This is the Smith’s water. The gray stuff is bentonite which is used in hydraulic fracturing.
Filmy water vexes family
Saturday, June 5, 2010
By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe
Amber Smith no longer takes soaking baths, one of the young mother’s favorite ways to unwind at the end of the day.
More information including Calvin Tillman’s press release:
Hydraulic Fracturing contaminates Barnett Shale water
UPDATE: To answer the comment:
The TRC has ordered pressure tests and
the commission plans on taking one more water sample before making its report.
In the meantime, the Smiths are using water from a garden hose that stretches from the house next door. PATHETIC!
We generated $4.7 billion of cash flow from operations, funding most of our $5.1 billion in capital expenditures. With that capital, we drilled more than 1,100 successful wells, driving proved reserves to the highest level in our company’s history and delivering outstanding reserve replacement results. Our marketing and midstream business delivered yet another year of better than forecasted results reaching $512 million in operating profit. And finally, we maintained a very strong financial position, ending the year with a net debt to capitalization ratio of 29%, and unused credit lines and cash on hand totaling $2.8 billion.
Dont’ forget to
Look at Runner Susan’s water
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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Contaminated water is not the surprise, here. What is surprising to me is that Devon refuses to accept responsibility for it. Maybe if there were 12 other operators in the immediate area, I could see how they would just jump in and say it was them-but they are the ONLY operator and that crap is DRILLING MUD-and a few other chemicals that are not naturally occurring. You can't just run down to your local Home Depot and pick up a bucket of Strontium. Speaking of buckets- what are those fools at the TRRC doing about this? Making 'recommendations'? as usual? Or is 'Further testing/more study required'? Oh, wait, that the TCEQ's line. I get their excuses confused sometimes.
Devon can't admit they contaminated the Smith well. If the industry admits that any water has been contaminated by hydraulic fracturing, the bridge fuel is over so they will do anything to make sure hydraulic fracturing is never to blame for water contamination.
2.8 billion. maybe devon could afford to get a tank of water for the smiths until they make up some excuse for the junk in their water.
Garden hoses should never be used for drinking water, though, due to the materials from which modern hoses are made (and the fittings which can also contain lead). So, along with the user who suggested the water tank, how about a supply of plastic water bottles–each bottle takes about a 1/4's worth of oil to produce, thus perpetuating Devon's profit cycle…
Seriously though, had the Smith's had their water tested prior to the drilling? I hope they can show a connection to the drilling and the state of their water, as it would be better than relying on TRC at this stage.
It appears that the chemicals detected in the water plus the bentonite are damning.
Anon: please explain what other possibility DRILLING MUD could have contaminated the Smith's drinking water? Of COURSE it came from Devon, perhaps you noticed the proximity of the drill site to their home. Is it really that difficult to connect the dots?
This will be a true test of the TRC and their corruption. Independent tests have already proven this is not only drilling mud, but contaminated with other chemicals associated ONLY with natural gas well drilling.
The TRC will likely use the same excuse they always use – they don't get involved in disputes between home owners and Industry. This leaves the Smith's with positve confirmation that their water is contaminated, but they are on their own to prove it came from Devon drilling 200 feet outside their home.
Response to TR–I am not disagreeing with you; I asked the question regarding prior testing because I was unaware of whether the Smith's had tested on their own (as some folks who live in suburbs/rural areas do). I am fairly new to this site and am in the process of working through the various links to educate myself more about "fracking" and the energy 'bidness' in general in order to make myself an informed voter. In the district where I live, the election will be between a candidate who has accepted money from energy PACs and one who earned his fortune in the energy business. During the course of following the money I have found that it is easy for a voter to become discouraged when the choices sometimes come down to who is likely to do the least amount of damage (to reform, the environment, civil rights, the economy, you name it) during their tenure in office. 🙁
As far as for the contents of drilling mud, and the proximity to the drill site, I will plead mea culpa as I've only read the cover article and not explored anything in depth.
The gray stuff is bentonite which is mixed into drilling mud but is used in fracking because it's slippery.
I apologize if you took my last comment as a personal attack- not my intent. It's very frustrating when it comes to water, for the very reason you mnetioned- if the individual isn't testing their water, then it doesn't get tested. Those jackasses at the TRC only seem to know how to test for chlorides and BTEX if you push them on that. If the TRC tests come back positive for BTEX, then the operator disagrees and sends out their goons to test, which shows no contamination.
Our neighbors had dead fish found in their tank-we had the fish tested, not the water. Fish tested high in Arsenic. Aruba Petroleum tested the water (alledgedly) as did the TRC. Crystal clear on their tests. The homeowner believes what he wants to believe, which is that the water is safe. He lets anyone come over and fish. This is the same water where his grandson and one of his friends were hospitalized with respitory distress and full body rash. And now we're back to fishing in it, because the TRC has declared the water to be perfectly fine.
Many homeowners aren't testing their water, either before or after drilling. Some aren't even aware of the dangers because the Industry has spent so much time talking about how 'safe' fracking is.
Usually what happens is that the few homeowners who do test their water are doing so post fracking, so this creates doubt as to WHEN the well was contaminated-this is one of the first thing Industry does, if offer the possibility of another source of contamination that has nothing to do with them. The burden of proof is on the homeowner to establish the operator polluted their water.
We need to push for legislation that requires the operator to fully fund water testing by an independent firm with no ties to the Industry both prior to drilling to establish a baseline and post so that we know what effects, if any drilling has casued. Of course, part of this legislation should make remidiation manadatory at full cost of the operator, whether that's drilling a new water well, hooking up city water, etc. If Industry screws up the water, they should be fined heavily and required to spend whatever it takes to fix the problem.
The Industry shoudn't really have a problem with this- two test should only cost around $2,000 total, and it will require them to put their money where their mouth is. If their process is so safe, then they should plan on only spending the money for the testing, not remediation. It should also make them more careful in their drillig efforts- you break it, you buy it.
TR–thank you for the information about the water and testing; that is useful to know. I had bought into the marketing by the NG industry that it was clean until I stumbled across Runner Susan's site which had a link to here. It has been quite an eye-opener and I plan on keeping informed because it is too important an issue to simply shrug off as someone else's problem.
Fracking doesn't seem like it will ever be completely 'clean' from what I am learning about natural gas ( is this correct?), but trying to make it cleaner by using safer 'drill right' practices seems like a step in the right direction.
On a side note, if drilling operators are allowed to conduct their own tests and report to the TCEQ, then why can't I inspect my own car and let the DPS know if I think it's okay–just joking…
I love your analogy to the car inspection and, fair warning, I'll probably steal it. We don't care that you are late. We're just glad you're here.
I hope you get to watch GASLAND.
The analogy of the vehicle inspection is funny only because it demonstartes the ridiculousness of the system. I think I might take it a few steps further on everything else, now that you've brought it up- I'm going to pay income taxes on what I think is a fair amount to pay, the IRS need not question it. I'll pay property taxes on what I think is fair, not the county appraiseer. I think I'll write my own performance review for my job, no need for my boss to take the time to go through it. The next time I get a ticket, I'll just inform the judge that I realize the error of my ways, it was 'unintentional' and I promise not to do it again, no need to impse a fine…
Sharon and Tim,
I gain deeper understanding when you respond. I appreciate you both!
Keep Talking! We need you!
How is the water next door any better?
Google information about aquifers. It's not a big lake down there. There are pockets and the water flows through the rocks and formations. It can take a long time for the water to flow from one area to another.