A Damning Letter about Dimock

Vera Scroggins made a right to know request from DEP about the Dimock Water contamination. Anyone who has watched Frack Nation might think everything is fine.

"Additionally, you asked 'to see any documents stating that the DEP has found the water wells safe to use and drink with these families and with the original 18 homes affected by gas drilling in Dimock, Pa., Susquehanna County'.

The Department ... does not posses records stating that any of these residents' private water supplies are safe to use and drink."

-- PA DEP 12/24/2013

Obama admin. releases major story on 12/24 re: EPA/Parker Co. TX

TX Sharon (who originally broke the story of Steve Lipsky)

has the scoop:

Hoping no one would notice, Obama picked noon on Christmas Eve to release the Inspector General (IG) report that justified the EPA's Imminent and Substantial Endangerment Order*  in the Range Resources' Parker County water contamination case.

* http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/pdf/range_order.pdf

The IG's in-depth investigation findings:

• EPA was right to issue the order.
• Withdrawal reasons are unclear and questionable.
• Recommends monitoring of Range Resources' testing because the quality is questionable.

http://www.texassharon.com/2013/12/24/breaking-inspector-general-report-justifies-epa-in-parker-county-fracking-intervention/

Also Ecowatch:
http://ecowatch.com/2013/12/24/epa-drinking-water-fracking/

Here's the IG's report:
http://www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2014/20131220-14-P-0044.pdf
 

Steve Lipsky, who lives near a fracking operation in Weatherford, TX
with his flammable water. Photo credit: Gasland Part II.

Ralph Hill's Top 10 Dumbest Mistakes as CEO of WPX #1: Fracked a Fault in Franklin Forks!

You will need to observe this on a large monitor... lots of detail!

This is the first part in a series:

Ralph Hill's Top 10 Dumbest Mistakes as CEO of WPX Energy
Fracked a Fault in Franklin Forks!

--
--
May you, and all beings
be happy and free from suffering :)
-- ancient Buddhist Prayer (Metta)

The Millennium "I81 Pipeline" has been defeated! (for now)

BIG NEWS!

A major pipeline for fracked gas (in-FRACK-structure)--

the Millennium Pipeline extension
from Binghamton to Syracuse (the "I81 Pipeline")
has apparently been DEFEATED!

(for now)

Announcement from Joe Heath:
http://tinyurl.com/I81PipelineDEFEATED







--
--
May you, and all beings
be happy and free from suffering :)
-- ancient Buddhist Prayer (Metta)

VICTORY!!! Water tanks will stay in Franklin Forks!

NOTE: the call for witnesses on MONDAY has been CANCELLED

Due to this GREAT NEWS!

STATEMENT FROM THE HADLICK AND MANNING FAMILIES

Franklin Forks, PA ~ This afternoon we received word from our lawyer that WPX Energy will not remove the water supply systems from our homes on Monday, but has instead decided to give them to our families. We appreciate this gesture on the part of WPX, and we now look forward to spending the holidays with our loved ones without worrying about whether or not we'll have water in our homes.

While this is a good first step, we are not out of the woods yet because our water wells remain contaminated and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has abandoned its investigation into the cause.

We are deeply grateful for the generous donations we've received from all our friends, neighbors and supporters.  We will use these funds to continue to purchase the water we will need to supply our needs until a permanent solution to our problems has been found.

We want to thank everyone who intended to come to Franklin Forks on Monday, but we ask you to respect our privacy and let us have a quiet day with our families.

CCSE: Is WPX: the Grinch who Stole Christmas in Franklin Forks? (Action Date: Monday Dec 16th)

Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy Press Release
re: Franklin Forks.

Please share widely with your media contacts.

The full PDF with all attachments can be downloaded
by logging in to Scribd (free account).

http://www.scribd.com/doc/191169127/CCSE-Is-WPX-the-Grinch-Who-Stole-Christmas-in-Franklin-Forks

Just the press release is below:

