EPA Brings Dimock, PA Fresh Water

DIMOCK, Pa. -- A tanker truck has made its first delivery of fresh water to four homes in a northeastern Pennsylvania village where federal regulators say they found arsenic and chemicals often used in gas drilling in the well water.

The Environmental Protection Agency paid for Friday's delivery in Dimock, Susquehanna County, after reviewing water sampling data that regulators say revealed high levels of pollution in residential wells.

Anti-drilling activists hailed the EPA move at a news conference.

But Houston-based driller Cabot Oil & Gas Corp., the company blamed for the polluting the wells, issued a statement criticizing EPA for its involvement, saying state regulators had already determined the residents' water met federal regulatory standards. Cabot also noted that EPA told the residents less than two months ago their water was safe.

Comments

[Tom Shepstone]

09:18 PM on 03/15/2012

Here is the latest:

http://eidmarcellus.org/blog/further-review-of-the-data-in-dimock-shows-room-for-epa-error/6021/

[Airon Barnes]

12:14 PM on 01/28/2012

Unfracking beleivable!!!

[floridan56]

08:12 AM on 01/24/2012

'tainting' is a little soft on the facts.
Call it for what it is: POISONED (for profit) WATERSOURCES.

Will they be delivering fresh water to the trees and wildlife as well?
Pa. is such a beautiful State too.
Too bad they're falling for the filthy gas and other gambling scams.
Glad my ancestors there are mostly gone because knowledge of this would kill them otherwise.

They can frack with pressurized steam instead of chemicals but don't, because it's cheaper the toxic way. Go figure.

[adan brunner]

11:27 PM on 03/06/2012

!!!. Fracking would also be a great way to dispose of other toxic chemicals that are byproducts of other industries. Just like depleated uranium ends up in military applications, fracking chemicals could, thanks to Cheney's Halliburton loophole, be comprised of chemicals that would have been expensive to properly dispose of. I expect that the toxic waste disposal industry is contractor to contractor to contractor, no accountability in those chains.

[kanuck tatonka]

12:35 AM on 01/23/2012

if you want the truth aboot fracking or off shore oil drilling, start a company and try and get a fracking/off shore permit on or around cape cod...

[PlayTOE]

05:18 AM on 01/22/2012

Cabot Oil & Gas Corp should be paying for the water replacement, not the taxpayers.

[floridan56]

08:18 AM on 01/24/2012

They should be in jail and paying enormous fines for their potentially genocidal practices, and afford people new homes where the water is un'tainted', while they find some way to suck the toxins back out of the ground they infused. This is pure insanity for greed & profit sake.

[robodawa]

07:15 PM on 01/21/2012

This is a bad precedent. A federal agency should not be bringing in the water. It should be the company that ruined their water system. And that should be enforced by the state and local agencies that green lit this masterpiece of technology. I do not want my fed tax money going to help a state that is too lax, corrupt, inept and downright sub-I Q, drool-cup, inbred stupid to know
when a fly by night outfit is raping their watershed.

[WESmith]

08:18 PM on 01/21/2012

Who owns the natural gas? Who chose the drilling company? Who authorized fracturing? Who chose the fracturing company? Who chose the completion company? Who chose the production company? Whoever owns the natural gas must be a company or the government. It is a 90% chance that it is the government that owns the natural gas. It is a 100% chance that the State and the Federal government collect taxes from every aspect of producing this natural gas. Who makes the most profit from selling this natural gas? Natural gas companies average 9.5% profit compared to 10% for manufacturing. Let's see; Walmart has a 3.9% profit margin and Apple has a 42% profit margin. What taxes do oil& gas companies pay? Well, for every $1 billion in profit, they pay $7 billion in taxes. What do oil&gas companies pay in leases and royalties? Well, for every $1 billion in profit, they pay $6 billion in leases and royalties.
We may be bailing out someone from their responsibilities, but it probably isn't the gas company. It is more likely you and me. So, why shouldn't we pay for the damage, when we get the most profit?

[bbrecht]

07:37 PM on 01/22/2012

Oh please you strain all logic. The gas company gets the profit, the gas company assumes the risk. That's how the game is played. EPA should pass new guidelines on fracking. Meanwhile, I guess these people are *lucky* to have water.

[Paul108]

03:07 PM on 01/22/2012

the government can take emergency measures and do cost recovery later. supplying water does not have to wait for litigation.

[realityCheckInTheMail]

04:36 PM on 01/21/2012

Here is the link where Barack Obama brags about how much fracking has been done under his administration, and how he's increased in fracking on BLM land.

http://bit.ly/Az3WHH

Hahahahaa!!

