Review of Press Coverage

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Conservation Department Says No State Forest Lands Are Left For Gas Leasing
Laura Legere, The Times Tribune, August 13, 2010

According to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), of the 1.5 million acres of state forest underlain by the shale, 700,000 acres have already been leased or the mineral rights under them are controlled by an owner other than the state. 799,600 acres of those that haven’t been leased are ecologically sensitive areas (places with protected species, forested buffers, old growth or steep slopes), designated as primitive and remote lands, or are priority conservation lands. The remaining 20,400 acres are so entwined with the other sensitive areas that they cannot be developed without damaging them. According to DCNR secretary John Quigley: "The science tells us that we've reached the limit."

Report: Firms Commit 1,500 Infractions in Pa. in 30 Months
Steve Mocarsky, timesleader.com, August 3, 2010

A review of environmental violations accrued by Marcellus Shale drillers working in Pennsylvania between January 2008 and June 25, 2010 showed a total of 1435 violations of state Oil and Gas Laws due to gas drilling or other earth disturbance activities related to natural gas extraction from the Marcellus Shale in this 2.5-year period. 952 violations were identified as having or likely to have an impact on the environment. 483 were identified as likely being an administrative or safety violation and not likely to have the potential to negatively impact the environment.

The report breaks the violations down by type. For example, of the 952 violations:

* 268 involve improper construction of waste water impoundments
* 10 involve improper well casing
* 154 involve discharge of industrial waste
* 16 involve improper blowout prevention

The report lists the 25 companies with the most violations as well as the 25 companies with the highest average number of violations per well driller. East Resources ranked the highest in number of violations with 138. J-W Operating Co. topped the average number of violations list with 11 violations per well.

Why Gas Leaks Matter in the Hydraulic Fracturing Debate
Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, August 2, 2010

In Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling, hydraulic fracturing consists of injecting water and (usually secret) concoctions of chemicals deep underground, where it fractures the shale and releases the natural gas deposits. One of the most influential explanations why fracturing presents no risk hinges on the assertion that the deep isolation and many layers of rock and earth effectively seal off the fracture zone from the surface -- that it is impossible for chemicals, water, gas or anything else to move from thousands of feet below into shallow aquifers. But the consistent and widespread detection of methane migration from unnatural causes -- in places including Colorado, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York -- shows that it is not impossible, that in fact there are underground pathways for such movement. And if methane can move, it's an indicator of other substances' ability to migrate as well. In many cases, thermogenic methane, and not methane from biological decay, is believed to have moved from thousands of feet underground, or travelled several miles laterally, sometimes from the same layer of gas being exploited for energy.

Natural-Gas Well Fire in Auburn Township Under DEP Probe
Wire Reports, July 15, 2010

The DEP is investigating a fire at a Marcellus Shale natural gas well pad in Susquehanna County. The fire occurred after a valve failed and leaked gas at a tank that separates water from natural gas. Luckily, no one was hurt. The quick work of local emergency crews prevented “significant environmental damage”.

A Fracking First in Pennsylvania: Cattle Quarantine
Nicholas Kusnetz, ProPublica, July 2, 2010

July, 2010: Pennsylvania agriculture officials quarantined 28 beef cattle after a mixture of fresh water and wastewater leaked from an impoundment pit on a Tioga Count farm. Earlier in the year, DEP inspectors had issued five violations for the well, including improperly lined pit. In May, 4 violations were issued, including not notifying the DEP of the pollution.

State Enforcement Blitz Focuses on Trucks Hauling Drilling Waste Water
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection, News Release, June 23, 2010

The process of hydraulic fracturing requires significant amounts of water to be delivered to the sites and later trucked away. During a 3-day enforcement blitz in June 2010, 669 traffic citations and 818 written warnings were issued to trucks hauling Marcellus Shale drilling wastewater. 131 vehicles hauling wastewater and 23 wastewater vehicle operators were placed out of service. The enforcement effort centered on identifying commercial vehicle safety deficiencies that could lead to crashes.

Western PA Communities Changed By Natrual Gas Drilling Offer Local Lessons
Laura Legere, thetimes-tribune.com, June 23, 2010

Gas companies told Stephanie Hallowich that when they drilled, the interruptions would temporary; the land would be reclaimed and only a pipe or a tank left behind. Yet large water storage pits, tanks to hold gas byproducts, compressor stations, gas processing plants, pipelines, access roads and pumps to infuse the gas with its distinctive odor, have been built within 500 yards of the Hallowich family's new yellow house in the country. Industry representatives say this is unusual.