Franklin Forks ~ Two Susquehanna County families fear they will face the holiday season without water after learning that a federal court judge has given a gas drilling company permission to come onto their property and remove the "water buffalos" and other equipment that have supplied their homes with water for the past twenty months. This is the just latest twist in a protracted dispute between families living in the small rural community of Franklin Forks, PA, and WPX Energy, an Oklahoma-based gas drilling company. In late 2011, several area residents complained that their water suddenly turned gray or black after WPX drilled nearby shale gas wells. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection investigated and fined WPX for defective cement casings on the two gas wells nearest the impacted homes, but it did not link the defective well casings to the contaminated water wells. Follow up tests of the home water wells found elevated levels of chlorides, iron, aluminum and Total Dissolved Solids. Barium, a substance known to cause cardiac arrhythmia, respiratory failure and gastrointestinal dysfunction was present in levels more than double the primary maximum contaminant level set by the Environmental Protection Agency. The DEP also found high levels of methane and warned homeowners that there was a risk of fire or explosion. In response to an appeal from the DEP, WPX agreed to vent the water wells of three homes to release the buildup of methane, install water buffalos, and supply the families with water.         Then, more than a year later, in April 2013, the PA DEP appeared to exonerate WPX when it released a statement saying that the contamination of the water wells "cannot be attributed to natural gas drilling activity." The DEP based its conclusion on an isotopic analysis of the methane in the water, which showed that it was "naturally occurring" and "not of the same origin as the natural gas in the nearby gas wells."  Critics have blasted the DEP report, and point to the fact that peer-reviewed scientific studies have shown that faulty cement casings can cause methane from shallow formations to contaminate water wells1. Tammy Manning, who lives in one of the homes with contaminated water says the DEP report fails to explain why her water "changed all at once." WPX Energy is being sued by the Hadlicks and the Mannings, the two families that still rely on water buffalos installed by the company. A spokesperson for WPX acknowledged that by removing the equipment from their homes the company won't be recovering material assets that have significant monetary value; rather the action seems to be motivated by its irritation with the lawsuit and by the fact that activists and celebrities have made Franklin Forks a focal point of the national anti-fracking movement. Still it's doubtful that WPX will be able to remove the water supplies without attracting even more unwanted attention -- the court order specifies that the materials must be removed on Monday, December 16, and reporters and supporters of the impacted families are bound to be on hand to record the event. Last minute negotiations have failed to resolve the situation. On Tuesday the drilling company offered to sell the two water supply systems for a total of $3,600, but the families say they cannot afford to buy them. Supporters are attempting to raise money to furnish the families with new equipment so they will not remain without water over the holidays. Donations can made at TinyURL.com/WaterReliefForNEPA. WPX has said workers will remove the equipment between 9 AM and 2 PM. Supporters intend to gather in Franklin Forks at 9 AM on Monday. 1."...faulty cement can allow methane and other gases from intermediate layers to flow into, up, and out of the annulus into shallow drinking water layers. In such a scenario, the geochemical and isotopic compositions of stray gas contamination would not necessarily match the target shale gas, and no fracturing chemicals or deep formation waters would be expected, because a direct connection to the deepest layers does not exist;" Page 5  Increased stray gas abundance in a subset of drinking water wells near Marcellus shale gas extraction  By Robert B. Jackson, et al., June, 2013   For further information: info@catskillcitizens.org, (845) 468 7063. Attachments: (available here: http://TinyURL.com/CCSE-WPXGrinchFranklinForks )  PA DEP letter to Matt and Tammy Manning describing the results of the well water tests conducted in December 2011 and March 2012. Dated April 24, 2013 PA DEP letter toTammy Hadlick describing the results of the well water tests conducted in December 2011 and March 2012. Dated April 24, 2013 "DEP Statement on Franklin Forks Methane Migration Determination". (Undated) April 2013  Court order from Judge A. Richard Caputo, United States District Judge, November 27, 2013 Map with GPS coordinates showing the locations of the Hadlick and Manning residences.

--
--
May you, and all beings
be happy and free from suffering :)
-- ancient Buddhist Prayer (Metta)

Helping Ralph Hill understand the Cost/Benefit Equation

To Ralph Hill, CEO WPX Energy:

Regarding, plan to remove water tanks on Monday December 16th 2013. 

Dear Ralph,

So sorry if you perceived a threat by the last message.

None was intended.

Just hoping to avoid harms on all sides. 

However there are two families 

in Franklin Forks PA who are under grave threat

of losing water tanks necessary for life. 

By your action. 

1: We understand you are doing this for PR value only

Since you have already spent $2,000 + legal fees, 
likely $5k-$10k when all done, to retrieve 2x tanks worth $650(!),
we know this not about money for you.

So what could be your motivations? You want to hurt these families?
No one wants to believe that. 

Thinking this through, we can only conclude:

• You believe there is high-PR value for you to take the tanks
  because you think leaving the tanks is an admission of guilt. 

However,

2: Removing the tanks does not change the narrative.

Think this through:
If you remove the tanks, what will happen?

A) Mannings and Hadlicks abandon their homes (very BAD PR for WPX)

B) Mannings and Hadlicks get new water tanks.

