Fracking in West Clare

minnow

Builderfromhell wrote: »

I would be happy for the EPA to investigate hydraulic fracking and give an independent objective report on it.
Then we could all have an informed opinion of it.

Then you'll be glad to know to that are doing it at the moment, see here.

Builderfromhell

I hear the IFA discussed fracking at their recent meeting in Ennis and have unanimously agreed that it should be banned.

WakeyTyke

As someone who lives, works, cycles and walks in the proposed fracking area of west Clare I personally can see NO justifiable reason to have OUR environment desecrated by profit-chasing oil and gas companies.:(

Can someone please explain to me how the lives of the people of west Clare will benefit if this was to be allowed?

Lady Chatterton

I came across this event in "Clare Focus" this morning, it might be of interest to some people on this thread.

‘Fracking’: Film & Information evening


There will be a screening of ‘Gasland’, a film about ‘fracking’ in Fanny O’Dea’s, Lissycasey on Thursday, January 26th at 8pm.

‘Fracking’ is a method of extracting gas by drilling with large amounts of water& approx. 430 chemicals, 25 of which are listed carcinogens. An English company Enegi Oil, is currently examining the possibility of fracking in Clare. Being a new technology, proper safety standards have not yet been put in place and its' negative effects on our water system, air and landscape are of grave concern. The fears and controversy surrounding this process are such that it has been banned in France, parts of Germany and New York state.


The film will be followed by a short questions and answers. The event is organised by Clare Fracking Concerned.

http://www.clarefocus.ie/index.php/component/option,com_jcalpro/Itemid,70/extmode,view/extid,9008/

Builderfromhell

The Gasland documentary followed by a talk is schedules as follows;


Kilmihil Community Centre, Wednesday, Jan 18th at 8pm
Kildysart Community Centre, Friday, Jan 20th at 8pm
Fanny O’Deas pub, Lissycasey, Thursday, Jan 26th at 8pm
Ennistymon, Courthouse Gallery, Friday, Jan 27th at 8pm.

CptSternn

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/house-republicans-order-j_n_1246971.html?1328114727&ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#sb=941841,b=facebook

WASHINGTON -- In a stunning break with First Amendment policy on Capitol Hill, House Republicans directed Capitol Hill police to detain a highly regarded documentary crew that was attempting to film a Wednesday hearing on a controversial natural gas procurement practice. Republicans also denied the entrance of a credentialed ABC News news team that was attempting to film the event.

Josh Fox, director of the Academy Award-nominated documentary "Gasland" was taken into custody by Capitol Hill police this morning, along with his crew, after Republicans objected to their presence, according to Democratic sources present at the hearing.

CptSternn

Run_to_da_hills

The ordinary people of Lietrim are about to get poisoned for all the mistakes of greedy property developers, bankers and incompetent Fianna Fail Government.

User Friendly

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

The ordinary people of Lietrim are about to get poisoned for all the mistakes of greedy property developers, bankers and incompetent Fianna Fail Government.

And you can chalk that down!

Builderfromhell

Polluted groundwater in Fermanagh/Leitrim would leech into the Shannon and thereby pollute the whole shannon basin.
The consequences being; polluted drinking water all along the west coast and a devastated fishing/tourism industry.

Kristopherus

W hat a great thread:rolleyes: There's no doubt but that the Fear Factor is going to be spread far & wide.:rolleyes:

User Friendly

Kristopherus wrote: »

W hat a great thread:rolleyes: There's no doubt but that the Fear Factor is going to be spread far & wide.:rolleyes:

what do you mean Kris? are you disappointed that more posters havent contributed?

Run_to_da_hills

Kristopherus wrote: »

W hat a great thread:rolleyes: There's no doubt but that the Fear Factor is going to be spread far & wide.:rolleyes:

So you are another one of those gullible individuals that believes that Tamboran Resources will use 100% holy water in the fracking process.

rainbowdash

Where were all these NIMBY's when the super polluter that is moneypoint was being built?