The growth of the industry in Washington County has brought residents both benefits; royalty checks to landowners and new clients to businesses, and downsides; unwelcome change to the character of the countryside and, some fear, to the quality of the water they drink and the air they breathe. After 2 wells on Terry Greenwood's cattle farm were hydraulically fractured, the water in his kitchen turned brown and salty and showed elevated levels of manganese. The year of the drilling, the family lost ten of the 18 calves that were born in a nine-month stretch; four were born with pure white eyes, another with a cleft pallet. Some were stillborn, some stood for a day or two before collapsing. Others bled from the nose. Mr. Greenwood suspects contamination in the pond where the calves' mothers watered, which collected runoff from the uphill gas site and turned brown during the drilling. DEP told the couple the rash of deaths was "the luck of the farmer".

Hazards Posed By Natural Gas Drilling Not Always Underground
Laura Legere, thetimes-tribune.com, June 21, 2010

After a Marcellus Shale hearing at the state capitol, the Department of Environmental Protection produced a list for legislators of 421 violations found by inspectors at Marcellus Shale wells this year through June 4. At least 50 of the violations - recorded by 15 different Marcellus operators - involved a spill to soil or water. "It goes from an accident to negligence," DEP Secretary John Hanger said at the hearing, and attributed the problems to "poor management" and "not proper oversight" by the companies.

This article describes many of these violations. (More incidents with full descriptions can be found at http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/hazards-posed-by-natural-gas-drilling-not-always-underground-1.857452). Incidents include several cases at the same EOG Resources site where in early June, a well blowout caused a geyser of gas and wastewater to erupt for 16 hours. Prior to this incident, seeps from at least one wastewater pit polluted Alex Branch, a wild trout stream and high-quality fishery, and damaged the drinking water at a nearby hunting camp. A hole in a hose carrying wastewater from the well sprayed a fine mist for several days that landed on nearby plants and a small wetland. A heavy rain swamped the pad, likely washing the fluids downhill to the hunting camp and stream. A leak in a tank used to store a fluid mixture of water and hydraulic fracturing chemicals spilled about 7,980 gallons, most of which was absorbed into the ground. It caused a nearby tributary to Alex Branch to turn cloudy and suds when agitated.

At other sites, incidents include two hydrochloric acid spills at two wells sites operated by Chesapeake Appalachia in Bradford County - including once when the company used a tank that was not meant to store the acid. A worker for Fortuna Energy (now called Talisman Energy USA) drove a tanker leaking hydrochloric acid about 2½ miles over public roads between two of the company's well sites in Bradford County. In Lycoming County, crews were boring a path for a pipeline 13 feet under a stream, wetland and road when the muds used to drill the hole erupted to the surface, spilling between 3,000 and 6,000 gallons into the wetland. In Washington County, one of Atlas Resources’ 750,000-gallon pit holding a mixture of fresh water and wastewater overflowed off a well pad run, through a drain and into a small tributary in a high quality watershed. On the same farm, liquid hydrocarbons called condensate on the surface of a 400,000-gallon wastewater pit caught fire, engulfing the pit and burning its plastic liner, causing a plume of black smoke that was visible for miles. In Susquehanna County, off-road diesel spilled from a break in a fuel line to a drilling rig, ran down a hill and into a roadside swale and pooled in a flooded wetland near Meshoppen Creek.

Driller Defied Permit in West Virginia Incident
Tim Puko, Pittsburgh Time Tribune, June 11, 2010

Moundsville WV (55 miles SW of Pittsburgh): When drilling a Marcellus Shale well, workers hit a pocket of methane gas that ignited and the gas well exploded in a ball of flames, sending 7 burned workers to the hospital. The blast created a column of flame that was initially 70 feet high. Four days after the initial explosion, the 50 foot tall fire still burned.

The driller, AB Resources, was in violation of their permit. The company did not seal the well as required and inaccurately reported the depth of a coal layer at the site. Drillers were aware of the mine and the explosive potential, and state officials don't know why the company didn't follow plans detailed in the permit. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental officials said it is likely they will investigate the company, which operates 249 active wells in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Orders Halt to EOG Gas Drilling Following Clearfield Blowout
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, June 7, 2010
and
DEP Plans Thorough Investigation in to Marcellus Shale Well Blowout in Clearfield County
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection, News Release, June 4, 2010

On June 3, a well blowout at a Marcellus gas well caused 1 million gallons of gas and water polluted with drilling chemicals to shot 75 ft into the air over a 16 hour period. Gas shooting into the sky created a major fire hazard.

When DEP officials arrived at the site, drilling chemicals flowed off the well pad towards Little Laurel Run’s tributaries. Workers contained most of the runoff. According to DEP secretary John Hanger, “The event at the well site could have been a catastrophic incident that endangered life and property.”

America's Most Endangered Rivers™: 2010 Edition
http://www.americanrivers.org/our-work/protecting-rivers/endangered-rivers

American Rivers named the Delaware River its 2010 Most Endangered River because of the threats Marcellus Shale gas drilling poses to this river that provides drinking water to 17 million. The Monongahela, home to some of the East Coast’s best fishing, whitewater boating, and wildlife is threatened by pollution created by Marcellus drilling, earning it the spot of the 9th most endangered river.