   NOTE WELL: If there are any tanks there, this has SAME PR value to you
   if you and just left the tanks! (no one cares who bought the tanks)

There is NO POSITIVE PR VALUE for WPX to remove the tanks.
3: THE BEST ACTION FOR YOU is CHARITY at Christmas time!

 The best way for you to escape this PR crisis is for you to give those tanks away.
OK, sell them for $1. Don't disclose the terms. You made a deal. No one will tell.

You do not have to admit blame in order to leave the tanks.

You can work this into your "Best Neighbor" campaign.
Tammy Manning has said she will thank you. 

Please don't penalize 2 families who are already hurting. 
 

Do you fully understand the possible consequences?

A human being enjoying a bath.
All people must take regular baths for good health and cleanliness!

Ralph,

Imagine being in a house
where there is no water to bathe.
There is no water to drink,
or brush your teeth.

Imagine being in a house without water to cook with, or to wash clothes with.

No access to water for bathing, washing clothes, or cleaning.

No water to flush the toilet.

These families have disabled adults and minor children.

Trying to help you understand the cost/benefit function.

Visualizing the Cost/Benefit function	costs / benefits to			costs / benefits to Mannings/Hadlicks
	WPX image	Ralph's Reputation	Risk to Shareholder Value from Bad Press
OPTION 1: Remove the water tanks at Christmas time, 20'F, freezing temps, water wells still contaminated, no replacement supplied	Grave, Stained	Severe and lasting effects	potentially: $$$$$$	Leaves homes uninhabitable
OPTION 2: WPX leaves the water tanks AS A GIFT, free of charge (or nearly nothing, for $1)	"Your Best Neighbor"	Santa, not Grinch	Can only be good!	Continue to live in their homes

So this is your choice, Ralph.  

It's all up to you.

Is this the man who
Destroys Innocent People's Lives
at Christmas-time... for Money?

 
Once those tanks are gone,
the image of "taking water from families at Christmas"

will be in the public mind-- FOREVER.

On Ralph Hill's permanent record. FOREVER.

Even their best "crisis communications" specialists at Ackerman McQueen  
might have trouble making this situation smell right.

It stinks.

Ralph, PLEASE do the right thing.

It is not to late for you to abort this foolish plan. 

Come to Franklin Forks and meet with these people,

some of the nicest people we've ever met:

Left: Alexia.
Right: Tammy Manning, Tammy Hadlick

They haven't done anything to hurt you.

They haven't done anything to deserve this.

No one wishes you any harm.

There are many eyes on this. 

This story is bigger
than you can imagine. 

Please do the right thing

for the benefit of all beings! 

Happy Holidays! + Best Wishes:
Courage-- Wisdom-- Compassion

May you have the COURAGE, Wisdom, and Compassion to do the right thing! 

PS: May want to read this:
catskillcitizens.org/updates/20131212/20131212.cfm

--

Friends of Clean Air and Water

Hoping you find courage, wisdom, and compassion.

An open letter to Senior Executive Staff, WPX Energy.

To: Ralph Hill,  Rodney Sailor, Jim Bender.

CC: Susan Oliver, Scott Miller

Good day to you.

Franklin Forks is very serious indeed.
May want to considering employment status
of whomever dreamed up this scheme.

Removing 2 water tanks from homes of
working class people at Christmas time,
when it is 20'F daytime high,

this is a very bad idea!

This leaves two homes uninhabitable.
Are you mindful of this?

This does not help WPX.
This only does harm to all parties
 including to WPX's reputation and character.

This is so simple:

There is no positive PR value for you
to remove these tanks.

There will be a ton
of very bad PR for you!

if you proceed as planned.

lasting many weeks.

This could cost your company

tens of millions in shareholder value.

No joke.

Are you prepared for this?

There are many eyes on this.
You cannot imagine it.

This will certainly become
an international incident.

There is no doubt.

It seems you are very motivated by money,
so let's put this into economic terms:

Ralph Hill and WPX
removing water tanks at Christmas time,
this story will resonate with many people.

Ralph Hill will become the embodiment
of SINISTER GREED and LUST in people's minds
Grinch, Scrooge, Henry Potter.

Is this what you want?

Or, you could become a symbol of Generosity and Compassion.
It's all your choice.

This story will certainly be seen
by your investors, stockholders, & friends
at Capitol One, Howard Weil, Simmons, etc.

This is only a suggestion
in the best interest of all parties:

Your best bet would be to reconsider this plan--
to take bold action with wisdom and courage
issue a public statement which shows
great compassion for these families.
 

In other words,

You can still stop the media shitstorm,

There is still time.
but you have to act quickly.

Wishing that you find
strength, courage, wisdom, & compassion.

