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Pennsylvania to Begin Extensive Testing on Possible Fracking-Contaminated Water
Yahoo! Contributor Network ^ | April 8, 2011 | Rachel Krech

Posted on 04/09/2011 6:13:03 AM PDT by decimon

Natural gas drilling through a method called high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," has become a major cause for concern and citizen uproar in Pennsylvania, where energy companies have tapped into major deposits. But this past week, environmental regulators in Pennsylvania announced that the state would be requesting further testing on water that is treated in both wastewater treatment plants and drinking water treatment plants to see if fracking water is contaminating drinking water supplies.

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After the water is used in the fracking process, it's highly toxic and contains everything from carcinogens to radioactive materials to highly corrosive salts. But major problems arose when it was discovered that energy companies were taking millions of gallons of fracking wastewater to sewage treatment plants. These plants have no treatment steps that could remove the harmful chemicals, and the fracking water was processed through and dumped into rivers, many of which are public drinking water sources. Even worse is that drinking water treatment plants didn't test for radioactivity.

The practice of dumping contaminated water had been going on since at least as recently as 2009, but studies confirmed the problem was kept private and confidential until outside investigations discovered it.

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(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Health/Medicine; Local News
KEYWORDS: fracking; fracsand; marcellusshale; pennsylvania
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If the allegation is true then some people need to hang.

BTW, Yahoo Contributor Network could be a good way for some people to get published, if anyone here is interested.

1 posted on 04/09/2011 6:13:05 AM PDT by decimon
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To: thackney

Frackneyed ping.


2 posted on 04/09/2011 6:13:44 AM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon

I was wondering how long it would take the environmental whackos to try and stop another source of domestic energy. The environmental lobby killed California and it is trying to do the same thing everywhere there is a source of domestic energy supply.


3 posted on 04/09/2011 6:18:34 AM PDT by Old Retired Army Guy
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To: decimon

Hopefully the drillers are careful and have ways to avoid contamination of ground water. The liberal industrial complex wants to slow down this industry as it puts many of their favorites(ethanol,wind,solar) in a bad competitive position.


4 posted on 04/09/2011 6:19:40 AM PDT by alrea
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To: decimon
"Contributor network" sounds suspiciously like "blog." :-)

Let's see:

Rachel Krech provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.

Aha. A college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees. Well, can't argue with those credentials! Fracking frackers are guilty!

5 posted on 04/09/2011 6:20:07 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: decimon
Here come the scare tactics

I call BS on this story

6 posted on 04/09/2011 6:21:39 AM PDT by Charlespg
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To: alrea
The liberal industrial complex an appropriate description
7 posted on 04/09/2011 6:26:53 AM PDT by School of Rational Thought (Winning 24/7, Tiger's blood)
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To: Larry Lucido
"Contributor network" sounds suspiciously like "blog." :-)

Indeed. But a blog with a possibility of being read, should Yahoo so decree.

8 posted on 04/09/2011 6:31:19 AM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon

We have been fracking in Oklahoma for about 70 years with no problems. We however depose of frack water and produced water be injecting them in depleted formations thousands of feet underground rather than dumping at sewer plants.

Sounds to me like Pa’s problem is regulation of their drilling industries. if you don’t set up regulations, of course the drillers will take the cheapest out.

If they don’t want to drill for natural gas in Pa, I say let them freeze in the dark. It can be done in a envoirmentally safe way and this country needs all the energy it can produce.


9 posted on 04/09/2011 6:33:07 AM PDT by Okieshooter
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To: Old Retired Army Guy; Larry Lucido; Charlespg

The problem is that the ‘dumping’ may have happened. If so then my ire goes to the dumpers.


10 posted on 04/09/2011 6:33:49 AM PDT by decimon
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To: Okieshooter
Sounds to me like Pa’s problem is regulation of their drilling industries. if you don’t set up regulations, of course the drillers will take the cheapest out.

That could be. I hope this is resolved as I want to see the gas get drilled and don't want any crapheels screwing that up.

11 posted on 04/09/2011 6:36:27 AM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon

This woman didnt know too much about what she was talking about.

You pump highly viscous gels loaded with proppants when you frac. Water is not capable of fracking a tight shale formation.

What can happen, and it does, is that you can get out of zone fracking. The fracture extends up into a fresh water zone and does contaminate the aquifer. BUT, generally fresh water aquifers are high up where the marcellus shale is 10K feet TVD. That is a long way for a frack to propogate and I dont believe it could make it.

Improperly abandoned old oil wells can contaminate fresh water aquifer and it did in El Dorado, AR. The high pressure salt water leaked outside of collapsed casing into an aquifer and contaminated the fresh water supply. Terrible.


12 posted on 04/09/2011 6:38:15 AM PDT by oilfieldtrash
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To: decimon
The tests would include analyses of a variety of chemical substances often found in fracking water.

Gonna just blame the frackers for contaminants?

http://www.chk.com/Media/CorpMediaKits/Hydraulic_Fracturing_Fact_Sheet.pdf

How convenient.

13 posted on 04/09/2011 6:43:49 AM PDT by bigheadfred (Beat me, Bite me...Make Me Write Bad Checks)
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To: decimon

“environmental regulators”

Parasites who know absolutely nothing about anything except lies and fear mongering. They are more of a danger to the country than ANYTHING drilling could ever cause.


14 posted on 04/09/2011 6:44:44 AM PDT by kcvl
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To: Larry Lucido

Rachel Krech -"expert on fracking"

15 posted on 04/09/2011 6:48:26 AM PDT by kcvl
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To: kcvl

She looks all of eleventeen.


16 posted on 04/09/2011 6:52:08 AM PDT by bigheadfred (Beat me, Bite me...Make Me Write Bad Checks)
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To: oilfieldtrash

“Rachel Krech, reports of high numbers of dolphin deaths along Mississippi and Alabama”

She “KNOWS” this by writing a story from the comfort of her home in Chicago where she attends her college courses. /s


17 posted on 04/09/2011 7:00:09 AM PDT by kcvl
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To: bigheadfred

“Rachel Krech provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs”

Her “in-depth” knowledge can be measured by the length of her nose on her face. She makes it up as she goes. I seriously doubt she even knows what fracking is.


18 posted on 04/09/2011 7:09:53 AM PDT by kcvl
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To: decimon
If the allegation is true then some people need to hang.

Just like the allegations about global warming, lead in fishing lures/bullets, automotive emissions, etc, etc, etc.

If you fall for another one of the enviro-whacko allegations, you are a weak-minded fool.

19 posted on 04/09/2011 7:10:46 AM PDT by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
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To: Erik Latranyi
If you fall for another one of the enviro-whacko allegations, you are a weak-minded fool.

The dumping occurred or it didn't as only a weak-minded fool would deny.

20 posted on 04/09/2011 7:15:43 AM PDT by decimon
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