Ann Arbor OKs Fossil Fuel Divestment

A powerful new methods how municipalities can bring down the almighty oil and gas lobby. Hopefully Adrian is thinking of doing the same...

http://annarborchronicle.com/2013/10/22/ann-arbor-oks-fossil-fuel-divestment/

More information and background about divestment:

Does Divestment Work? http://www.iop.harvard.edu/does-divestment-work

Fossil Free Campaign http://gofossilfree.org/

An update on fossil fuel divestment http://mayormcginn.seattle.gov/an-update-on-fossil-fuel-divestment/

Institutions committing to divest from fossil fuels: http://gofossilfree.org/commitments/

It does not exist if you cannot see it????

Despite not burning in the open but being hidden in a empty oil tank - the Witt Farm flare is real and much larger than it was in the beginning when only one well was hooked up. Flares are known to contain poisonous and cancerous VOCs in addition to natural gas. In contrary to the Michigan DEQ's promises to force oil companies to capture and market the natural gas, Savoy Energy is still burning it off - more than 8 months after starting doing so on Witt Farm. This is not only wasteful but irresponsible. As the local and state authorities are obviously not doing their job, I am currently in the process to organize a citizen-run air monitoring near the site.

 

Hidden Flare 2/24/2013 fed by a single well on Witt Farm

 

Youtube Video of that Flare

 

Flare on 5/26/2013 fed by 3 wells 

 

Flare on 8/1/2013 fed by 4-5 wells

And as of today probably by as many as 6-8 wells. Due to the increased perimeter of the "no trespassing" zone around Witt Farm, I cannot post new pictures of the surely much increased flare.

The increased flares will add up to a substantial load of unhealthy chemicals at least in a radius of up to 1 mile. Below are some links to related publications that might be of interest. The majority of materials are from "fracking" operations. Please note that the major difference is that in "fracking" operations much more water is pumped down - and more chemical additives are used, which increases the real danger of water pollution. The risk potential for air pollution, in contrary, as well as escaping gases and volatiles, and pollutants in flares from unconventional oil extraction are comparable to those reported from "fracking operations".

• Aviva L, Aimee C, Shmuel A, Nicholas B, Constantine S. 2013. Estimation of regional air-quality damages from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania. Environmental Research Letters 8(1):014017. PDF
• Bamberger M, Oswald RE. 2012. Impacts of gas drilling on human and animal health. New solutions : a journal of environmental and occupational health policy : NS 22(1):51-77. PDF 
• Colborn T, Kwiatkowski C, Schultz K, Bachran M. 2011. Natural Gas Operations from a Public Health Perspective. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal 17(5):1039-1056. PDF
• Colborn T, Schultz K, Herrick L, Kwiatkowski C. 2012. An Exploratory Study of Air Quality Near Natural Gas Operations. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal 20(1):86-105. Link to the article and other information
• Katzenstein AS, Doezema LA, Simpson IJ, Blake DR, Rowland FS. 2003. Extensive regional atmospheric hydrocarbon pollution in the southwestern United States. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 100(21):11975-11979. PDF
• Larson D, Breech R, Hendricks J, Chernaik M, Mall A, Smith F, Joswick J, Eisenfeld M. GASSED! Citizen Investigation of Toxic Air Pollution from Natural Gas Development [Internet]. El Cerrito, CA 94530: Global Community Monitor. Available from: http://gcmonitor.org/downloads/gassedreport.pdf
• Leahey DM, Preston K, Strosher M. 2001. Theoretical and observational assessments of flare efficiencies. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (1995) 51(12):1610-6. PDF
• May J. Refinery Flaring in the Neighborhood [Internet]. Oakland, CA 94612: Communities for a Better Environment (CBE). Available from: http://www.cbecal.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Refinery-Flaring-in-the-Neighborhood.pdf
• McKenzie LM, Witter RZ, Newman LS, Adgate JL. 2012. Human health risk assessment of air emissions from development of unconventional natural gas resources. Science of The Total Environment 424(0):79-87. PDF
• Perry SL. 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(04):352-365. PDF 
• Strosher MT. 2000. Characterization of emissions from diffusion flare systems. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (1995) 50(10):1723-33. PDF
• Subra W, Steinzor N. Odor and Symptom Log [Internet]. earthworksaction.org. Available from: http://www.earthworksaction.org/library/detail/odor_and_symptom_log

REALLY

I  have been silent until now.  As I drove back into town today listening to the radio and a local ad for Major DuMars stating how he loves this city. The POTENT smell was awful on 52 by the Witt farm. How can you care about your community and the people and jeopardize the MOST important things air and water. There are many residential neighborhoods in the area of the flare. Are they at all concerned for their health if not their children. What will it take for the PEOPLE of Adrian to realize that there are repercussions.

3rd Pipeline from Valley Rd Under Ground - 4th Pipeline Under Construction

Look at the developments on the Witt Farm property. Not only did Savoy fence the area in but they prepared the Tank Farm to receive oil and gas from at least 10 wells - maybe soon more. The 3rd pipeline running from Heritage Park (which had to be re-drilled to take on the new pipeline, Figure 1) to the 2 wells off of Valley Road is now under ground. It passes 10 feet by the children playground (Figure 2) and circles the baseball diamond (Figure 3) before running around a restored prairies in Heritage Park (Figure 4) and passing under Cook Drain, which flows into River Raisin. The pictures are a little dated from October 1 and October 9. The pipeline is now completely buried.

 

Figure 1: Redrilling the Heritage borehole during the county middle-school cross-country meet.

 

Figure 2: Digging in pipeline 3 close to children playground.

  

 

Figure 3: Circling around the baseball diamond.

 

Figure 4: Pipelines laid out to be buried along the restored prairies north of the baseball fields.

A 4th pipeline is under its way. Victoria Powell shared the following report:

On Sunday, October 27, 2013 9:36 PM, victoria powell <victoriapowellwh@yahoo.com> wrote:

 "There is a great deal of activity at the smaller oil donkey facing Hunt Road in the past few days: ditches are being prepared to lay pipes from well 60420 (smaller oil donkey facing Hunt Road near Tipton Road) directly under Spielman Road to well 60743 which is the newest oil well on Country Club Road. The line of intent is perpendicular to Tipton Road (about 0.4 miles from it), and leads directly from 60420 to 60743. The pipes today were on saw-horses in preparation for welding. Several vehicles yesterday (in the wind and rain), and today at the work site with 4-6 pick-up trucks, and 6-7 workers."

Almost every of these pipelines is build underneath creeks, drains and rivers with now extra spill protection. In addition, the already dangerous flare on Witt Farm will become at least twice as potent. Depending on the wind direction and wind speed quite a few neighborhoods will receive dangerous levels of BTEX and other volatiles - besides the pleasant odor...

How our country will get off fossil fuels

Learn about how our country will get off fossil fuels at the http://thesolutionsproject.org

Third Pipeline to Witt Farm in Prep

A third pipeline to the new obviously lucrative oil wells off Valley Rd. are laid out along the children playground, around the baseball diamond, along a restored prairie, crossing Cook drain. The hidden flare on Witt Farm stinks like hell spewing cancerous BTEXs and having now 7 separators ready to process 7 wells.

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!