DEP Orders Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. to Remove Hibbard Well Pad Reserve Pit in Susquehanna County: Company Ignored DEP’s Prior Written, Verbal Requests
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection, News Release, April 30, 2010

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) ordered Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. to close and remove an earthen pit in Dimok Township, Susquehanna County that holds drilling fluids to determine whether it is contaminating nearby water resources. According to North-central Regional Director Robert Yowell, “DEP strongly advised Cabot to close and remove the reserve pit in an April 8 notice of violation letter and reiterated to Cabot’s senior management the same message a few short days ago. However, Cabot has not remedied the situation and its inaction demonstrates an arrogant disregard for Pennsylvania’s oil and gas regulations and proper protection of our environment.”

DEP's Oil and Gas Program staff responded to a report of black water in a ditch near the Hibbard well pad on March 22. The black water had impacted a private unused drinking water well, two springs and a wetland. DEP believes the black water is a mixture of groundwater and liquid waste from the reserve pit.

Cabot Slapped With Drilling Ban and Fine
Laura Legere, WC Examiner, April 15, 2010

In Dimok Township: According to DEP secretary Hanger, Cabot Oil & Gas Corp “chose to ignore its responsibility to safeguard the citizens of this community and to protect the natural resources there.” Cabot failed to meet a deadline to fix defective cement and well casings that allow gas to migrate into water supplies of homes in a 9-square mile area. Since the initial violations, DEP has identified 5 additional defective Cabot gas wells, another home water supply contaminated by gas migration and another 10 gas wells in the Dimok area to be monitored as possible sources of migrating gas.

Five County Gas Wells Failed DEP Inspections in March, DEP Data Show 23 Failed Inspections County-Wide So Far in 2010
Steve Reilly, The Morning Times, April 7, 2010

In March in Bradford County, state environmental inspectors found 18 violations of Pennsylvania oil & gas regulations at 5 of the county's natural gas wells. The violations ranged in severity from paperwork-related citations to “polluting substance(s) allowed to discharge into the waters of the commonwealth.” In 2010, there have been 23 failed inspections county-wide.

Spill in State Forest Moves Gas Drilling Moratorium Debate
Robert Swift, Republican Herald, March 30, 2010

8-12,000 gallons of synthetic drilling mud spilled from Anadarko E&P Company’s well pad in Sproul State Forest, Clinton County. No water resources were affected. The state leased drilling rights to Anadarko for a 2,724-acre Tract 737 in Sproul forest in January.

DEP: Gas Industry Treatment Behind Discharge on Hillside
Patrik Donlin, Sun Gazette, March 17, 2010

Discharge of a foamy white substance was found in spring water coming down a hill and into Pine Creek in Cummings Township, Lycoming County. The substance is being used as a surfactant at Pennsylvania General Energy’s gas drilling well pads. There may be more than one suspected discharge. The investigation into this discharge is ongoing.

Bradford County Residents Pin Blame for Flammable Well Water on Nearby Natural Gas Drilling
Steve Reilly, Morning Times, March 11, 2010

Two residents of Bradford County are blaming high levels of methane in their homes’ drinking water on nearby natural gas activities. In rural Leroy Township, Chesapeake Energy sent homeowner Randy Jennings a hand delivered letter stating: “Please note that dissolved methane gas was detected in your water sample. Methane gas may be generated from various sources. The presence of methane in a water supply could result in potential dangers and should be treated as a serious matter.” In Granville Township, where Talisman Energy (then Fortuna) is drilling nearby, Shana Spencer’s water has methane levels of 40.4 ppm. According to the DEP, the level of concern begins above 28 ppm. One incident caused by the high levels of methane happened In November of 2009. Spencer turned on her water faucets and nothing came out. “I mean it was just spurting out nothing but air, we thought. But it was actually gas.”

Both gas companies have stated that they are not responsible for the methane found in these two water wells. Both homeowners suspect the companies are responsible, because they did not have these problems before drilling started. According to Willam Kappel a hydrogeologist working for the U.S. Geological Survey, low levels of methane contamination are not uncommon in the area, although not in the same concentrations as Jennings and Spencer are experiencing. According to Kappel, determining if drilling is responsible for methane contamination is very difficult.

