The purpose of this
webpage is to bring attention to some of the things you can be
looking for while monitoring waterways around gas drilling sites for
spills and contamination
Gas drilling is assisted by various drilling
fluids and chemicals. Some have said the products used for the
initial well drilling can be as hazardous as the chemicals used
later in the hydraulic fracturing process. Citizens living next to
drilling sites are encouraged to obtain the MSDS (material
safety data sheet) records relating to all the chemicals
being used on site. You have a right to see them since you may be
exposed to those products and chemicals during the drilling or well
completion process. (Your lawn care company would do no less if you
asked about the chemicals they use = Right to Know)
Many times the spills that occur around drilling sites involve a
large quantity of fluids, so large that creeks and streams are
contaminated. This often results in fish kills. In a recent New York
analysis, approximately half the spills related to gas drilling were
due to leaky pipelines that carry produced water (flowback) from the
fracing process.
Some of the things to look for while
monitoring streams around gas drilling sites for possible
contamination
One of the main tests is
"conductivity" in creek water, since produced water from Marcellus
wells is usually saltier than ocean water. Marcellus Shale was once
part of an ancient sea, hence its saltiness. Produced water from
Marcellus wells is high in chlorides and conducts a charge better
than unpolluted creek water. An inexpensive meter can help determine
water conductivity. Increased conductivity is usually a sure sign of
a drilling spill due to the high chloride levels.
Another way to monitor streams, with no equipment requirements, is
scanning the water surface for oil slicks or suds. Anyone who has
seen the rainbow sheen of gasoline on a rain soaked surface at the
gas station knows what an oil slick looks like. But suds can vary,
from looking like lemon meringue pie topping to flatter, less
dramatic clumps of floating spit. Some suds do occur naturally, but
these types of suds will differ if you look carefully. All suspected
spills into waterways should be reported immediately to the
environmental agency in your state. These agencies have emergency
night and weekend phone numbers for just this purpose. You might
also place a call to 911 depending on your situation.
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