Texas Sharon's Bluedaze

Fracking News

Fracking problems and complaints increase in Eagle Ford Shale

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A conversation was overheard at a University of Texas at Arlington infomercial panel on fracking:

Sharon can’t get anything going in the Eagle Ford Shale because people down there are too excited.

Fracking the shale started in my backyard in the Barnett Shale and that’s where the first complaints were seen. When other shale plays started across the country and globe, people were told “lessons were learned in the Barnett” so the same mistakes wouldn’t be repeated. Or they were told the geology is completely different as if that makes the same processes used in each formation different, safer, cleaner. It doesn’t.

The same complaints have echoed across the country and globe. Fracking for shale oil and gas is a dirty, pollutive process that uses toxic, carcinogenic and endocrine disruptor chemicals. The industry cuts corners to increase their bottom line and risks our health, safety, air, water and soil. It’s the same everywhere and it’s the same in the Eagle Ford Shale. I can’t keep up with all the complaints and problems.

When fracking comes to town, the complaints are not far behind.

Caller.com: Neighbors concerned about proposed oil field waste processing site near Orange Grove
By Mark Collette
Posted April 2, 2013

Dozens of neighbors and owners of a farm that supplies vegetables to the local farmers’ market are concerned about a “multimillion-dollar oil field waste processing site about a half mile” away.

“If it stinks, you pretty well know it’s toxic,” Cora Chisholm said.

Drilling creates 1.2 barrels of solid waste that is toxic, radioactive and laced with heavy metals. And that doesn’t imclude the massive amounts of liquid waste. As the article points out, and as I have said many times: all that waste has to go someplace. If you don’t want to deal with toxic waste in your backyard, start pushing our government toward clean energy and stop supporting the dirty fossil fuel industry.

KENS5 Texas town fighting to survive waste from Eagle Ford Shale
by Joe Conger
February 22, 2012

Oil field waste dump in Zapata County canceled
By John MacCormack
February 18, 2012

Caller.com Oil field waste pit shut down in Jim Wells County
By Mark Collette
Posted March 6, 2013

Cash for Road Repair in Shale Areas Proves Elusive
April 28, 2013
by: Aman Batheja, The Texas Tribune

Common Dreams:
‘Things Could Get Ugly’: Fracking Set to Escalate US Water Wars
Nearly half of fracking happens in places short on water
Jacob Chamberlain, Published on Friday, May 3, 2013

Yesterday there was a blowout.

Oilfield workers are dying “horrific deaths”

And everyday people are suffering

Have you had enough yet?

 

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.

Comments

  1. Cathy mcMullen says

    Last week the Tx Tribune published a story which stated for the first time ever it took more water to produce oil than oil produced. The difference was staggering.

  2. Khepry Quixote says

    Sharon,

    As you’re aware, I’m working on an alternative search interface to FracFocus.org’s data as extracted by SkyTruth.org.

    For the curiosity of your readers, it can be found at http://wellsearch.frackhem.org:8080/FracKhemPF

    That being said, and please forgive me if I tend to look at things through the lens of a software and database developer, but has anyone considered creating a central repository of fracking complaints?

    Imagine the positive effect it might have upon those with legitimate complaints to find out that their experience is not unique and that there are many others suffering under the same circumstances.

    Positively empowering, in my humble opinion.

    • TXsharon says

      There are several of these systems to track complaints. The problem is getting people to follow though and upload their complaints. It seems we keep recreating the wheel.

  3. Jana says

    Kephry, we do need to centralize the data. What needs to happen is that you, or someone who understands your system will need to collect the mountains of data that is already out there, ie the List of the Harmed and input that, but the new data will have to be added. It is difficult on many levels for people to input into a system that do not know. My thought is that it would be easier for one or two people to maintain it, and share the data. Thank you for caring.

  5. Jason says

    I have a theory to solve the environmental solution.
    Eagle Ford Shale are you interested?
    Environmental Services.