A tiny amount of Frack fluid that was 99% fresh water and only 1% chemicals killed 17 healthy cows!
I’ve noted before that no more information was forthcoming about the 17 cattle that died when fracking fluid was spilled in their pasture. Today the Shreveport Times released an update on the situation that includes the failure of Chesapeake to report the incident for five hours while they clean-up the collected evidence and they never notified the sheriff’s department.
Spokesmen for Chesapeake Energy and their contractor hydraulic fracture giant Schlumberger would not answer The Times’ questions about the incident,
But please note that they “compensated the owner of the cattle.”
Do you remember that scene in Thank You for Smoking where the Marlborough Man who is dying of lung cancer receives a suitcase full of hush-money cash from the tobacco company?
The update includes a chronological timeline of the events from Chesapeake Energy official Steve Turk who admits that only a tiny amount of frack fluid is deadly.
Turk’s letter states:”During a routine well stimulation/formation fracturing operation by Schlumberger for Chesapeake, it was observed that a portion of mixed ‘frac’ fluids, composed of over 99 percent freshwater, leaked from vessels and/or piping onto the well pad.”
The spill was not reported, the missive states, because it was not a “reportable quantity” under state and federal regulations, but water and soil analysis found that some of the site contractor’s “products” mixed with storm water runoff and flowed into the field.
Only 1% of the frack fluid was chemicals and it was in such a small amount it was not even reportable. Yet it killed 17 healthy cows!!!! HOLY COW!
That’s some deadly sh*t and it needs to be regulated!
Take Action: Keep drilling toxics out of our drinking water
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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I'm always suspicious when a company or individual refuses to answer questions and yet hands out a bunch of cash to the victim(s). Thanks for this follow-up Sharon!!
Holy Cow is right! Whats the 5250 ppb of Cr6 that we been drinking for years gonna do to us? Never mind we already know, and the list is too long to list.
Sleepless in Midland
"Reportable quantities" reminds me of "collateral damage." Both are looked upon as unimportant unless there is some massive problem. A few lives, a little bit of deadly chemicals- these don't matter. Unless it's your life or your animals. The way the industry makes its claim that, by and large, they are very safe- only a tiny percentage of anything they do goes wrong. The problem is- their operations are done on such a massive scale. Even those tiny percentages are devastating. When 17 cows keel over, that's not just an average day at the farm.
..not a "reportable quantity" under state and federal regulations??? We are dealing with a "Cyclops" that has no conscience. There is not a "reportable quantity" of good faith or honesty within the entire gas industry.
As far as O&G goes, don't EVER believe them–mostly BS, always!!!
Sissy: They don't even know what the "safe" level of Cr6 is yet for water!
It's interesting that you mention the Marlborough Man. There was a anti-smoking commercial here where they talked with the brother of the Marlborough Man, and even had a picture of him, gaunt & pale, dying of lung cancer in a Hospital bed.