Marcellus Shale Reality Tour Part 2 - Dimock Day Trip - Fracking

A video by Scott Cannon http://www.gdacoalition.org
On January 10, 2012, I drove to Dimock Pennsylvania to find out what's going on with the DEP and the EPA's investigation on the water well contamination alleged by Cabot Oil & Gas

Methane in three private water wells in Lenox Twp. seeped there from a flawed natural gas well drilled by Cabot Oil & Gas Corp., state environmental regulators have found.

An investigation by the Department of Environmental Protection determined that the gas migrated from at least one of three Marcellus Shale wells on the Stalter well pad about a half-mile west of Interstate 81 in Susquehanna County.

Read the notice of violation HERE

The gas was found seeping into three water supplies in August. A fourth water well for a hunting cabin is still being evaluated, DEP spokesman Daniel Spadoni said.

Video from inside one of Cabot's gas wells showed that a string of steel casing meant to seal off the aquifer from contaminants was improperly constructed, according to a notice of violation sent by DEP in September.

Methane was also found between the cemented strings of casing in all three gas wells on the Stalter pad, a sign state regulators view as evidence of flaws in a well's construction.

The dissolved methane in one nearby water supply jumped from 0.3 milligrams per liter before drilling began to 49 milligrams per liter on Aug. 16 and 57 milligrams per liter on Aug. 18, according to the violation notice.

Cabot installed methane detection alarms in three homes and vented the three affected water wells to keep the methane from accumulating and creating an explosion risk. The company is also delivering replacement drinking water to two of the homes, Mr. Spadoni said. The methane in the third water well has decreased so the home does not require an alternate water supply, he said.

Cabot spokesman George Stark said Friday that the company submitted a detailed response to the DEP and is working with regulators on the issue.

"Cabot is committed to safe and responsible operations and takes matters like this very seriously," he said. "We believe in fact-based, scientific research to guide any necessary corrective actions."

Department regulators sent Cabot a violation notice on Sept. 19, but neither the department's public eFACTS compliance database nor its monthly oil and gas violations report noted the inspection or violations until last week, when a Times-Tribune reporter asked about the investigation.

DEP policy requires the oil and gas program to update the eFACTS database within 10 working days of completing an inspection or mailing a notice of violations.

Mr. Spadoni said the missing information was "an oversight."

• Category

  News & Politics

[tai chi]

Look to all you pro gasser assholes out there what the fuck is wrong with you? even if this documentary was pro bias so fucking what. Does it not occure to you these gas assholes are destroying our environment, I mean do you have your heads up your ass so far you cant taste how shitty that water it or how nasty it must truly be. i mean i am like the next guy i like to learn both sides of the story. Don't forget about the clean air and water act and how these companies are breaking the law

[GADCLuzerneCounty]

A little harsh, but true. The gas industry spends millions on one sided advertising and no pro gassers complain, but made a truthful video about the dangers, and they come out of the woodwork. Listening to the gas industry is like listening to a cigarette salesman sell cigarettes, they never tell you whole story.

[James Roberson]

Learn something about the oil business before making such a ridiculous comment. Fracking doesnt contaminate ground water. Its nearly impossible

[GADCLuzerneCounty]

DEP release documents confirming 161 cases of water contamination in PA from gas drilling last week. Google it.

[jtsaad]

@GADCLuzerneCounty I noticed you have been insulting people's intelligence as a way to win meaningless online arguments. For the records it's a "moot point" not "mute point" and a "non disclosure" clause non discloser. But don't worry, I understood what you meant despite your minor grammatical shortcomings.

[GADCLuzerneCounty]

Those meaningless online arguments were started by you and others who are pro gas. So you're point is mute.

[GADCLuzerneCounty]

You are right, its not American, it is the State of Pennsylvania that guarantees is residents clear air and water. The Sautners had clean water until Cabot polluted it. It is only American that Cabot pays for a permanent solution, not a filter system that doesn't get all the contaminants out.

[GADCLuzerneCounty]

Kind of a pointless question, but here's your answer. Its the same reason the gas companies don't put both sides in their ads and public relations materials. You won't hear a truthful gas ad that says, "We don't care about your precious environment because we don't live there, but we will give you some money for the gas under your property".

I don't believe that the money is worth our environment. I am for a ban on fracking. Haven't you figured that out?

[James Roberson]

From drilling or fracking? Of course when you drill through the water table you are going to contaminate the fresh water zone with drilling mud or have water loss but the contamination is very minimal and harmless. You do the exact same thing when you drill a water well.

[hermenutic]

Pennsylvania at one time was a nice place to live. Too bad what happened. Who could have guessed putting poison into the ground could hurt? It just doesn't make sense. Putting poison in the water should make it better shouldn't it? Why would our leaders let them do it if it will hurt us?

Some people think our leaders let this happen in return for money. Has anyone else heard this?

If that is true that's good!

[g29er]

Greetings Gas Industry assholes. I just now saw this video and I know people who are debating as to whether or not they should allow this in their community. I know alot of people and I am more then happy to pass this on to EVERYONE including millions of facebook users in my neck of the woods. You can call us Libs if you want but at the end of the day.......we get shit done when we organize. Keep on fighting Luzerne County.

[g29er]

Greetings Gas Industry assholes. I just now saw this video and I know people who are debating as to whether or not they should allow this in their community. I know alot of people and I am more then happy to pass this on to EVERYONE including millions of facebook users in my neck of the woods. You can call us Libs if you want but at the end of the day.......we get shit done when we organize. Keep on fighting Luzerne County.