CptSternn

rainbowdash wrote: »

Where were all these NIMBY's when the super polluter that is moneypoint was being built?

That was in the 70s-80s. Years before we had things like the Internet and Boards.ie. Information now spreads far and fast. We have access to things like the documentary Gasland (see the trailer above) and can actually get responses from people who have been through this process before.

It's no longer a case of blindly putting your faith in some multi-national global corporation and hope they help the locality instead of destroying it for profit, we can actually find out what they have been up to before, gauge the process they intend to use, and research the previous history of the whole process without having to leave the comforts of our own sitting room.

People today are more tuned in than ever before and the dodgy stuff companies used to get away with in the past won't fly any more.

Modern technology, eh?

Johnboy1951

rainbowdash wrote: »

Where were all these NIMBY's when the super polluter that is moneypoint was being built?

Protesting about the building of a nuclear power station in Wexford maybe

Lady Chatterton

Pat Kenny's Frontline Programme will be doing an item on "Fracking" tonight. (RTE1 Monday @ 9:35pm).

Builderfromhell

Watched Frontline last night and found it reasonably informative. hought the guy from Friends of the Earth and the Doctor from Cavan were good.
Pat Rabbite's point about waiting for the EPA report makes sense.

However, I did read somewhere that the EPA report is being done by Aberdeen Univeristy which is funded by the Gas industry.

Palmach

Builderfromhell wrote: »

Watched Frontline last night and found it reasonably informative. hought the guy from Friends of the Earth and the Doctor from Cavan were good.
Pat Rabbite's point about waiting for the EPA report makes sense.

However, I did read somewhere that the EPA report is being done by Aberdeen Univeristy which is funded by the Gas industry.

Not true. It receives a lot of funding as it is considered a leading University in energy studies.

wellboytoo

Amazing, read this whole thread, very thin on facts and full of conjecture.

Insect Overlord

wellboytoo wrote: »

Amazing, read this whole thread, very thin on facts and full of conjecture.

Go on then, educate us...

Builderfromhell

Informative site here;
http://frackingfreeireland.org/what-is-fracking/

CptSternn

I thought this was worth mentioning here...

plans for this year included paying an Energy Department consultant $100,000 to design a curriculum to teach school children that mainstream global warming science is in dispute, even though it's a fact accepted by the federal government and nearly every scientific professional organization. It also pays prominent global warming skeptics more than $300,000 a year

http://news.yahoo.com/influence-game-leaks-show-groups-climate-efforts-210616751.html

The groups saying fracking is 'safe' are no different than the ones claiming there is no global warming. They are PR companies paid by the industry to intentionally spread misinformation. For some reason, that is not illegal.

In fact, its the same companies paying the same PR firms to present yet another lie to the masses so they can boost their profits.

Why would anyone put their trust in an industry full of companies that actively engage in this sort of behaviour?

Carazy

CptSternn wrote: »

The groups saying fracking is 'safe' are no different than the ones claiming there is no global warming. They are PR companies paid by the industry to intentionally spread misinformation. For some reason, that is not illegal.

Now fracking and Global warming are two different things. I can say that fracking is not safe but I'm not sure on your stance on Global Warming but it has no relevance to fracking in West Clare unless we want to delve into every little aspect of what is not ''good' for the environment in which we live in.

RichieO

Fracking is a process that is extremely dangerous to the environment in more ways than one…
Fracturing the ancient water table substructure is a real risk.