Fuel spill reported in Armenia Township
Eric Hrin, The Daily Review, March 10, 2010

There was a spill of 50-200 gallons of diesel fuel at a Talisman Energy gas drilling site in Armenia Township, Bradford County. The fuel, believed to be from a drilling rig component, got into a ditch and into a nearby farm field. Melting snow complicated containment and cleanup work. According to Talisman Energy spokesman Mark Scheuerman "Our efforts are to make sure we monitor that run-off and that it has as little impact as possible”

DEP Fines Fortuna Energy Inc. $3,500 for Well Drilling Violations in Bradford County
Department of Environmental Protection, February 1, 2010

During DEP inspections at 3 Fortuna Energy natural gas wells on the same pad, inspectors found flow-back fluids—or the fluids that are used to break up underground rock and then return to the surface—were found discharging into a drainage ditch, an adjacent sediment basin, and eventually through a vegetated area into an unnamed tributary of the south branch of Sugar Creek. According to DEP, the discharge did not cause a fish kill. The company remedied the situation by placing a pump into the sediment basin to pump the fluids back into tanks. These discharges violated Pennsylvania’s Clean Streams Law, Solid Waste Management Act, and DEP’s oil and
gas regulations. For these violations, and earlier minor reporting violations, Fortuna Energy was fined $3,500. These violations occured in Troy Township, Bradford County.

Moon's Atlas Energy Resources Fined $85K For Environmental Violations
Mary Pickels, Tribune-Review, January 9, 2010

Atlas Energy Resources LLC was fined $85,000 by the Department of Environmental Protection this week for violating environmental laws at 13 natural gas well sites in Fayette, Washington and Greene counties. According to the DEP, Atlas:

failed to set up and maintain erosion and sedimentation control measures to prevent off-site discharges of silt-laden runoff onto the ground at six well sites;
failed to restore two well sites by planting perennial cover within nine months after the drilling was done
discharged residual and industrial waste, including diesel fuel and production fluids, onto the ground at seven sites

Atlas was fined $85,000 for the violations, which occurred at sites in Jefferson, Washington, Redstone and German and Nicholson Township, all in Fayette County; two sites in Monongahela Township and four sites in Cumberland Township, all in Greene County; and one site in Deemston, Washington County. There will be no further repercussions.

Gas Driller Cited for Violation After Environmentalist Takes Photos
Steve McConnell, thetimes-tribune.com, December 31, 2009
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is investigating the release of an unknown chemical at one of Chesapeake Appalachia’s natural gas drilling site in Wayne County after Pat Carullo, a photographer and co-founder of Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, took aerial photos which documented a direct line of leafless trees extending from the well pad. A preliminary investigation by DEP found that a "weathered petroleum product" of an unknown quantity was discharged, and DEP issued a violation notice to Chesapeake Appalachia, the second-largest natural gas leaseholder in Wayne County. Although DEP continues its investigation, preliminary tests by a Chesapeake contractor show several soil samples with elevated levels of barium, chloride, and other substances associated with drilling. A surface water sample taken by Chesapeake employees showed elevated levels of salts and barium.

NYC Says Catskill Gas Drilling Risks Are Too Great
Mary Esch, York Daily Record, December 23, 2009
New York City's Department of Environmental Protection has asked state officials to ban natural gas drilling in the Catskills watersheds because “hydrofracking and horizontal drilling pose unacceptable threats to the unfiltered fresh water supply of 9 million New
Yorkers.”

DEP Fines Chesapeake Appalachia, Schlumberger For Acid Spill In Asylum Twp.
James Loewenstein, The Daily Review, December 8, 2009
The Department of Environmental Protection fined Chesapeake Appalachia LLC and Schlumberger Technology Corp. $15,557 each for a 295-gallon hydrochloric acid spill at Chesapeake's Chancellor natural gas well site in Asylum Township, (Bradford County). Chesapeake staff notified the DEP on Feb. 9 that a 21,000-gallon tank containing 36 percent hydrochloric acid, used for hydraulic fracturing, was leaking. Chesapeake’s emergency contractor contained, neutralized, and removed the fluid. According to DEP spokesman Dan Spadoni, the leak did not contaminate ground water.

Natural Gas Locked in the Marcellus Shale has Companies Rushing to Cash In On Possibilities
Elwin Green, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 06, 2009
In early 2008, with news of Range Resources’ quarterly operating results documenting production from the first modern natural gas wells drilled in the Marcellus Shale, and a report that the shale contains 80 and 250 times more than the amount of recoverable natural gas originally though, interest in the Marcellus Shale exploded. The Marcellus Shale is now viewed as one of the world's leading reservoirs of recoverable natural gas and investors and producers are swarming to the Marcellus Shale. The companies holding rights to the largest number of acres are Oklahoma City based Chesapeake Energy (1.45 million acres), Range Resources (1.4 million acres), and Cabot Oil & Gas (1.2 million acres). In terms of company size, there's Norwegian StatoilHydro Asa, with an $81 billion market cap, $30 billion Anadarko Petroleum of The Woodlands, Texas, and Houston-based $22 billion EOG Resources. According to Leslie Haines, editor in chief of the trade journal, Oil and Gas Investor, "Activity has slowed down in many basins in the country, but it has not slowed down in the Marcellus." "Sometimes companies will reduce their drilling elsewhere and redeploy their capital to the Marcellus."

