Videos show why Denton air as bad as Houston's

Denton and Houston have the worst air in the state of Texas according to this year’s average ozone readings. Sperlings says Denton’s air ranks a 1.8 out of 100 with 100 being the best air. Bad air is tied to all kinds of health concerns (see below) and ozone is now considered a human carcinogen.

Local ozone readings reach high average
By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe
Published: 03 November 2013 09:45 PM

In mid-October, the World Health Organization declared air pollution a human carcinogen, after a panel of experts reviewed thousands of scientific papers. An individual spending the day outdoors doing intermittent work in ozone at 60-70 ppb could experience injury to lung tissue and other health effects, according to the EPA.

The oil & gas industry is allowed to pollute our air with hazardous air pollutants that harm health and increase ozone. See: Study: Oil & Gas activities significant impact on ambient ozone

You can find some videos that show volatile organic compounds (VOC) leaking and venting from oil & gas equipment near your area here: Barnett Shale: TCEQ Videos Show Fugitive Emissions.

HERE are HERE are recent videos showing VOCs venting and leaking from EagleRidge Energy facilities in Denton, Texas.

The following are some additional recent videos taken in Denton, Texas by ShaleTest.

Devon Natural Gas Well, John Bradford 2H 3H, Denton, TX

Legend Natural Gas Well, Razor Unit Bonnie Brae Rd 2, Denton, TX

Legend Natural Gas Well Razor Unit Bonnie Brae Rd 1, Denton, TX

For additional information on health impacts see:

And a new study that links VOCs in air to increased blood cancers.

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.

Alberta Neighbor says

November 4, 2013 at 5:42 pm

“And a new study that links VOCs in air to increased blood cancers.”

Thanks for the mention Sharon. And it appears companies are failing to report all their nasties.

“Longtime residents near industrial Alberta have struggled to bring attention to bad odors, health threats and related concerns. The peer-reviewed study is one of few in the region and more investigation of the large and complex facilities is needed.

For example, Simpson said, it appeared in some cases that the companies were not reporting all of the tons of chemicals they release. She and her colleagues documented high levels of 1,3-butadiene that could only have come from one facility, but she said the company had not reported any such emissions.”

http://news.uci.edu/press-releases/uci-led-study-documents-heavy-air-pollution-in-canadian-area-with-cancer-spikes/

Our government is getting right on that … not sure where Health Canada is though.

“… An Alberta government spokeswoman said the report doesn’t necessarily reflect real human exposure to the pollutants.

… Nikki Booth of Alberta Environment said the department has reviewed and welcomes the study. But she said staff don’t believe its findings are cause for concern.”

http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/pollution+north+Edmonton+world+largest+cities+study/9072679/story.html

And what good is polluting the air, if you can’t cover more bases and take the groundwater down with it. Another dose of toxic-business-as-usual in Alberta.

“Cold Lake bitumen leak has likely contaminated groundwater, report says:

Alberta Environment says bitumen leaking on CNRL’s Cold Lake lease has entered aquifers and the company must take immediate steps to minimize its migration into subsurface water and soil.

Sticky bitumen, which has oozd to the surface for more than six months, ‘has entered local non-saline groundwater aquifers, likely contaminating the groundwater,’ says the 15-page enforcement order issued by Alberta Environment late Monday.

… Notely said that under the order the company is still allowed to continue using high-pressure steam one kilometre from the small lake …”

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/crime-and-justice/Cold+Lake+bitumen+leak+likely+contaminated+groundwater+report+says/9071670/story.html

How’s your Texas “cap rock” holding up under the intense frac pressures? Ours appear to be a little “fractured.”

“geologists and other scientists suspect the company has broken the cap rock by injecting too much steam.

‘You can fix a wellbore, but you can’t repair a fractured cap rock,’ explained the geologist.

… ‘If they have damaged the cap rock, bitumen contamination could not only destroy groundwater and surface water but compromise the value of the resource itself. Billions of dollars worth of the resource could be at risk,’ Timoney said.

Added the scientist, a critic of rapid oil-sands development: ‘There appears to be a new kind of significant incident in the tar sands that the public knows little about. Industry has a big problem and they are trying to make it go away, and as usual we live behind an oil curtain of secrecy in this province.’

