UM-Fracking Study: Hydraulic Fracturing - Technical Reports and Integrated Assessment Comments

I just submitted the following comment:

In short: Fracking is unnecessary risk taking for short term profiteers neglecting once more the precautionary principle that we humans owe to the other creatures of this planet (and to our own species).

Renewable energy from wind and the sun is doable now, especially if only 10% of the resources pumped into oil and gas exploration and bio fuels would go to the only long-term sustainable energy sources. Depending on the political will, all energy needs of 7 billion people on this planet could be satisfied in 5-30 years (research by Mark Z. Jacobson and Mark A. Delucchi, Stanford). There is absolutely no reason to take the high risks of fracking in the name of energy safety. There is evidence of massive air pollution (Colborn T, Schultz K, Herrick L, and Kwiatkowski C. 2012 (in press), HOWARTH, R., R. SANTORO, AND A. INGRAFFEA. 2012. Venting and leaking of methane from shale gas development: response to Cathles et al. Climatic Change 113:537-549.). An exploratory study of air quality near natural gas operations. Hum Ecol Risk Assess. ), and water pollution (BAMBERGER, M., AND R. E. OSWALD. 2012. Impacts of gas drilling on human and animal health. New Solut 22:51-77., PERRY, S. L. 2012. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS AND CASE STUDIES: Addressing the Societal Costs of Unconventional Oil and Gas Exploration and Production: A Framework for Evaluating Short-Term, Future, and Cumulative Risks and Uncertainties of Hydrofracking. Environmental Practice 14:352-365.) in operations recovering shale oil and gas. If need be under the current political situation with low momentum to fully switch to renewable energy from wind and sun, there is enough oil and gas from conventional drilling operations that are less risky and use much better established technology. The only reasons why this no-brainer may not go forward is the protectionism of the powerful oil and gas lobby - there is not real valid argument against such a policy change!

NEW oil well is being drilled on Country club Road as of this morning; two water wells were drilled sometime in late July or in August. Now full steam ahead.

Victoria Powell reports: Location is just west of driveway toward Promedica Eye/Sports Medicine/Rehab./Dr. Lansky's office......on Country Club Road....a short skip, and a jump from Lake Adrian.

We need Oil - Don't we?

I finally found time to write this planned essay on the blog home  page. Have a look!

Drilling right behind the LISD Center for a Sustainable Future

If that's our future - it ain't that sustainable baby....

Theory:

Practice: Fig leaf sponsored by "Big Oil & Gas" ?

Fracking Boom Threatens Health of National Parks

The rapid increase of the oil and gas extraction method known as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is outpacing our understanding of how massive concentrations of oil and gas wells impact surrounding lands.  Without safeguards, the boom in fracking could significantly impact the air, water, wildlife and forests that are protected in our national park system.

Read more at http://www.npca.org/protecting-our-parks/air-land-water/mining-and-fracking/fracking-map.html

Tank Farms, Oil Wells, Flares, and Pumps in our Area as Seen from Space

Courtesy of Pam Taylor:

The Google Earth shots for Witt Farm and the McMunn tank farm and Class II injection well off of Carleton Hwy. and U.S. 223 in Palmyra haven't been updated since 2010, so I didn't include them. The Tipton Rd. tank farm has no flare or injection well or processing facility attached. 

Goetz tank farm and processing plant, Shepherd Rd. just east of Pentecost. Google Earth photo from 6.2.13. This is the largest and oldest facility in the area. This is where the newest Class II injection well is being drilled, although the rig wasn't set up yet in early June when this was taken. If you look closely at the lower left of the picture, at the pipeline that runs diagonally just above the top left edge of the tree line, you can just barely see the flame of the flare that burns 24/7 and you can see the pipelines running from the tanks to the stack. Supposedly, they will be shipping the gas via pipeline and they'll stop burning off the gas at some point in the future.

Below is the Ruesink tank farm, processing plant, and Class II injection well on Knight Hwy. Google Earth photo taken on 6.2.13 You can see the open waste/mud pit quite well in this photo.

Second Pipeline Mapped Out

Walked the Kiwanis trail today and found the famous blue stakes, so I followed them and mapped out the new pipeline until it enters the Frye Farm. Just to make sure, I did not enter into any marked private property and did not encounter any fences - I just followed the stakes from the public walkway shown in the first picture just below until back to the Kiwanis trail.

This gave me the general direction, where this straight part of the pipeline meets the straight portion crossing M52 and passing the residence shown in a picture on a previous post. My last guess was actually pretty close.

 There are 3 bottom holes off Carson, which all seem to be located on the Frye farm. The new pipeline is in red and refers to the elevation profile below the map. I also marked all current bottom holes on Witt Farm (Adrian 1-25), Purse Funeral Home (State Adrian & Purse 2-25), Statton's Landscaping (State Adrian & Stratton 1-24), and Heritage Park (Adrian Raisin 2-30)). Please note that many of these wells exploit several locations by drilling horizontally. Old pipeline from Heritage to Witt in blue

I check out if I could see anything of the two bottom holes in the southwestern corner of Frye Farm and was thrilled that I could get a peak just west of the Kiwanis trail that was not marked as private property and was not fenced in. Please note that I did not step on the open grassland, which is obviously private property...

Unfortunately, there was nothing to be seen. Frye 1-26 may not been drilled yet ??? and Frye 2-26 is in the forest and not visible (or is also not drilled yet???).

 The forest opening in the middle of the picture leads to Frye 2-26 but it goes way into the forest

The Frye farmhouse with a excavator and already assembled pipes for the pipeline.

 Shortly after the above pictures, Kiwanis trail crosses Beaver Creek. The bottom hole Frye 2-26 (Carson 4) is 30 ft. right above the creek. Frye 1-26 (Carson 3) is a little further away but also just 40 ft. above the creek bed. It is very easy for contaminated ground water or surface water to reach the creek.

Frye 2-26 (Carson 4) is 30 ft. right above the creek (see profile above), Frye 1-26 (Carson 3) is 40 ft above the creek bed.

Oils residue above mud in a ditch next to Kiwanis trail close to Frye 1-26

Beaver Creek towards NW as seen from the Kiwanis trail bridge