Fish & Boat to Regulate Gas Drilling
Steve McConnell, Wayne Independent, Nov 24, 2009
The Fish and Boat Commission will now conduct field inspections of Marcellus Shale natural gas wells, focusing on those near waterways and wetlands. To carry out these new duties, waterways conservation officers and field staff will have to set aside some of their other duties.

Seismic Rumbles in the Forests
Andrew Maykuth, The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 22, 2009
Although there has been drilling in Sproul State Forest for decades, the start of Marcellus Shale drilling is transforming the way Pennsylvania's public lands are managed, and Douglas J. D'Amore, the Sproul district forester, said it is taking a toll on the forest service. Assistant forester, Richard Kugel, now spends more than 90 percent of his time dealing with gas-lease issues. This is at a time when 12 hourly workers were laid off last month as well as 2 salaried staff.

According to D’Amore, "From my standpoint, this is a no-win situation."
For one of the dozen well pads Andarko Petroleum Corp. has already cleared in Sproul, 4 acres of red oak and maple forest were leveled to create a well pad about the size of 3 football fields. Traffic caused by drilling, including the trucks used to bring in the water used for drilling, is already causing problems.

Susquehanna River Basin Commission Proposes Automated Monitors for Streams and Creeks in Marcellus Shale Region
Ford Turner, The Patriot-News, November 11, 2009
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission has proposed the creation of a network of 30 automated, solar-power water quality monitoring stations to be ready in case pollution from Marcellus Shale drilling makes its way into the sensitive streams and creeks northern Pennsylvania and southern New York. The cost of the system is estimated at $750,000. The commission’s board will be asked to spend $100,000 on the first four stations, and the commission is looking for partners for the rest of the cost.

According to commission executive director Paul Swartz, “It is important to monitor these smaller, remote waterways to verify whether or not they are being impacted by certain pollutants."

Environmental Law Firm Joins Suit
Observer-Reporter, November 4, 2009
Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law firm, has joined Clean Water Action’s appeal challenging a permit agreement that they say will allow a water treatment plant being built along the Monongahela River near Masontown to treat Marcellus Shale gas drilling wastewater without removing total dissolved solids and other chemicals from the wastewater. According to Clean Water Action, the plant will be allowed to discharge the wastewater into the Monongahela before it has the treatment technology needed to remove total dissolved solids (TDS) from its wastewater. The company has 3 years to upgrade the technology to meet TDS standards.

According to a DEP official, the department issued the permit prior to any problems with TDS on the river. The plant, currently under construction, will be able to discharge wastewater without treating for TDS when levels of TDS and sulfates in the river are low.

Manufacturing Accident in Washington Kills Small Wildlife
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 10, 2009

A manufacturing defect in a water transfer line caused a spill of about 250 barrels of polluted water at a Range Resources Marcellus Shale recycling operation in Washington County. Small fish, minnows, crawfish, salamanders and frogs were observed dying or impaired in the unnamed tributary of Brush Run where the spill occurred. Brush Run is a high-quality stream under Pennsylvania law. Range Resources will work with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to restock the tributary.

With Natural Gas Drilling Boom, Pennsylvania Faces an Onslaught of Wastewater
Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, October 3, 2009
According to the PA DEP, one of the most worrisome contaminants in Marcellus Shale wastewater is total dissolved solids (TDS). In Pennsylvania, hydraulic fracturing wastewater is currently being treated in municipal sewage plants, which are not equipped to remove TDS. In addition to this causing the discharge of TDS into rivers and streams, the high TDS levels also disrupt the plants’ treatment of ordinary sewage, including human waste.

According to the DEP, regulations requiring drilling wastewater to be treated by plants capable of removing TDS should be in place by 2011. Yet no plant is currently able to remove TDS, and of the plants in the permitting process to be able to do so, the one farthest along in the process won’t be ready until at least 2013. That plant would be able to treat a maximum of 400,000 gallons of wastewater a day. At that level, 50 plants would be needed to treat the amount of wastewater expected to be produced in 2011.

In 2008, there were elevated TDS levels in the Monongahela. While abandoned mines and low river flow were thought to be contributing causes, it is suspected that releases of improperly treated hydraulic fracturing wastewater tipped the balance. After DEP unlocked dams upstream to wash out some of the TDS and lowered the amount of drilling wastewater sewage treatment plants could accept to 1 percent of the total amount of water they treated each day, TDS in the Monongahela returned to normal.

DEP Issues Violation Notice to Cabot Oil and Gas, Commonwealth of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection, News release, September 22, 2009
Dimok Township, Susquehanna County: Cabot Oil and Gas is responsible for 2 spills of fracturing fluid which resulted in a polluted wetlands and a fish kill in Stevens Creek. A total of 8,000 gallons of LGC-35, a liquid gel used in the hydraulic fracturing process, were spilled. There was a third spill of about 420 gallons of the gel in which all but 10 gallons were recovered from a catch basin.