… Incidents at bitumen steam plants can be dramatic and occur much more frequently than are reported by industry or the regulator.

In 2006, Total, a French multinational company, over-pressurized one bitumen formation north of Fort McMurray.

The accident allowed the steam to create or find a fracture in the cap rock and then blew to the surface. The resulting explosion created a 300-metre hole in the forest. The Alberta Energy Regulator described the explosion as a ‘catastrophic event’ but didn’t publicly report on the matter for four years.

‘Industry guys talk about entire well pads shifting or a well pad collapsing into the ground into a cavern. There have been dozens and dozens of these incidents that the public and investors are not aware of,’ said the independent geologist.”

http://www.thetyee.ca/News/2013/09/25/Whats-Causing-Mysterious-Bitumen-Seepages-in-Alberta/

Comments

Alberta Neighbor says

November 4, 2013 at 5:42 pm

“And a new study that links VOCs in air to increased blood cancers.”

Thanks for the mention Sharon. And it appears companies are failing to report all their nasties.

“Longtime residents near industrial Alberta have struggled to bring attention to bad odors, health threats and related concerns. The peer-reviewed study is one of few in the region and more investigation of the large and complex facilities is needed.

For example, Simpson said, it appeared in some cases that the companies were not reporting all of the tons of chemicals they release. She and her colleagues documented high levels of 1,3-butadiene that could only have come from one facility, but she said the company had not reported any such emissions.”

http://news.uci.edu/press-releases/uci-led-study-documents-heavy-air-pollution-in-canadian-area-with-cancer-spikes/

Our government is getting right on that … not sure where Health Canada is though.

“… An Alberta government spokeswoman said the report doesn’t necessarily reflect real human exposure to the pollutants.

… Nikki Booth of Alberta Environment said the department has reviewed and welcomes the study. But she said staff don’t believe its findings are cause for concern.”

http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/pollution+north+Edmonton+world+largest+cities+study/9072679/story.html

And what good is polluting the air, if you can’t cover more bases and take the groundwater down with it. Another dose of toxic-business-as-usual in Alberta.

“Cold Lake bitumen leak has likely contaminated groundwater, report says:

Alberta Environment says bitumen leaking on CNRL’s Cold Lake lease has entered aquifers and the company must take immediate steps to minimize its migration into subsurface water and soil.

Sticky bitumen, which has oozd to the surface for more than six months, ‘has entered local non-saline groundwater aquifers, likely contaminating the groundwater,’ says the 15-page enforcement order issued by Alberta Environment late Monday.

… Notely said that under the order the company is still allowed to continue using high-pressure steam one kilometre from the small lake …”

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/crime-and-justice/Cold+Lake+bitumen+leak+likely+contaminated+groundwater+report+says/9071670/story.html

How’s your Texas “cap rock” holding up under the intense frac pressures? Ours appear to be a little “fractured.”

“geologists and other scientists suspect the company has broken the cap rock by injecting too much steam.

‘You can fix a wellbore, but you can’t repair a fractured cap rock,’ explained the geologist.

… ‘If they have damaged the cap rock, bitumen contamination could not only destroy groundwater and surface water but compromise the value of the resource itself. Billions of dollars worth of the resource could be at risk,’ Timoney said.

Added the scientist, a critic of rapid oil-sands development: ‘There appears to be a new kind of significant incident in the tar sands that the public knows little about. Industry has a big problem and they are trying to make it go away, and as usual we live behind an oil curtain of secrecy in this province.’

… Incidents at bitumen steam plants can be dramatic and occur much more frequently than are reported by industry or the regulator.

In 2006, Total, a French multinational company, over-pressurized one bitumen formation north of Fort McMurray.

The accident allowed the steam to create or find a fracture in the cap rock and then blew to the surface. The resulting explosion created a 300-metre hole in the forest. The Alberta Energy Regulator described the explosion as a ‘catastrophic event’ but didn’t publicly report on the matter for four years.

‘Industry guys talk about entire well pads shifting or a well pad collapsing into the ground into a cavern. There have been dozens and dozens of these incidents that the public and investors are not aware of,’ said the independent geologist.”

http://www.thetyee.ca/News/2013/09/25/Whats-Causing-Mysterious-Bitumen-Seepages-in-Alberta/