. most of us go back to sleep after 6 nuclear plants in japan face possible melt down. the best i can do is keep doing what i've been doing, moving more and more away from the need of what corporations have to offer. conservation is one direction. i'm a conservative.

[NicoleS]

12:57 PM on 04/21/2011

Right now companies are only VOLUNTARILY reporting chemicals in use that have MSDS sheets. This does NOT include chemicals that companies claim fall under "trade secrets" or proprietary, which could be any number of undisclosed chemicals - for which no governing entity or anyone other than the company using it - knows the ingredients. This is part of a larger issue in this country where companies are able to hide behind the guise of "proprietary" or "competitive information" in order to not disclose potentially toxic chemicals that have implications for human health in their chemical products. More information:

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/gas-drilling/casey-voluntary-fracking-chemical-registry-not-enough-1.1132380

The US' broken chemical policy: http://notaguineapig.org/fixing-the-law/

[Chrome Child]

11:53 AM on 04/21/2011

Chemicals Used in the Hydraulic Fracturing Process in Pennsylvania
Prepared by the Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Oil and Gas Management
Compiled from Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) obtained from Inustry

Updated June 10, 2010

SEE LIST:
http://marcellusdrilling.com/2010/06/list-of-78-chemicals-used-in-hydraulic-fracturing-fluid-in-pennsylvania/

[Observer963]

12:09 PM on 04/21/2011

I gather the exact make-up is declared as "trade secret" by companies a.o. Haliburton and so the list is more or less a guess work based on what was found at the site. Here is what I am referring to:
http://www­.nytimes.c­om/2009/11­/03/opinio­n/03tue3.h­tml

[ElectronoftheOne]

12:38 PM on 04/21/2011

Yes. If you've seen the film SPLIT ESTATE, there's a clip of an interview with an industry spokesperson telling the interviewer that the formula is proprietary in the same way a fast-food chain wouldn't want to share the recipe for their special sauce.

[Observer963]

12:11 PM on 04/21/2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/opinion/03tue3.html

[Chrome Child]

09:51 AM on 04/24/2011

Nice link.

I'm so sick of every time any business - and especially big gas/oil - is told that their needs to be regulations because the side effects affect millions of people, they always threaten that it will deter production. F**k these guys.

[Diablo Canyon]

11:52 AM on 04/21/2011

Safer than nuclear reactors? Yes.

[ElectronoftheOne]

12:39 PM on 04/21/2011

So, choose your poison?

[considerthis]

12:45 PM on 04/21/2011

only a maybe

[Chrome Child]

11:48 AM on 04/21/2011

Two posts removed. The maudes can suck my chrome caulk.