MEDIA ADVISORY: March 3, 2010
Contacts:
Wilma Subra, 337-367-2216
Shale Gas Industry Claims of Safe Air
DISH Mayor calls press conference for evening of March 3rd to discuss results
WHAT:
Announcement of toxic results of new DISH,TX air quality survey using new “stealth” air quality measuring technology.
WHEN:
March 3rd, 2010
7:00 p.m. Central Standard Time
WHERE:
DISH, TX Town Hall
WHO:
Presenters will include –
Calvin Tillman, Mayor of DISH, Texas
Wilma Subra, EARTHWORKS board member and Texas OGAP Steering Committee; and,
Chris Rella, Picarro Inc, Director of Research
BACKGROUND:
Yesterday, an undercover team drove an unmarked white van through the DISH (Tx.) area to test a new measurement technology that enables drive-by emissions testing of air quality around shale gas drilling and pumping facilities — without leaving the vehicle or slowing down from normal driving speeds.
The team, which included noted environmental chemist and EARTHWORKS board member Wilma Subra, and environmental testing firm Wolf Eagle Environmental, used a new laser spectroscopic emissions detection technology to measure significantly elevated methane (4 ppm above background) and hydrogen sulfide gas emissions around DISH.
Methane is a indicator for benzene, xylene and other toxic and carcinogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Affected DISH residents and local elected officials have expressed concerns that elevated levels of these VOCs from shale gas drilling operations in the Barnett Shale formation have caused serious health problems in the small Texas town. Hydrogen sulfide is another toxic gas that is a common by-product of sub-surface drilling and energy production activities. Hydrogen sulfide creates a distinctive “rotten-eggs” odor.
DISH Mayor Calvin Tillman has called a special meeting at the DISH Town Hall on March 3 at 7 p.m. for a discussion of the results. Ms. Subra, a winner of a MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant, will brief town residents and other attendees on what these new results mean for DISH residents, and for residents and businesses in other areas affected by shale gas drilling. Also at the meeting, Picarro (the sampling technology manufacturer) director of research and development Chris Rella will provide Google Maps visualizations showing the emissions plumes and corresponding locations. The meeting is open to all.
EARTHWORKS works with communities in Texas and around the country to minimize the adverse impacts of energy development. EARTHWORKS has 29,000 members worldwide, and maintains offices in California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Texas and Washington, D.C.
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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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Chris Rella
Director of Research & Development
Prior to joining Picarro in 2000, Chris worked at Agilent Laboratories on the design of 40 GHz bit error rate testers. An expert in the field of infrared spectroscopy, he has held research positions at the High Energy Physics Laboratory (HEPL) at Stanford University and the FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Chris received his B.S. in Mathematical Physics from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio in 1990, and his Ph.D. in Physics from Stanford University in 1996.
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Let me guess, someone from the Barnett Shale Brainwashing Council or Barnett Shale Newsletter will call this guy a "moron". If you don't have a Ph.D. from Stanford or better, you are severely outmatched, I would throw in the towel now.
Sure wish I could be there tonight. This will be good technical information. You can bet that there is much crap in the air near shale gas drilling and producing/processing sites.
I am greatly disappointed that I won't be in town to attend, tonight. Christine is going for me..
I would welcome with open arms to have the industry bring anyone they want to even try to refute the claims of the dangers they have created for all of us, much less attack these highly qualified and educated people.
You ever notice the industry does a great job of attending these meetings, but none of them ever say anything? I wondwer why?
Even if you don't recognize them, they'll be easy to spot tonight at the Dish meeting- just look for the guys standing in the back with their hands in their pockets staring at their shoes.
The O&G people are always incognito at public meetings. It's their Mafiaso ways. Secret! If you don't want to put up with 'em, have private meetings at private places. That irritates, 'em–so they will have a "plant" person at the private meetings. The only way around that problem is the internet, like this excellent site here. Bluedaze, keep up the good work!
Sounds like this testing technology is just what we need!
Testing has got to get into the hands of the public or trusted groups overseen by the public. For years, we've all been victimized by skewed or misrepresented test results and labs in partnership with polluters.
Yes, this kind of recent testing by Wolf, etc. is excellent. It represents a new era for us (the ordinary people who live on the land) to be able to know what is going on. We need this kind of excellent technical information to help us make judgements of our air, water, and land. It's long overdue. We cannot depend on our state agencies!
I am heartened that the industry has this type of air quality test available. With any luck, this particular air quality test and test results will serve as a reference going forward for all future required testing before, during, and after drilling. I sure hope the EPA is involved. Keep up the good work!