[realityCheckInTheMail]

04:33 PM on 01/21/2012

Luckily, Barack Obama is pro-fracki­ng.

http://col­oradoindep­endent.com­/110275/ob­ama-touts-­record-dom­estic-oil-­and-gas-pr­oduction-i­n-wake-of-­pipeline-r­ejection

That record production he's talking about - it's entirely based on ***fracking****.

I **LOVE** stories like this. The Democratic president is bragging about how much fracking he's done on BLM. Obama is literally boasting about how he's been the "fracking" president!

Fantastic!

Maybe all you fractivists should vote for Nader again?

Frack on, USA!

[bbrecht]

07:38 PM on 01/22/2012

It doesn't matter. So long as the republicans are voting for whack jobs, we're voting for Obama.

[realityCheckInTheMail]

08:28 PM on 01/22/2012

Cmon man, you really want to vote for a pro-fracking candidate? Barack Obama brags about how much fracking he's allowed on public land!!!! What could be worse than that!

The lesser of two evils is still evil! The only "fractivisit friendly" candidates are on the Green Party ticket!!!

Hahahahaha!

[WESmith]

02:58 PM on 01/21/2012

Just think! Fracking has been going on for billions of years. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for fracking. It is an essential part of Evolution. There would be zero plant life without fracking.

[WESmith]

08:05 PM on 01/21/2012

There have always been fractures in the Earth. They are a natural phenomenom. Fracturing the dense formations where nonconnecting pockets of natural gas exist in the bends of rivers and streams long past is using science and technology to allow the methane to naturally reach the surface. Unless stopped by a barrier, all methane is scientifically destined to reach the surface. The fracturing done by "fracturing companies" very rarely produces new fractures. They widen natural fractures, thousands of years old, by maybe a 1/8th of an inch on average. They lengthen them by maybe 50 feet.
Unscientific politicians using religious tactics tell their followers that fracturing is Evil, done by Evil people. To be Saved, one must not allow this Evil deed to be done, even if it is a means to stop or stem the use of dirty coal to produce "green" electricity. The same chemicals we have in our homes are Evil, Poison, Toxic and Cancerous when used by the Evil Industry of Natural Gas. Natural gas brought up from Hell, two miles down is Evil. Natural gas that we produce in our back yard composts is benevolent. Amen Brother.

[bbrecht]

07:40 PM on 01/22/2012

Nobody is saying fracking is Evil, but a lot of people are saying it's stupid.

[Lachelle Wolfe]

12:28 PM on 01/21/2012

I think they should be invited over for a glass or two! We'll see how long they think it's safe when they have to drink it!

[WESmith]

02:00 PM on 01/21/2012

Who is "they?"

[holapapi]

03:28 PM on 01/21/2012

Houston-based driller Cabot Oil & Gas Corp

[Lachelle Wolfe]

11:03 AM on 01/22/2012

who do you think? here's you sign!

[Bluesky555]

11:58 AM on 01/21/2012

HBO on Demand: GASLAND. That documentary should be watched by all. At the end it showed a map of the Northeastern US where the next wave of fracking for gas was planned (and already started by the time the documentary came out). That plan is going to RUIN much of the northeast's underground water. Wake Up people!!
They are offering land owners who are currently devastated by the poor economy and joblessness a pittance for drilling rights on their land, then polluting all the water for miles around.

[Too Handsome]

12:18 PM on 01/21/2012

Gasland is nothing more than an expose that uses pyrotechnic effects to “prove” that fracking is turning water into fire around the country. The film, created by Josh Fox, an actor who the New York Times called "one of the most adventurous impresarios of the New York avant-garde," is an avant-garde and adventurous look at the science behind hydraulic fracturing- that is, if you translate avant-garde as “completely fictionalized.”

Liberals don’t think it’s necessary to have scientists investigate the claims made in Gasland, especially when they can "prove" the claims by movie magic created by a celebrated actor, playing a pseudo-scientist-slash-activist who is supported in part by “five grants from the National Endowment for the Arts” and enjoys support from the nephew of George Soros. Really.

[Bluesky555]

01:57 PM on 01/21/2012

That is not entirely true. Fox was accused of leaving out relevant facts regarding "the natural occurrence of methane in groundwater PRIOR to fracking...." so therefore his assumption that the instances of water lighting that he showed in his documentary due to fracking is (should be deemed) unfounded...

Fox contends that the reports of water lighting due to naturally occurring methane in ground water is Not Relevant to the specific instances he highlighted in his documentary - because prior to the fracking in those specific areas, there were NO instances of natural methane in groundwater (or water lighting) reported to any agency whatsoever.
So the fact that naturally occurring methane happened elsewhere for other reasons, doesn't automatically negate his presentation that immediately following fracking in some areas, methane pollution ("naturally occurring" or not) is now present in groundwater and homes.

