UPDATE: For the best reporting to date on this case see: Better reporting on Range Resources water contamination case in Parker County, it is a long but essential read if you are interested in this case.
I would bet that most people, when faced with a garden hose turned flame thrower and explosive levels of methane that could blow up their house, would welcome the EPA’s intervention and would completely agree with this Denton Record Chronicle editorial.
Fiddling while the tap water burns
Thank God for the folks at the EPA, who know what their job is and did it. Range Production vehemently denies that the gas contaminating the Parker County water is their gas, and they may be right. For the record, however, the EPA says it has tested the gas, and it matches the composition of gas from two nearby Range Production wells.
Just whose gas it is, is secondary at the moment to the safety of those people who have the equivalent of kerosene coming out of their showerheads and toilet tanks
If you haven’t read the whole EPA order, please do. The have an amazing amount of evidence and have crossed every “t” and dotted every “i.”
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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Gotta love the article in Star Telegram.
They trot out some water well driller with anecdotal evidence and cite the Powell Barnett Shale Newsletter as having done extensive study and figured it out already.
Their conclusion?
Cap all the WATER wells!
At least you got a nice quote in the article anyway.
I have a response to the S-T article that I hope to post on EARTHblog soon.
I have to give it to Jack, this article was less pro-industry than his usual and there are some juicy nuggets in it. But, I cracked up when he said the Powell Barnett Shale Newsletter is “unabashedly pro-industry” and “an authoritative source on gas drilling” in the same sentence. You know, why not get a real authoritative source that is not an apologist? Still, those reporters have crushing deadlines and workloads. I sure wouldn't want to be in his chair.
Does anyone know if the Parker Co. water wells were pumping good water BEFORE Range started drilling/fracking?
Yes, the wells were fine without a hint of gas in them as observed by the owners and the water well drillers. They only became contaminated AFTER the Range wells started producing. I swear! If people would read the order, the bull dished out by the opposition would get NO traction.
And please, please remember, "these contaminants listed herein are present in the Trinity Aquifer".
Some of our eyes are open, and for those of you haven't fully opened them, yet, ALL of the water in the Trinity Aquifer is now contaminated. There have been 44 cases of documented water contamination in 7 counties in the Barnett Shale. The Trinity Aquifer runs from OK to Brownsville Texas, and leads into the Edmunds aquifer, which covers 2/3rds of the State of Texas.
This water moves Southeast at a very slow pace. And the more we take out of the aquifer, the greater concentration of contaminants. The more drought we have the less water in the aquifer, the higher the level of contaminants.
This water does get replaced very slowly through fresh water rain. It also, displaces into streams and lakes, which will lead to our surface water contamination.
We have got to stop this nonsense.
Please wake up and smell the coffee.
The reason I asked my question above is because none of the local media reports I've read mention the important fact that the wells were good before the drilling started. It seems so damn obvious to me that, even if methane is naturally occurring, the drilling caused the problem with the well water. Am I missing something?
Bull's eye, Don. I posted a comment to the S-T article and on my blog. I will have an expanded comment tomorrow on EARTHblog.