As if yesterday weren’t bad enough with that embarrassing Hindenburg metaphor, today in the BSEEC (Barnett Shale Energy Education Counci) Newsletter Ed Ireland–failed economist NOT scientist–tries to convince us that apples are really oranges.
First, please note: TCEQ keeps changing things and adding to the general confusion.
- ESL (Effects Screening Level) is now AMCV (Air Monitoring Comparison Level).
- The short-term ESL for benzene used to be 54 ppb but for some unknown reason they raised it to 180 ppb.
Ed Ireland–failed economist NOT scientist–wants to explain to use, Dear Readers, the science behind air monitoring.
We want you to understand the science behind the testing and monitoring data being gathered in our region.
But, Ed Ireland is NOT a scientist. In all fairness and in full disclosure, I’m not a scientist either but I can read and here is what it says on the TCEQ website about the AutoGC monitor in DISH:
Two new long-term auto-GC monitors (these monitors perform continuous, near-real-time VOC monitoring) will be installed at DISH and Eagle Mountain Lake to get a better understanding of long-term ambient air conditions, and to help assess the effectiveness of the TCEQ’s actions, and to provide information on how to focus future efforts.
Ed Ireland–failed economist NOT scientist–explains the science like this:
At bseec.org you will see the actual levels of benzene for the past seven days at four different locations: Dish, Meacham Airport, Eagle Mountain Lake, and Dallas just south of Love Field. You will see that the highest observed benzene level in Dish, Texas in May was .85 parts per billion (ppb) — a miniscule amount compared to the AMCV level for short-term exposure to benzene that would warrant more investigation by TCEQ: 180 ppv.
Ed, you are right that comparing the level for long-term and short-term exposure makes the amount seem minuscule. Why would anyone do such a dumb thing? You could end up dead confusing long-term and short-term when dealing with deadly chemicals!!!
TCEQ’s long-term exposure number is 1.4 ppb so you can see that DISH residents are being exposed to elevated levels of benzene over the long-term.
Ed, we know it’s not your fault because you’re really NOT a scientist. Maybe you should study the diagram below and figure that out before you try to explain science to us again.
UPDATE because it’s so much fun I can’t stop: The benzene numbers are trending upward.
Clark Airfield, Dish, AutoGC
Benzene for April
.58 ppb
Benzene for May
.85 ppb in May.
Eagle Mountain Lake
Benzene for April
.25 ppb
Benzene for May
.32 ppb
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You have to want to be gulible to listen to that shill. People are so eager to drink the Barnett Shale Kool-aid they are willing to listen to a shill like Ireland.
This is the very definition of fraud, and Im not sure who's falling for it. The TCEQ changing measuring methods from ESL to AMCV only serves as a trick to raise the amount of toxins in the air that are the new normal, as if no one would notice. Part per billion are parts per billion. Use a ruler, a wet finger in the air or just simply make shit up like Ireland does, the toxins are the toxins, and their quantity of emissions in the air is the same as when it was called ESL.
The TCEQ is only doing this because they need to raise the level of what is acceptable levels of toxins without just changing the ESL number, because they know from their own testing (and failing to inform the public) that the benzene levels alone are increasing by the hour. The TCEQ simply found what they thought was an ingenious way to raise the bar. What is the science behind this, Ed Ireland? Oh, that's right, you're NOT a scientist, you're a failed economist playing scientist. I will give Ireland credit for one thing, though – his experience as an economist taught him that he can manipulate numbers to reflect the data the Industry so desperatly needs to justify more drilling.
The WCEQ is a Lapdog, what else would you expect?
To help clarify, TCEQ's long-term exposure number of 1.4 ppb is based on an exposure of benzene at a concentration of 1.4 ppb continuosly for 24 hours. The short term is used for the monitoring stations to compare data to the spikes in benzene concentrations.
It is deceiving to use the short-term number when referencing a long-term system.