Police Chief: Gas Drilling Causing Increase in Crime Locally
James Lowenstein, The Daily Review, September 9, 2009
Because of new natural gas drilling activities and an influx of gas industry workers, police in Towanda Borough are seeing an increase in crime rate and severity. Borough officials are now looking at the need to hire a new police officer and are looking into federal funding to cover the cost. Their initial application for federal funding was not approved.

Marcellus Shale Drilling Activity Robust Despite Low Natural Gas Prices
Rick Stouffer, Tribune-Review, September 1, 2009
Despite the lowest gas prices in seven years, the number of Marcellus Shale gas wells permitted and drilled continue to climb. Drillers in the Marcellus Shale garner high profits because of their location in relation to the east coast markets, production costs in the Marcellus Shale are lower than shales in the Rocky Mountains, and there are lower drilling costs due to a recession-caused slowdown nationwide. Even a possible shortage of natural gas storage may not slow Marcellus activity.

EPA: Chemicals Found in Wyo. Drinking Water Might Be From Fracking
Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, August 25, 2009
A study of drinking water contamination in Pavillion, Wyoming, home to about 160 people and gas wells crowded together, is the first time the EPA has undertaken a study of water pollution likely caused by drilling. Although the EPA does not have the authority to investigate hydraulic fracturing under the Safe Drinking Water Act, it was able to investigate the contamination in Pavillion under the Superfund Act. Agriculture and household dumping are the two other causes of the pollution under investigation, though it seems neither of these are likely sources. Some of the problems people in Pavillion are facing are small pooling oil slicks on the surface of their water, a woman with a mysterious nervous system disorder she thinks is due to arsenic and metals in her water, and a resident’s animals going blind and dying after drinking from a water well.

Share wealth of natural resource bounty, The Patriot News
Patriot-News Editorial Board, June 14, 2009
Three possible uses for revenues from the severance tax should be examined, and the use of all three could benefit Pennsylvania. Funds can be used at the state level to help balance the budget, directed towards environmental protection and funneled back into municipalities incurring expenses due to expanding drilling.

Waste From Marcellus Shale Drilling in Cross Creek Park Kills Fish
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 05, 2009
In Cross Creek Park, Washington County, a leaking waste water pipe from a Range Resources Marcellus Shale gas well contaminated a stream, killing fish, salamanders, crayfish and aquatic insect life over a ¾ mile stretch of the tributary to Cross Creek Lake.

Matter of Debate: Severance Tax on Gas Drilling, The Patriot News
May 10, 2009
Those participating in the debate over a natural gas severance tax should look at the salary and benefits received by Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey K. McClendon. Chesapeake, the largest drilling rights company in Pennsylvania, increased McClendon’s salary to $100 million, 5 times its original size. Additionally, Chesapeake purchased McClendon’s art collection for $12 million, and sponsored the NBA team Oklahoma City Thunder for $4.6 million. Chesapeake’s argument that McLendon’s salary reflects the profits earned by the company indicates the potential profits to be seen in the Marcellus Shale. According to Anna Fitzsimmons, deputy chief of staff for Senator Jake Corman, Republicans in the Senate Appropriations Committee did not vote for a severance tax in their proposed budget because taxing a new industry would not be a good way to attract a new business to the state. The industry’s Marcellus Shale Committee echoed these thoughts.

Oil and gas drilling create problem on Hedgehog Lane, The Bradford Era
Adam Vosler, May 8, 2009
In Bradford Township, Schreiner Oil & Gas Inc.'s gas drilling polluted 7 water wells Now, the Township is left searching for funds to connect residents to city water supplies. Costs will be high because residents live on elevations of several hundred feet.

A natural gas production tax would hold drilling companies responsible for their effects on communities by providing local governments with funds to address this type of effect. (see also, “Letter to Bradford Township Supervisors”, March 7th, 2009 &, “DEP Identifies Responsibility for Bradford Township Gas Migration/Water Supply Problems”, May 4, 2009 for further coverage of this story)

DEP Identifies Responsibility for Bradford Township Gas Migration/Water Supply Problems, Department of Environmental Protection Daily Update
May 4, 2009
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) found that Schreiner Oil and Gas Company is responsible for polluting at least seven water supplies in Bradford Township. Two were found to contain methane, and 5 to contain ion and manganese above established drinking water standards. Schreiner Oil and Gas has been actively drilling combination oil and gas wells in the township. (see also, “Letter to Bradford Township Supervisors”, March 7th, 2009 & “Oil and Gas Drilling Create Problem on Hedgehog Lane, May 8, 2009 for further coverage of this story)

Goddard State Park's Gas Wells May Be First of Hundreds, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Don Hopey, May 3, 2009
In Goddard State Park, Mercer County, there are 5 Marcellus Shale natural gas wells, and the possibility of 15 more. The gas wells are allowed because the state does not own the mineral rights. Severed mineral rights could allow for drilling in several other state parks, especially in the western part of the state. The state's ability to control drilling in parks is limited. The state has purchased some of the privately held mineral rights, and environmental groups are calling for more to be purchased, especially while prices are low during the current economy. According to Jan Jarrett of PennFuture, if funds from the Oil and Gas Lease Fund are not diverted to the general fund, this money could be used to purchase additional mineral rights.

