I drove through the Eagle Ford Shale in late September. Around Karnes City and Kenedy the drilling activity was unreal. If they put in another man camp it will have to be stacked on top of one that’s already there. Again I ask: Why do they need man camps if they are providing local jobs?
On my way home, I decided to take a quick detour and drive around the Karnes City area.
I’ve spent a lot of my life in the country so I know what country folk do when they see a stranger parked on the road taking pictures–they stop and ask questions. You can learn a lot talking to country folk.
Here is a video of an improperly operating flare. Apparently, it has been operating like this for months.
I only drove a very short distance but I saw a lot of land covered with well sites, waste disposal facilities, compressor stations, pipelines, frack ponds, fracking, drilling and flares were everywhere.
And the people living around all this mess have lots of complaints. They say they are not opposed to fracking but they are opposed to what is happening in their community. This is a bit of a disconnect with reality.
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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Enaqua;
It’s in the water all right!!
The thing that bothers me the most; is that I lived peacefully with Industry from 2005 to 2011.
And in about 2010 the Industry came in too furious and fast, suspected water contamination (at least that’s what my water samples showed), suspected air contamination (at least that’s what my air samples showed) and then, my health deteriorated. At least, that’s what my medical records showed after a H2S acute exposure.
If Industry was respectful, and did a little bit at a time, then the ecology of the Earth, and the likelihood of people’s health being impacted would not be as dramatic, and negative impacts may have been eliminated.
If Industry was respectful, and only drilled what we needed, when we needed, we wouldn’t have the Bayou Corne situation, etc.
If a frog had wings…
So, it sounds like what you are saying is this: Contaminate us slowly.
No, I don’t think the impact would be nearly as bad.
They, Industry, would have a little more control over the situation, be able to spend more time on safety, and we would have a little more control too by knowing and understand the impact of exactly what was going on .
The way they did it in the Barnett, was complete failure all the way around. Just like the folks here in Eagle Ford…
The Blind Side.
No one knew the extent of what was about to happen, until we were completely surrounded with no way out.
I see the point you’re saying, and the short cuts Industry is making, is inexcusable.
Maybe, if I ever see evidence of them operating in a safe, responsible manner… but I haven’t… not anywhere in this whole wide world.
LOL!!
Don’t we have to hand it to Devon though?
It was my understanding that they used Vapor Recovery Units…
What I don’t understand is how Industry blah, blah, blah…jobs!!!
And Vapor Recovery Units are made in Midland, Texas.
If they really wanted to impact American Jobs, they would
#1 Buy American Made Casings, that don’t fail as frequently as Industry has said the Chinese made ones do.
#2 Buy American Made Vapor Recovery Units.
#3 Stop selling off their interests in Shales to foreign companies
I have an idea, keep the status quo on Energy Production in the US, vote Republican!!
I heard yesterday that NC is applying for an amazing amount of solar panels permits to be put on private land.
More, more, more please!!!
Use what God gives to us;
Instead of stealing what doesn’t really belong to us.
No, Devon is slightly better in some areas and worse in others. They have left a trail of pollution and broken lives just like all the rest and you should see they way they are strong-arming Denton.
None of it is enough. Even with VRUs there are still emissions.
We have to get off fossil fuels or we won’t survive. Period.
Are you sure this is not what an oil & gas site is supposed to look like? I could send video of probably 8 sites near our home (closest is 1mile away) that look exactly this way. A wonderful nun told me that the flares were not to be this big & there was not to be a black tip, the RR commission website says that they are only to flare for (10?) days, an industry worker told me that the EPA is monitoring flares from space. I do not know what to believe. I do know that this that I can see and SMELL is not healthful for my family (who is all outside all day with windows open all night) or our animals. Please anyone may I have some facts.
Hi, I know the wonderful nun. The flares in the video are not operating properly. There should never be black smoke coming from a flare. The EPA is not monitoring the flares from space and that claim is so outrageous it makes me laugh. Industry workers just repeat what they are told to say.
It is not healthful for you, your family and animals to be exposed to the emission/vapors from flares. I have lot of information on flares. Look through those posts and then click previous entries at the bottom for even more information.
Thank you Sharon. You know do wonderful work.