The fact that fracking can cause earthquakes and landslides, depending on the geological structure below ground, appear to have been overlooked…

Lady Chatterton

I came across this website for "Good Energies Alliance" after seeing their spokesperson on the RTE News this evening. It may be of interest to people on this thread

http://goodenergiesalliance.com/about/

Builderfromhell

Just read this report from Associated Press on violations of anti-pollution laws in the states and attempts, by mining companies, to stop the American EPA from continuing to monitor water and air pollution.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hgkUrg0Uz9bevhigDsXj15QyL6-Q?docId=af90d38401e943448a5f0f5ddf7242ba

EPA heightens scrutiny of Pa.'s Marcellus Shale
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM, Associated Press – 3 hours ago
DIMOCK, Pa. (AP) — Tugging on rubber gloves, a laboratory worker kneels before a gushing spigot behind Kim Grosso's house and positions an empty bottle under the clear, cold stream. The process is repeated dozens of times as bottles are filled, marked and packed into coolers.
After extensive testing, Grosso and dozens of her neighbors will know this week what may be lurking in their well water as federal regulators investigate claims of contamination in the midst of one of the nation's most productive natural gas fields.
More than three years into the gas-drilling boom that's produced thousands of new wells, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Pennsylvania are tussling over regulation of the Marcellus Shale, the vast underground rock formation that holds trillions of cubic feet of gas.
The state says EPA is meddling. EPA says it is doing its job.
Grosso, who lives near a pair of gas wells drilled in 2008, told federal officials her water became discolored a few months ago, with an intermittent foul odor and taste. Her dog and cats refused to drink it. While there's no indication the problems are related to drilling, she hopes the testing will provide answers.
"If there is something wrong with the water, who is responsible?" she asked. "Who's going to fix it, and what does it do to the value of the property?"
Federal regulators are ramping up their oversight of the Marcellus with dual investigations in the northeastern and southwestern corners of Pennsylvania. EPA is also sampling water around Pennsylvania for its national study of the potential environmental and public health impacts of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the technique that blasts a cocktail of sand, water and chemicals deep underground to stimulate oil and gas production in shale formations like the Marcellus. Fracking allows drillers to reach previously inaccessible gas reserves, but it produces huge volumes of polluted wastewater and environmentalists say it can taint groundwater. Energy companies deny it.
The heightened federal scrutiny rankles the industry and politicians in the state capital, where the administration of pro-drilling Gov. Tom Corbett insists that Pennsylvania regulators are best suited to oversee the gas industry. The complaints echo those in Texas and in Wyoming, where EPA's preliminary finding that fracking chemicals contaminated water supplies is forcefully disputed by state officials and energy executives.
Caught in the middle of the state-federal regulatory dispute are residents who don't know if their water is safe to drink.
EPA is charged by law with protecting and ensuring the safety of the nation's drinking water, but it has largely allowed the states to take the lead on rules and enforcement as energy companies drilled and fracked tens of thousands of new wells in recent years.
In Pennsylvania, that began to change last spring after The Associated Press and other news organizations reported that huge volumes of partially treated wastewater were being discharged into rivers and streams that supply drinking water. EPA asked the state to boost its monitoring of fracking wastewater from gas wells, and the state declared a voluntary moratorium for drillers that led to significant reductions of Marcellus waste. Yet a loophole in the policy allows operators of many older oil and gas wells to continue discharging significant amounts of wastewater into treatment plants, and thus, into rivers.
The state's top environmental regulator, Michael Krancer, says Pennsylvania doesn't need federal intervention to help it protect the environment. He told Congress last fall that Pennsylvania has taken the lead on regulations for the burgeoning gas industry.
"There's no question that EPA is overstepping," Katherine Gresh, Krancer's spokeswoman, told the AP. "DEP regulates these facilities and always has, and EPA has never before shown this degree of involvement."
The American Petroleum Institute urged the Obama administration last week to rein in the 10 agencies it says are either reviewing, studying or proposing regulation of fracking.
"The fact is that there is a strong state regulatory system in place, and adding potentially redundant and duplicative federal regulation would be unnecessary, costly, and could stifle investment," API Vice President Kyle Isakower said in a statement.
