Is everyone in DISH alright this morning? Did you find any asphyxiated animals last night?
There was a huge release in DISH according to the TCEQ permanent monitor that only monitors 46 of the 187 air toxics. Too bad Mayor Tillman didn’t have any private monitoring going on last night. Or did he?
Ethane was measured at 423.23 ppb. Ethane is 1% to 6% methane so, if my calculations are correct, that’s 42 ppm of methane releasing into the atmosphere.
UPDATE: On the 26th there was an even higher release! At 9 PM, it was 678 ppb.
Remember that Argyle and Flower Mound had several high releases in mid November with the highest measured at 96 ppm.
According to a presentation at EARTHWORKS’ Oil and Gas Accountability Project’s 2010 People’s Oil and Gas Summit by Cornell professor, Bob Howarth, methane has 105 times greater Global Warming potential than C02 when considered on a 20 year time frame.
Global Warming Potential of Methane relative to Carbon Dioxide
twenty year time horizon = 105-fold
one hundred year time horizon = 33-fold
Also from Howarth’s presentation are these excerpts from the Council of Scientific Society Presidents:
“The acceleration of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activity is increasingly leading to harmful climate change and ocean acidification. Societies must act urgently to reduce these emissions to protect the life-sustaining biophysical systems of the Earth.”
“……the necessary transitions will require nothing short of a new industrial revolution.”
“……..some energy bridges that are currently encouraged in the transition away from GHG emitting fossil energy systems have received inadequate scientific analysis before implementation, and these may have greater GHG emissions and environmental costs than often appreciated.”
““…. …the development of methane from shale formations is another example where policy has preceded adequate scientific study.”
Professor Howarth has just released a new study that is currently under peer review:
Assessment of the Greenhouse Gas Footprint of Natural Gas from Shale Formations Obtained by High-Volume, Slick-Water Hydraulic Fracturing (Nov. 15, 2010)
His conclusion from this study is that natural gas is as bad as coal and possibly much worse.
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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How much is enough?
Do you mean how much is too much? In which case I would reply that it depends entirely on us.
I'm doing about all I can do right now. I am ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone who wants to take a stronger stand.
Speaking with Mayor Tillman earlier today, he said that he got plenty of calls from his residents while he was out of town visiting with family for Thanksgiving regarding the intense and overcoming odors. But no one from the TCEQ called him, not did the TCEQ show up. I'm not sure what good the monitor is if the TCEQ is not monitoring the monitor. We don't need a monitor to tell us the air is bad, we need the TCEQ to enoforce the the damn law!
No matter how the TCEQ wants to slice this-ESL's, AMCV's, or more bullshit from Susanna Hildebrand (who undoubtedly is looking into this right now) there are exceedences beyond any means of acceptable limits using anyone's measuring stick.
This is criminal behavior, fully sanctioned by the TCEQ and the TRRC.