16 Cattle Drop Dead Near Mysterious Fluid at Gas Drilling Site, ProPublica
Abrahm Lustgarten, April 30, 2009
In Louisiana, 16 cattle have died after allegedly eating spilled hydraulic fracturing fluids. Witnesses described the substance as "green and spewing into the air near the drilling derrick". The drilling rig is owned by Chesapeake Energy Corps, who denied a spill of fracturing fluids. A worker stated that the fluid was spilled fracturing fluid.

The Next Page: Gas, gas everywhere -- but will water be fit to drink?, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Lustgarten, Abrahm, April 26th, 2009.
Although the industry states that drilling methods prevent methane contamination of drinking water, cases from Pennsylvania and other states are indicating that this may not be the case. Methane, a highly flammable substance, evaporates from water, and as concentrations of the gas build up in a home, can cause headaches, nausea, brain damage and death. In Dimok Township, where methane from a gas well caused an explosion that “tossed aside a several-thousand-pound concrete slab” and has contaminated several drinking wells, Cabot Oil & Gas, which owns the well has pumped cement along the entire length of the well casing. This method may prevent further contamination. The process is prescribed in other states, but not Pennsylvania. According to Craig Lobins of the DEP, the case in Dimok is an “anomaly”, and the state can’t regulate for every possible situation that may occur.

Laurel Hill Creek in danger, report says, HeraldStandard.com
April 4, 2009
American Rivers is asking DEP to issue a critical water planning area designation for Laurel Hill, a key stream in the Youghiogheny River watershed and a source of drinking water. American Rivers is asking DEP for guidance or regulation on future water withdrawals to protect creek flow. Flow has decreased over the past decades due to water withdrawals, which has affected wildlife. Several new projects which will withdraw large amounts of water, including Marcellus Shale gas wells, are planned for Laurel Hill. This could affect the area’s tourism industry.

Shareholders Who Act Like Owners, The New York Times
Gretchen Morgenson, March 29, 2009
In a January 1st deal, Chesapeake Energy Corporation awarded their CEO a $75 million dollar bonus. According to Chesapeake’s web page (http://www.chk.com/Operations/Unconventional/Pages/MarcellusShale.aspxv), Chesapeake is the largest leaseholder in the Marcellus Shale play.

Gas-drilling tax proposal stirs protests in Albany, StarGazette.com
Jay Gallagher, March 26,2009
As part of the debate over a proposed natural gas severance tax in New York, Matthew Sheppard, spokesman for Chesapeake Energy Corps stated "We gladly pay a severance tax in every state where we're active, except New York and Pennsylvania".

Gas activity shuts some folks down, The Daily Review
Robert L. Baker, March 25, 2009
Two residents of Susquehanna County are starting to worry about the effects of natural gas drilling in their community. After dynamite was used during the seismic testing portion of the drilling activities, water from their well started to smell “dirty”, and they no longer feel safe drinking it. Drilling activities have shut down the road leading to their house, which makes them worry what would happen if emergency vehicles need to get through.

Natural Gas Found in Private Well Water, The Daily Review, January 23, 2009: & State Regulators Say Gas Drilling Caused Methane Contamination, The Daily Review
David Singleton, March 11, 2009
In Dimock Township, PA, the DEP found that Cabot Oil & Gas Corp’s drilling activities led to methane contamination of private drinking wells. The contamination caused a concrete slab above a water well to explode, and residents were able to light vapors after bottling, shaking and uncapping their well water.

Letter to Bradford Township Supervisors,
Yvonne Shafer, et al, March 7th, 2009
In Bradford Township, McKean County, residents are asking township officials for assistance with the decreased quality of life and property value they have experienced due to natural gas drilling. In a letter to the township, they describe the following:

Their drinking water used to be pristine. It now has an unpleasant taste and odor which causes them to fearful of its safety
They describe their air as “caustic”. In a neighborhood where most of the houses do not have air conditioning, the ability to open windows in the summer is of high importance
What was once a peaceful neighborhood is now filled with the constant noise of a compressor.
Multiple safety concerns, including speeding, overloaded trucks, vehicles with chains on bare pavement and vehicles obstructing the roadways without signs or warning devices.

