Marcellus Shale Newswire 04/15/2011
Vol. 2, Issue 05
A Collection of Marcellus Shale and Gas Drillling Articles from Pennsylvania and Beyond
PennEnvironment
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Study citing shale gas ‘footprint’ disputed
By David Templeton
April 13, 2011
http://articles.philly.com/2011-04-13/business/29413923_1_shale-gas-matt-pitzarella-marcellus-shale
A Cornell University study is drawing criticism from the Marcellus Shale industry by concluding that methane produced from shale gas has as large a “greenhouse gas footprint” as coal, or larger. The study said the totals were calculated from various sources but reflected how much methane escapes into the atmosphere from venting or leaking over the lifetime of a well.
The New York Times
Methane losses stir debate on natural gas
By Tom Zeller, Jr.
April 12, 2011
While methane doesn’t last in the atmosphere as long as carbon dioxide, it is a far more potent heat trapper than carbon dioxide while it’s around – roughly 25 times more potent over a 100-years time frame. Over a 20-year time horizon, methane is 72 times more potent a greenhouse gas, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Bloomberg Businessweek
AP: Pa. accused of rubber-stamping gas permits
By Michael Rubinkam
April 13, 2011
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9MIQT6O1.htm
Pennsylvania environmental regulators say they spend as little as 35 minutes reviewing each of the thousands of applications for natural gas well permits they get each year. They also acknowledge they don’t give additional scrutiny to requests to drill near high-quality, legally protected streams and rivers.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Some water treatment plants refuse to take fracking fluid
By Daniel Malloy
April 13, 2011
http://post-gazette.com/pg/11103/1138930-455.stm
Several wastewater treatment plants in Western Pennsylvania have stopped taking in waste from natural gas hydraulic fracturing amid controversy about potential waterway contamination. Mr. Perciasepe [EPA deputy administrator] testified that some wastewater treatment plants are ill-suited to treat the fluid, which is mostly water but also includes a cocktail of chemicals that would be dangerous in drinking water.
The Scranton Times-Tribune
Casey: Voluntary fracking chemical registry ‘not enough’
By Laura Legere
April 14, 2011
The release of a national online registry of hydraulic fracturing chemicals this week has received qualified praise but has not stemmed calls for more disclosure about the natural gas extraction process. Lesser-known chemicals are often not included on the materials safety sheets, whether or not they are toxic, and so will not be included in the registry. “This isn’t enough, but any progress is welcome,” [U.S. Sen. Bob Casey] said.
National Public Radio
Gas Drilling’s Promise, Perils Rile Townsfolk
By The Associated Press
April 12, 2011
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=135339265
Fracking opponents complain the industry has taken environmental and safety shortcuts in their zeal to reap the vast stores of gas once locked tight within the shale.
The New York Times
Pennsylvania Calls for More Water Tests
By Ian Urbina
April 7, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/science/earth/08water.html?_r=4&hpw
Pennsylvania environmental regulators said Wednesday that they were calling for waste treatment plants and drinking water facilities to increase testing for radioactive pollutants and other contaminants, to see whether they are ending up in rivers because of the growth of natural gas drilling in the state. Mr. Furlan also said that the real threat of radionuclides from drilling wastewater being sent through sewage treatment plants was that it would settle in the sediment at the bottom of rivers.