Our government–local, state and federal–knows about this and they are ignoring the imminent danger to several families.
A couple of weeks ago, Steve Lipsky wrote a letter to the EPA. The methane contamination plume in the aquifer in his area is getting much worse. People in that area now have methane bombs in their yards/garages that could ignite with one spark.
- President Obama knows about this.
- The EPA knows about this.
- The Texas Railroad Commission knows about this.
- Scientists know about this.
- Range Resources knows about this.
No one is doing anything about this.
Read the letter then watch these videos (The Texas Railroad Commission was present when the videos were taken). NOTE: 50,000 ppm is explosive limit.
- Lipsky water well: Explosive gases measured 90% or 900,000 ppm at the well head vent. Over 18 times explosive limits.
- Perdue water well: Methane measured over 170,000 ppm at the well head.
- Perdue water well: Methane measured 158,000 ppm at holding tank.
- Perdue water well: Explosive gases measured 67% or 670,000 ppm at the holding tank.
According to scientists, these are some of the highest numbers ever recorded.
UPDATE: Here is a list of the RRC employees present when the videos above were taken:
Kyle Lindquist, Terracon
David “Max” Majesko, Terracon
Trish Hudson, RRC District 7B Office
Chris Moore, RRC Austin Office
The RRC employees acknowledged that the vents and the water holding tank were at explosive levels. But they would not record them because they do not do air samples. It’s not my job!
The RRC did do water testing but it was only for isotopes. Here is a video of the RRC doing water testing. They would only test for isotopes and refused to test for total gas concentration in the water. According to Lipsky, they said they were not interested in the contamination of the water and were not interested in testing for it.
When the RRC filed their official report of the complaint, there was no mention of the explosive levels of methane and total gases. According to Lipsky the report implies that there is no dangerous situation. Yet, when confronted, they admitted that the well was very dangerous. They were unable to explain why that information was not in the official report. But I think I know why. It’s called malfeasance.
Someone needs to do something before it’s too late. STOP playing politics and gambling with these families lives.
photo credit: thetimes-tribune.com
Also see:
- Welcome to his nightmare: Flaming well water
- Records show drilling operation violated law while water wells contaminated
- Water contamination in Parker County exceeds explosive limits
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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“While Range Resources testing of approximately 30 homes showed that there was no danger, Duke University testing of 10 homes showed over half of those homes had methane concentration over 20 mg/L in their well water.”
Range might want to get in touch with CAPP – The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, I expect they’d be happy to bring them up to snuff.
“CAPP warned in their 1996 gas migration report that if there is more than 1 mg/L of dissolved methane in water, ‘there may be risk of an explosion, if the water supplies pass through poorly ventilated air spaces’ and reported dramatically increased levels of methane found in groundwater near leaking hydrocarbon wells.
The US Geological Survey studying groundwater in western Colorado reported that methane concentrations greater than or equal to 1 mg/l are ‘high.’
… A 2009 regulator report summarized 64 gas migration cases in 22 counties in Pennsylvania dating from the 1990’s to 2009 caused by the oil and gas industry; five cases were caused by hydraulic fracturing that contaminated numerous wells and two springs used as domestic water supply.
The 64 cases resulted in 11 explosions, five fatalities, three injuries, a road closure, and numerous evacuations with residents in one community displaced for two months.”
http://www.frackingcanada.ca/industrys-gas-migration/
Wow! That’s chilling! Thanks for posting.
Excellent post, as ever, Sharon, thank you and congratulations on the honour bestowed upon you by More Magazine and photographer Dan Winters.
Battleground Dimock property sold, deed bars owners from building home there
October 20, 2013, by Laura Legere, NPR
http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2013/10/20/battleground-dimock-property-sold-deed-bars-owners-from-building-home-there/
From the article:
No one will ever live at 1101 Carter Road in Dimock again.
…
Now, Cabot has sold the property, minus the oil and gas rights, to a neighboring family for $4,000. The deed stipulates that a home can never be built on the parcel: No building, according to the deed’s careful conditions, “shall be erected as or for or used or occupied as a residence or dwelling for human habitation.” The restriction applies “forever.”
Thank you. I am curious why the people bought the Saunter house.
I’m curious too.