According to the letter, “property value and resale ability have taken a nose dive” and their homes “have been invaded by offensive living conditions”.

U.S. gas drilling boom stirs water worries, Reuters
February 25, 2009
Residents of rural Hickory, PA say the Marcellus Shale drilling in their small town has caused noise pollution from the drills and compressors, damaged their roads from the heavy truck traffic, and caused air pollution from flaring or escaping gas. One resident stated that he must deal with the constant smell of gas. Another resident said that the company was not honest and has flared, burned extra gas, when it said it wouldn’t, and exceeds the number of workers it said it would have on site.

Unwell, The Dirty Side of the Clean-Fuel Boom, Mother Jones
Rebecca Clarren, November/December 2008
Residents of Silt, CO, home to a booming natural gas industry, are experiencing the environmental and health effects of natural gas drilling. A 2004 gas well leak of carcinogenic benzene caused creek water to fizz “like soda pop” and killed “scores of frogs and trout”. Another resident has observed that the finches at his bird feeders have tumors on their faces. One resident said she collected air samples from her house, which has 8 wells drilled within 800 feet, with benzene and toluene. This explains her constant nausea after the wells were drilled. The drilling company said their tests did not show these chemicals. In 2001, after 4 wells were dug near her property, another resident had the cap on water blow off and had “fizzy gray liquid” spew out. Her family continued to use the water after being assured by the drilling company it was safe. Two years later, she discovered a rare adrenal tumor that is associated with the chemical 2-BE, used in the hydraulic fracturing in the nearby well

Drill for Natural Gas, Pollute Water, The Natural Gas Industry Refuses to Reveal What is in the Mixture of Chemicals Used to Drill for the Fossil Fuel, Scientific American
Abrahm Lustgarten and ProPublica, November 17, 2008
Fears over the effect of natural gas drilling increased when, in rural Sublette County, WY, home to one of the country’s largest natural gas fields, a hydrologist pulled a water sample from 300 feet in a rural water well. The sample was “a load of brown oily water with a foul smell” which contained 1,500 times the safe level of benzene, a known carcinogen. Contamination from drilling has been seen over 1,000 times in Colorado, New Mexico, Alabama, Ohio and Pennsylvania. There have been a variety of causes, including hydraulic fracturing creating a pathway for methane to contaminate a residential water supply, (this caused a house explosion), accidental spills, and leaky tanks, trucks and waste pits contaminating groundwater supplies. In one incident in Parachute, CO in February of 2008, 1.6 million gallons of fracturing fluids leaked from a waste pit, were transported by ground water, seeped out of a cliff, and created a frozen waterfall.

Industry officials state that chemicals are only a tiny portion of the fracturing fluid used, but this could still translate to more than 10,000 gallons of chemicals used. Even very low doses of some of the chemicals can cause kidney and immune system damage and affect reproductive development.

A Toxic Spew?, Newsweek Web Exclusive
Jim Moscou, August 20, 2008
An emergency room nurse became gravelly ill with swollen liver, erratic blood counts and lungs filling with fluid days after treating someone exposed to a fracturing fluid spill. The nurse, who did recover, was diagnosed with chemical poisoning. The company that makes ZetaFlow, the chemical she was allegedly exposed to, has said it is not sure that this chemical caused her illnesses. Hydraulic fracturing fluid, and the chemicals used in them, may often be spilled. The Oil and Gas Accountability Project has stated that there have been 1,5000 spills of various types in Colorado in 5 years, and 800 in New Mexico. Many spills likely go unreported.

Gibbs Hill Homeowners Lose Water Supply After Fracking, Ridgeway Record
Heidi Zemach, August 11, 2008
Families in Gibbs Hill, PA lost their pristine source of spring water after Seneca Resources drilled for natural gas nearby. Residents learned of the water contamination after one homeowner drank it and immediately felt burning in his mouth. Another resident experienced burning in her lungs and sinus difficulty after taking a shower in the water. The PA DEP found that pressure in the gas well had exceeded the pressure in the surrounding fresh groundwater system and that there had been unpermitted discharge of hydraulic fracturing fluids.

Pollution in Town Rivals that of Cities, Tiny Community's Air Quality Suffers from Booming Natural Gas Industry, MSNBC.com
The Associated Press, May 8, 2008
Boulder, Wyoming, population 75, has ground-ozone air pollution problems, due mostly to natural gas drilling. The industry and taxpayers may have costs in the millions to stay within federal clean-air laws. Ozone, which can raise the risk of asthma and heart attacks, has reached levels on winter days seen in big cities in the summer.

The West: Drilling Opposition Turns to Climate Change, Vail Daily
Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press, May 2, 2008
Environmental groups are protesting the sale of oil and gas leases on land owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in the Western U.S., stating that the bureau does not address climate change as a potential result of increasing amounts of oil and gas drilling.