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

Permitted well off country club road is now being developed

Right when coming down the road from Budlong, past Scott - but on right side.

Huge Flare on Stratton's

The hugest flare that I ever saw is up on Stratton's Landscaping.

BTEXs are definitely smellable from the lower soccer stadium at Heritage Park. Definitely a health risk for kids playing soccer there.

No pics from the flare - it is difficult to see - the entire area is quite hidden. However, the DEQ site shows that they now drilled 3 directional wells from the bottom hole at Strattons - one of them, the newest quite far.

Consumer Energy Hooks Up the Pump in Heritage Park

The pump in Heritage Park was not working for a while now even though the generator was roaring all the time. I thought it was not necessary after Savoy had the well re-drilled a week ago. Today Consumer Energy was connecting the well area to the grid on Heritage Park, temporarily blocking off driving access to the lower part of the Park (disk golf and model plane field). As soon as they had the box hooked up the pump started working - indicating that the generator did not provide enough power?

Today (August 9) the pump was off and the generator is still roaring despite having electricity from the grid. Seems wasteful to me...

 

 

Track of the New Pipeline Becomes Clearer

The pipeline progressed much further than I thought. It is well hidden behind one row of corn plants. After a few pictures from Wizz Computer opposite of Witt Farm you follow me South on M52 towards Adrian. The pictures were actually made after returning North bound out of the city to have a better view - but I present them here as if you are going South from Witt Farm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here the pipeline will cross M52

 

Seemingly running towards this house (see the blue flagging stake). Adding up to something like this. Probably achieved by horizontal drilling from the corn field to the drill site of Carson?

 

There is also substantial work going on at the Carson Highway end of the pipeline. As in the case of Savoy's 1st pipeline from Heritage Park to Witt Farm, again it looks like there are 5 parallel pipes to avoid getting a permit for one larger pipeline for going under Beaver Creek. This will again involve horizontal drilling. Whether they will drill horizontally all the way from Carson to the corn field across M52 - or just under M52, then have the pipes buried 4 feet under going through the property on the west side of M52 shown above, and again drilling horizontally under Beaver Creek and then again standard 4 feet under ground to the Carson site is not clear yet - and it will be difficult to follow as it will go almost entirely through private land...

 

Again, Savoy's pipelines pass through very close to nationally recognized wetlands and cuts under Beaver Creek and through - or under one of the largest forested areas within or close to city limits.