8 Things
8 Things The Natural Gas Companies Don’t Want You to Know
1. Horizontal Drilling is NOT an environmentally safe
process.
This kind of drilling has been going on for years in other states around the country, including Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Alabama, and Texas. Each state has documented evidence of serious environmental impacts, including groundwater contamination, from horizontal drilling practices.
Source:
- http://www.earthworksaction.org/pubs/LOguideCh1.pdf
2. Hydraulic fracturing (fracking), the process by which huge quantities of water, sand, and chemicals are used to “stimulate” gas production in a well, can involve the use of a number of cancer-causing substances
and reproductive toxins.
Chemicals like benzene, toluene, naphthalene, and xylene can be present in fracking fluid. Fracking fluid CANNOT be completely removed from the well and can end up contaminating drinking water – yours, your neighbor’s, and even the town’s.
Sources:
- http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/products/chemicals_used_in_natural_gas
- _development.html
- http://www.propublica.org/feature/new-yorks-gas-rush-poses-environmental-threat-722
- http://s3.amazonaws.com/propublica/assets/natural_gas/colburn_testimony_071025.pdf
3. Fracking fluid is currently exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act and Community Right-to-Know Laws, as a result of industry lobbying.
The gas industry, under current law, does not have to tell landowners or government officials what chemicals are contained in fracking fluid. Even though research has indicated that very dangerous chemicals are found in fracking fluid, the industry maintains that the formulas are “trade secrets.”
Sources:
- https://www.policyarchive.org/bitstreamihandle/l0207 /2407/RL32873_20050506.pdf?sequence=1
- http://www.wilderness.org/Library/Documents/upload/Too-Wild-to-Drill-Hydraulic-
- Fracturing-Threatens-Driniking-Water.pdf
4. Water that comes out of drilling sites is considered
toxic.
In spite of this, drillers have been known to store this water in pits on the landowner’s
property. Even if these pits are lined, the water can contaminate soil and drinking water. Animals, including pets, livestock, and wildlife, can die from drinking it. It also gives off dangerous fumes.
Source:
- http://www.earthworksaction.org/pubs/LOguideChl.pdf)
5. The natural gas companies are making plans to ship our natural gas overseas, where they can make a larger profit.
So if we gamble our water, land, and air quality, we are unlikely to benefit from lower energy costs. They are planning to exploit our area for their own gain.
Source:
- Transcript of Chesapeake Energy investor update, http://seekingalpha.com/article/88789-chesapeake-energy-corp-q2- 2008-earnings-call-transcript?page=7
6. You have rights.
Clean water and air are basic human rights.
7. So does your neighbor.
Protect your neighbor’s water, land, and health
as you would your own. Remember, this is the person who helped you during the
flood.
8. Worried? You’re not alone.
Many other people in town - and the entire Southern Tier – are very concerned about what could happen to our area as a result of natural gas drilling. If we band together, we can make ourselves heard. Learn all you can. Talk to your neighbors. Fight for home.
I have been seeing some articles about drilling, and heard a little about it from the neighbors. I have 42 acres, but have not been approached by anyone to drill my land. Then saw an article in the Daily Star that said my town Edmeston is almost entirely leased to the gas companies. I have some questions:
1. Do the gas co.s have right of way to drill on my land, or do they have to get my permission?
2. What happens if my neighbor allows drilling, but I don’t, and my now perfect water becomes polluted?
3.What is this about being charged by the gas co.s to get the gas beneath my land? Very confusing.
Any help would be appreciated. Do you have meetings? Thanks! Kathy
Brian’s reply:
There is something called “mandatory inclusion,” or “compulsory inclusion.” There are subtleties to it (although they are about as subtle as a sledge hammer to the head).
Essentially, if a certain proportion of the land adjacent to yours has been leased, then the bastards can drill under (not on) your land. If it happens, it would probably be thousands of feet down, but that does not make it safe, or fair.
It doesn’t mean that they would do it, just that they could. I would not jump to any conclusions, though. There are many factors involved.
My land is in exactly the same situation as yours. Some neighbors have signed, some haven’t and we don’t know the proportions. We have perfect water from our well, and want to keep it that way. We also don’t like predatory corporations invading like locusts.
As far as groups,there are many. Check the http://www.squidoo.com/fracbusters
site for more info.
The Oneonta County Gas Group meets:
Date: Feb. 17
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Embury Room of First United Methodist Church, corner of
Church and Chestnut Sts, Oneonta
They are a great group of people, and it’s a good place to find out more.
This is none too soon. The environmental review process is cranking
along, and new wells will be permitted this coming summer. It’s time
that all of Oneonta and the whole county were talking about hazards that
are just over the horizon.
You are on the right track. Hope to see you at a meeting!
Brian
I have 112 acres that are right in the drilling path. From my research, these companies drill so far below the water in a well that there is no danger, or, too little chance of pollution for it to be a threat. So far, there hasn’t been an incident of water being polluted in NY, and there are thousands of existing wells already in NY.
How can we tell what is true? I can’t believe gas companies just go around polluting wells; they would have been stopped by now.
I don’t want to be dependent on foreign oil-I would love to tell the middle east that we don’t need them anymore.
Who to believe? Where my land is, all of my neighbors will sign, so I will be included, like it or not. How can you tell these people not to allow drilling on their land, when, for them, it would be like asking them to tear up a winning lottery ticket.
Everyone has kids to put through college, favorite charities, bills to pay. How to say no is the question.
Mel,
Those are entirely reasonable concerns and deserve a thoughtful reply. There are very good answers to them, and I’ll try to address them a.s.a.p.
One thing to keep in mind is that gas companies have every reason to lie to you. The profit-motive is their only consideration. There’s nothing wrong with a profit motive, but when it trumps your health, and when it gives them a license to destroy your way of life and scare you into sacrificing it so that some people from out-of-state can manipulate people’s insecurities – well, it’s time to give them a free ticket a place where people don’t care about their country and their heritage.
I’ve talked to a lot of people who could use the money as well as anyone else (I’m one of them) but have weighed the consequences (I’ll mention them in a post, soon) and have come to the reasonable conclusion that this fracking method is not safe yet, and the alleged profit is not all it’s cracked up to be.
I know that the thought of “free money” dangled in front of someone can be very hypnotic. But seriously, do you really believe in “free money?” Anyone who promises that should be trusted about as far as you can spit a rat.
On the other hand, the people who are trying to keep this not-ready-for-prime-time scheme at bay have nothing to gain except exactly what they are saying – they want to keep us safe, and protect our way of life. Not against profit, but against people who would rip the guts out of what makes life worth living for people who love their land, country, heritage, and health, just so a very small minority could collect some money at our expense.
The details of your question deserve to be addressed, and I’ll get to them in the next post.
Thanks for asking serious questions that I’m sure are on many other people’s mind, too.
All the best,
Brian