Methane Reported In 2 Northern Pennsylvania Water Wells

CANTON, Pa. (AP) — State environmental regulators say methane had to be vented from a pair of private drinking wells near a northern Pennsylvania natural gas drilling well.

The Department of Environmental Protection says gas bubbling has also been reported in wetlands near the homes in LeRoy Township, Bradford County.

The DEP says the source of the methane hasn't been determined but driller Chesapeake Energy Corp. is screening all private wells within 2,500 feet of its Morse drilling pad.

The complaint was first made to DEP on Saturday.

Also on HuffPost:

From our partners

• Widespread Greenland Melting A Sign Of Things To Come - Climate Central
• Limiting Methane Leaks Critical To Gas, Climate Benefits - Climate Central
• 11 Images And Facts About A Misunderstood Creature - Mother Nature Network

Comments

[BrianDallasPA]

09:20 PM on 07/18/2012

The best way to document or know an issue or problem has occurred is to help compile the baseline testing data. Free program - get help understanding the results and work as a community to track change

Free Assistance and Citizens Database
http://www.water-research.net/privatewellPA.htm

Private Well Owner and Watershed Survey of Marcellus Shale Region

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NMG6RQ3

Thanks

Brian

[RahSolar]

07:27 PM on 06/01/2012

If the fracking industry was so transparent, why do they put non disclosure clauses in the contracts they sign with property owners?
Also, if fracking was so safe for water supplies and aquifers why do we have the Halliburton loophole which omits fracking from the EPA safe water act?

Everything you need to know about fracking but the gas company won't tell you.

http://www.earthworksaction.org/issues/detail/hydraulic_fracturing_101

[jimboy71]

10:11 PM on 05/23/2012

The answer to the question is obvious. Jesus put it there.

[atichs]

10:39 AM on 05/23/2012

For all of you not in the oil business PA is drilled up like Swiss cheese due to the eight pay zones underneath it. In fact the state has only three injection wells because of the well known trans strata problems. Fracking does not occur in the vertical well bore only in the laterals. A bad cement job causes more migrational problems than straight Fracking will ever do. The problem lies in folks who have no clue about oil and gas complaining out of ignorance and fear. this publication has never been interested in truth or fact.

[OkieMon]

09:08 AM on 05/23/2012

pro fracking industry/groups have no real science to back up any of their claims while anti-fracking has plenty of peer reviewed science to back up their claims....hey...just like global warming...what a coincidence...

[OkieMon]

09:04 AM on 05/23/2012

corrupt natural gas corporations are now actually fracking in the top 1000 foot aquifer/drinking water zone because this area is rich in biogenic methane from micro-organisms....just unreal....all fracking needs to be banned in this country....

[energydem]

08:27 PM on 05/25/2012

From IEA, May 23rd

According to the International Energy Agency, US energy-related emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, have fallen 450m tonnes over the past five years – the largest drop among all countries surveyed.
Fatih Birol, IEA chief economist, attributed the fall to improvements in fuel efficiency in the transport sector and a “major shift” from coal to gas in the power sector. “This is a success story based on a combination of policy and technology – policy driving greater efficiency and technology making shale gas production viable,”

[DogsRule1]

06:51 PM on 05/22/2012

Cows should also be banned .. they put out more co2 than cars

[wtf is this]

11:08 PM on 05/22/2012

We should at least harness their output as fuel....

[DocSkull]

07:02 AM on 05/23/2012

"Cows should also be banned .. they put out more co2 than cars."

No, cows are carbon neutral and only give off what they take in. However, cows sickened by corn feed do produce a lot of methane which is an highly effective greenhouse gas.

[tampajohn]

06:02 PM on 05/22/2012

Methane gas has been found in well water long before the Marcellus Shale drilling started. It is not even listed as a hazard. Everybody calm down - this is false drama.

[Joe Dallas]

09:57 PM on 05/22/2012

for the geographically challenged and the geologically challenged - How did the community of burning springs Pa, burning springs WV get their name - from the naturally occurring methane in the ground water - they got their names in the 1800's - can anyone remember when fracking started?

[DocSkull]

07:09 AM on 05/23/2012

Where is Burning Springs, PA? Does it even exist?

[Russ Klettke]

07:56 AM on 05/23/2012

For the logically challenged, those towns got their names because that naturally occurring methane was there long before people settled there. When new methane shows up in the water supply where it had not been previously, something new happened. Are you with us so far? Now....what's new here? Springtime? Baby bunnies? Four-hundred seventeen chemicals injected into deep wells at such high pressure that it (by intent) cracks underground shale rock to release gasses, a process which is strongly believed to be the cause of small earthquakes in Arkansas and Ohio? Hmmmmm, what could it be ... so mysterious ...

[HazelPethigFan]

10:21 PM on 05/22/2012

How dare you post facts on Huffpost.

These people want irrational hysterical fearmongering, not science and fact.

[DocSkull]

07:12 AM on 05/23/2012

The science and facts in this case is that there is methane in the well water of people closest to the fracking site. Are you suggesting that there is evidence to the contrary?

[tampajohn]

12:54 PM on 05/23/2012

I sorry - I have an open mind and no agenda.

[OkieMon]

04:40 PM on 05/22/2012

chesapeake screening only 2500 feet from their well pads ? get real....their horizontal drill/fracks can extend up to a mile and a half radially from each pad...

[D-Driller]

03:35 AM on 05/23/2012

Yes, but the gas is coming from the vertical wellbore, not the horizontal legs 1000's of feet below. And actually, 10,000'+ laterals are common.

[plans includingdog]

03:30 PM on 05/22/2012

Another possible oil spill.I know enough is enough but this is ridiculous.

[D-Driller]

03:36 AM on 05/23/2012

So, these are gas wells. No oil.

[Russ Klettke]

08:00 AM on 05/23/2012

The two naturally occur together, so Plans' comment is not far off the mark. Before we understood that natural gas was a seriously powerful greenhouse gas, it was simply vented into the atmosphere at oil drilling sites. Now drillers are required to burn it off, the reason there are flares at many drilling sites. As the value of natural gas goes up (if it goes up), there are all kinds of technologies being developed to save the gas at oil drilling sites.