EPA says public health is its key focus and insists it is guided by sound science and the law.
"We have been clear that if we see an immediate threat to public health, we will not hesitate to take steps under the law to protect Americans whose health may be at risk," said Terri White, an EPA spokeswoman in Philadelphia.
The EPA investigations are being conducted amid reports of possibly drilling-related contamination in several Pennsylvania communities.
In recent years, methane migrating from drill sites into private water supplies has forced scores of residents to stop using their wells and rely on deliveries of fresh water. Some residents complain the state agency has failed to hold drillers to account.
In heavily drilled Washington County, near the West Virginia border, EPA staff are inspecting well pads and natural gas compressor stations for compliance with water- and air-quality laws. In Dimock, a village about 20 miles south of the New York state line, EPA stepped in after a gas driller won the state's permission to halt fresh water deliveries to about a dozen residents whose wells were tainted with methane and, the residents say, heavy metals, organic compounds and drilling chemicals.
Dimock holds the distinction of being Pennsylvania's top gas-producing town, yielding enough gas in six months to supply 400,000 U.S. homes for a year. Some residents contend their water wells were irreversibly contaminated after Houston-based Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. drilled faulty gas wells that leaked methane into the aquifer 7/87/8— and spilled thousands of gallons of fracking fluids that residents suspect leached into the groundwater.
Cabot first acknowledged, then denied responsibility for the methane it now contends is naturally occurring. It also asserts that years of sampling data show the water is safe to drink.
The EPA looked at the same test results and arrived at a different conclusion.
The well water samples "led us to conclude that there were health concerns that required action," White said. EPA said its tests showed alarming levels of manganese and cancer-causing arsenic and that Cabot's own tests found minute concentrations of organic compounds and synthetic chemicals, suggesting the influence of gas drilling.
Cabot says its drilling operations had nothing to do with any chemicals that have turned up in the water. It points to a Duke University study last year that found no evidence of contamination from fracking.
Yet the company racks up state violations at a far higher rate than its competitors in the Marcellus — 248 violations at its wells in Dimock alone since late 2007 — most recently last month, when the company was flagged for improper storage, transport or disposal of residual waste. State regulators levied more than $1.1 million in fines and penalties against the company between 2008 and 2010. And it is still banned from drilling any new wells in a 9-square-mile area of Dimock.
While EPA agreed last month to deliver water to four homes along Carter Road, the agency said the tests did not justify supplying water to several other residents who had been getting their water from Cabot and who have filed suit against the company.
The plaintiffs still don't trust their wells, instead relying on water from the nearby Montrose municipal supply.
Twice a day, six days a week, Carter Road resident Ray Kemble drives about eight miles to a hydrant in Montrose, fills a 550-gallon tank strapped to the back of a donated truck, and delivers water to as many as five homes — including his own. Anti-drilling groups are footing the bill, estimated at $500 per week.
Kemble said his well water turned brown and became unusable in 2008, shortly after the gas well across the street was drilled and fracked.
At his home, he filled a large plastic container dubbed a water buffalo from the tank on the truck.
"Never had a problem before until Cabot came in," Kemble said.

RichieO

From everything I have read on this , it seems the frackers don't know or care about the consequences of their fracking activities to the environment, as usual it is entirely profit driven... The promise of cheaper local energy and the usual back-handouts will allow it to go ahead, the costs of trying to correct the damage done will greatly outstrip all the gains from the "cheaper energy"

This should be a case of learning from the mistakes of others, NOT duplicating them...

If they don't know what the fracking hell they're doing, how can anyone else?

Johnboy1951

From what I have read there will be no 'cheap' fuel available ....... the intention appears to be to sell the gas at market price to Ireland ........ doncha just love the concept .... sell us our own gas!

CptSternn

http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/interview-%E2%80%98it-started-with-nosebleeds%E2%80%99-%E2%80%93-what-fracking-did-to-one-us-town/

‘It started with nosebleeds’ – what fracking did to one US town