Triple Divide: Split Estate

transition_se

Our Land by Laurel Dammann for Public Herald The following is a look at terms from Public Herald’s feature length documentary Triple Divide that focusses on hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania.  Hydraulic Fracturing, or “fracking,” is the process of extracting [...]

A Dairy Farmer Shares Her Story About Fracking: “What Have We Done?”

Carol French stands on her dairy farm in Bradford County, Pa., with heirloom tomatoes harvested from her garden. Once a supporter for fracking with a lease, she turned against it after her neighbors began to experience problems and her water became undrinkable.

In the early spring of 2006, a nice man was in the area, promoting a chance to dream of better times for Bradford County and its farmers. There was promise of jobs for everyone and the farmer would generate money from signing a lease, and if a gas well was drilled on the farmer’s property he would become rich. Two years passed with little activity. By now, the older leases were about to expire, gas companies were beginning to drill, and excitement was in the air. Here, the majority of farmers signed early, receiving $5- $85/per acre. There was this belief that the person with the gas well would become the next “shaleionaires.” We later found out small acre properties started signing leases at $2,500/ per acre. By the spring of 2009, there was uneasiness among some of the farmers who had a gas well drilled on their property. The local newspaper was reporting contamination found in water wells, death occurring on a gas pad and the farmer was facing the fact that he could lose his farm due to a lawsuit based on the gas companies operation. For myself, I was thinking that our lucky neighbor was going to become the next Millionaire, because they had the gas well drilled on them. Soon my mind changed. Those farmers were facing penalties lodged against them, due to their land becoming industrial use instead of agricultural use.

EPA Sets Air Quality Regulations for Fracking Emissions: Effective 2015

A natural gas well during the 'flaring' stage. photo: J.B. Pribanic

The EPA’s First Fracking Rules — Limited and Delayed by for Lena Groeger ProPublica The Environmental Protection Agency issued the first-ever national air pollution regulations for fracking on Wednesday. First proposed in July 2011, the final rules have been welcomed by environmental groups [...]

Shoveling Water: Predrill Tests

predrill_tests_fracking_drilling1

This story was updated on January 4, 2012. What if a predrill water well test conducted during the biggest boom for natural gas became meaningless? At least one predrill test in Pennsylvania has been deemed insufficient by natural [...]

EPA Proposes New Frack Water Rules for 2014

Towanda Creek in Bradford County (PA) that was impacted by frack water during the Chesapeake blowout in April 2011. photo: Joshua B. Pribanic

EPA Plans to Issue Rules Covering Fracking Wastewater by  Nicholas Kusnetz for ProPublica The EPA took another step toward tightening oversight of hydraulic fracturing today, announcing it would initiate a process to set national rules for treating wastewater discharged from gas [...]

EPA Hears Public Outcry: Natural Gas Industry Hears ‘More of the Same’

Environmental_Protection_Agency_logo

EPA Hears Testimony on Proposed New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for Oil & Natural Gas Hazardous Air Pollutants The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) heard 103 pubic testimonies for over 11 hours in Pittsburgh at [...]

VIDEO: The Pros and Cons of Natural Gas Development

In this special report, energyNOW! Chief Correspondent Tyler Suiters interviews residents of Bradford County in northern Pennsylvania, the heart of the Marcellus Shale. The residents blame nearby gas drilling for methane contamination in their water wells, while the energy companies say they aren't responsible. One family tells Suiters they are ready to leave Pennsylvania for good because of their water problems. Suiters also meets a doctor from the University of Pennsylvania who is searching for potential links between gas drilling and health complaints.

Video Investigations: March 2011

A compilation of video investigations gathered by The Erie Wire week-to-week every month. For more information on online investigative reports look to our “Investigative Newswire” feed uploaded in real-time on the bottom left of every page. If you have a story to contribute to these reports; please use the author’s email in the right column.

EPA Proposes New Study on Hydraulic Fracturing & Its Impact on Drinking Water

The EPA proposal estimates that fracking uses 70 to 140 billion gallons of water annually, or about the same amount used by one or two cities of 2.5 million people. In the Barnett Shale, in Texas, the agency estimates fracking for gas drilling consumes nearly 2 percent of all the water used in the area.

EPA Proposes New Study on Hydraulic Fracturing & Its Impact on Drinking Water

The EPA proposal estimates that fracking uses 70 to 140 billion gallons of water annually, or about the same amount used by one or two cities of 2.5 million people. In the Barnett Shale, in Texas, the agency estimates fracking for gas drilling consumes nearly 2 percent of all the water used in the area.