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Pa Driller admits to dumping 200,000 gallons of waste next to Allegheny National Forest
The Web site for the award-winning alternative weekly, the Philadelphia City Paper.
Pa Driller admits to dumping 200,000 gallons of waste next to Allegheny National Forest
In my cover story last week ("Drill Baby Drill"), I described, among other things, the potential for wastewater spills from hydraulic fracturing, the process used to drill for gas in the Marcellus Shale.
In the latest news of contamination linked to drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale, a Pennsylvania driller has admitted to dumping some 200,000 gallons of drilling wastewater into an abandoned well just outside of Allegheny National Forest.
The story was reported today by Pro Publica, a non-profit dedicated to investigative journalism in the public interest:
As part of a plea agreement with the U.S. attorney for western Pennsylvania, part-owner Michael Evans, 66, of La Quinta, Calif., and John Morgan, 54, of Sheffield, Penn., admitted dumping 200,000 gallons of brine – salty wastewater that’s created in the drilling process – down an abandoned oil well. The maximum penalty for both Evans and Morgan is three years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Sentencing will be June 24. Attorneys for both men declined to comment.
Swamp Angel Energy was drilling in the Allegheny National Forest, in McKean County in northwestern Pennsylvania, and the brine was dumped just outside the border of the federal land.
The company, Pro Publica reports, has 77 active, permitted wells in Pennsylvania, all in McKean county.
Read more CP coverage of drilling in the Marcellus Shale.
"The story was reported today by Pro Publica, a non-profit dedicated to investigative journalism in the public interest." ... and eight days ago by the dreaded MSM. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10047/1036263-100.stm
Oh the horror! BRINE! 200,000 gallons! Down an abandoned well! Do you know that brine is saltwater? Do you know that wells go down thousands of feet, far below wells for drinking water? This is a bunch of ignorant alarmism with a hidden agenda - surprise, surprise.
JonP: thanks for pointing that out. Sally: You're right: "brine" is mere saltwater – but such discharges are carefully monitored because of the damage mere saltwater can do to streams and tributaries. Moreover, fracking wastewater has been found to contain not just salt but toxic chemicals and metals, including, in some cases, radioactive materials which can naturally occur underground. Ignorant Alarmist with a Hidden Agenda that I may be, I'd also point out - as I did in my recent article - that 2009 alone saw more than fifty illegal discharges of hydraulic fracturing wastewater from Marcellus Shale drilling operations. I'd point out as well that it is *illegal* for drilling companies to dump any wastewater without getting it treated and without being permitted to do so - whether it's into a well or into a stream. In this case, Swamp Angel Energy employees (one a part-owner) pleaded guilty to felony counts of violating the Safe Water Drinking Act and may face prison time. Thanks for the comments! - Isaiah
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