Your accusation that water lighting is a (movie style) special effects is wrong- it is real. The REASONS are being debated, not the existence of water lighting.

As for fox being an "avant-garde" film maker that is also irrelevant. He happens to be a landowner in NY State (if I recall correctly) who got involved because he received an offer in the mail, (just like many of his rural neighbors), from the gas company to lease a portion of his land for gas drilling. That started him looking into the whole deal.
But thanks for playing....

[WESmith]

02:36 PM on 01/21/2012

Darn! I already have drawn up plans (using equipment I was going to buy at the tractor/farm supply store) to put a gas/liquid separator on my tap water. I was going to heat my home, cook my food and light my patio with the free methane.

[Naperville Limo]

11:18 AM on 01/21/2012

And this is exactly why I don't like to drink sink water....

[WESmith]

02:42 PM on 01/21/2012

It is worse in Houston now that we have to drink lake water. Of course if we were to continue to drink well water, West Houston would have subsided until it disappeared into the Gulf. West Houston was dropping close to half a foot a year. They had to repair the two big faults on the Katy Freeway every few months.
At least when oil companies produce oil, they replace that oil with compatible brine. If oil companies were as irresponsible as water well owners, we would have all suffered earthquakes or sunk into the ocean.

[littleblackcat]

10:56 AM on 01/21/2012

That the water may have been fine two months ago ignores the fact that much can happen in that space of time. Think of it like this: The house on the corner was fine this morning at 9:00 a.m. but at 10:30 there was a gas explosion and the house burned to the ground by 12:00 noon.

Nothing disputes the truth that the house was there at 9 nor that it is now gone at 12. Two different truths, each the absolute truth for two different times.

[WESmith]

02:54 PM on 01/21/2012

Politicians could come up with at least 50 other absolute truths depending on the time and the need. Anyone can make an assumption based on their agenda.
Maybe the owners of the house had a compost pile or were sweeping their grass clippings into the storm sewer or cleaning their car engine with gasoline or diesel, or kept oily rags in the closet with the hot water heater or the kids were playing with matches or there was an arson or an angry neighbor or the owner couldn't pay his mortgage and burned the house down or it was a lover's spat gone wild or lightening struck the ungrounded antenna or it was an alien living in the basement or 200 frat brothers farted at the same time with a lit match or there is a natural natural gas seep in their yard or they were a welder and forgot to close the acetylene tank valve or the nitrous oxide valve or there was a meth lab in the basement or........................................................ fill in the blank. I think we could come up with a thousand assumptions if given time. Just pick the one that returns the largest benefits.

[dayvidBrooks]

10:36 AM on 01/21/2012

How come they never find energy where the rich people live? People like mitt romney can have a hundred homes in all 50 states and not one of them will have fracking problem like this.

[WESmith]

02:13 PM on 01/21/2012

I own property in several States and on each of the deeds it says that you (assuming you are an American citizen) own the natural gas. You are allowing them to frack the formation under my land to produce your natural gas. You are being paid for this natural gas. You pay gas companies to produce your natural gas for you. Why would you do this to me.

[IrishEyes21]

11:02 AM on 01/22/2012

In PA not everyone owns their mineral rights. Which means the oil and gas companies can come in and drill or frack and you have absolutly no say about it.

[realityCheckInTheMail]

05:06 PM on 01/21/2012

Wha? You've never heard the term "shaleionaire".

[WESmith]

08:37 PM on 01/21/2012

It takes a million dollars to drill, complete and fracture a well. If the well makes a profit for the gas company, it may be 5-10 years down the line at $2 for 1000 cuft of natural gas. So the well has to produce 500 million cuft of methane to break even on the completion. This doesn't take into account that they must pay lease fees and royalties to the owner of the natural gas and the land from day one. They also have to pay for maintenance and transportation fees from day one. Oh yeah they have to pay taxes too.

[mater]

10:22 AM on 01/21/2012

Surely you poor folks must be aware that the drilling companies and many private people will swear that this contaminated water you are actually unable to drink is contrived BLARNEY by environmentalists to keep from more oil drilling and subsequent degradation of land and water--all over the country!!! I get all sorts os snotty, denier comments and i wish you could tell these people what it's really like not to be able to turn on the faucet and have a glass of clean, pure water to give to your kids, your pregnant wife, your dog or cat, or anything without metals in it to cook in or take a shower. You are living the nightmare and I feel we need to keep helping everyone of you recover from this blunder.