Wishing that you find peace and happiness.

---
Friends of Clean Air and Water

Examining the claim of pre-existing methane in water wells, Franklin Forks / Salt Springs

Examining the claim of pre-existing methane in water wells:

Between 2008 and 2011, an industry-backed survey of Susquehanna County was made.
Here is a chart of where the methane was found.

http://www.gwpc.org/sites/default/files/event-sessions/Molofsky_Lisa2_0.pdf




First note that in the region of Franklin Forks/Salt Springs (Red Circle)
there is no indication of pre-existing gas from this survey.

Next, examine the scale of the chart.
They only considered binning the results

• from "< less than 0.1 ppb" (ppb=Parts Per BILLION)
• to "> 10,000 ppb".

To put this into perspective, the Mannings well as measured by Duke University was at 81.3 mg/l.

At normal atmospheric pressure and room temperature, a liter of pure methane has mass= 630 mg.
So 63 mg/l of water is 10%. Mannings water at 81.3 mg/l is over 10% methane.
10% = 10/100 = 100 million parts per billion.

Here is a chart which helps convert between various ways to measure dissolved methane in water:
http://williamahuston.blogspot.com/2013/11/methane-in-water-conversion-between-mgl.html


Note Well!! The highest bin is labeled > 10,000 PPB.
(1B / 10k) = 100k. So this is like 1/100,000th or 1 THOUSANDTH of one percent.

Two of the Manning's tests were over 10% methane which is 1/10th,
which is 4 orders of magnitude greater = 10,000x greater.

To put this in perspective in terms of Orders of Magnitude...

Let's pretend they were looking at various orders of LENGTH
between LESS THAN the width of a HUMAN HAIR, spanning
5 orders of magnitude, all the way up to 1 foot. THIS IS THEIR MEASURING STICK.


Where does the Mannings test fall on this scale?
At the TWO MILE mark!

So imaging measuring 2 Miles in terms of "how many human hairs in 2 miles"?
Or if you had to measure 2 Miles by counting 1 ft. rules? (over 10,000 of them).

Orders of Magnitude
1/1     100% Pure Methane 1/10     10% Mannings Well   1/100    1/1K 1/10K 1/100K HIGHEST BIN   1/1M          range           1/10M        of samples        1/100M          here                1/1000M LOWEST BIN	20 miles 2 miles    (Mannings Well)  1,000 ft.  100 ft 10 ft. 1 foot      1.2"in 1/8th" or 3mm 0.3mm    = 300 microns 0.03mm = 30 microns Human Hair is 17-170 microns.

Biogenic (shallow gas) vs. Thermogenic (deep gas)?

This is basically a straw man. Below find two charts from the same industry presentation
referenced above. Notice the overburden in the region around Salt Springs is marked by
"Large Scale Faults" (A' or B' to the right of both charts).

If this area ALREADY has unstable geology allowing gas to escape to the surface,
why is it contradictory to suggest that heavy drilling in the area could liberate MORE gas?







As Tony Ingraffea has said, most of the problems in Dimock has been caused by
vertical drilling hitting shallow gas.







Josh Fox also talked about this in Sky is Pink:

How to run a successful PR DISINFO Campaign

Executive Summary:

Many of the current media stories about Franklin Forks (Dec 2013)

and also PA DEP statements and determination letters (April 2013)

all mirror statements made by WPX PR reps many months prior,
LONG BEFORE DEP completed their investigation.

"Methane in water wells in Franklin Forks
matches naturally-occurring methane at Salt Springs Park".

We will here examine HOW WPX Public Relations people were able to achieve this,
and also examine the veracity of this statement.

How to run a successful Public Relations DISINFORMATION campaign:

So here's the sequence of a successful Public Relations campaign:

1. WPX repeats again and again: (Town Boards, PA DEP, and to the Media)
   "Methane in water wells in Franklin Forks matches naturally-occurring methane at Salt Springs Park".
2. Industry backed astroturf group "Franklin Citizens for Truth" begins producing lawn signs and tee-shirts
   which support two contradictory industry positions:
   a) The water here is fine. b) The water here always had methane.
3. One year later, the PR department of the PA DEP starts repeating this statement.
   
4. The media starts repeating this via "press release", and this becomes the official narrative.

Turning Propaganda into Fact / Timeline:

1: 5-7-2012 Here Susan Oliver (PR for WPX) says "The footprint of the gas is same as Salt Springs Park", presentation to Silver Lake Township,  @25m:00s http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=p2CgSo7r2HE?t=24m#t=25m 2: 6-20-2012: EID announces creation of fake-community group ("astroturf") Franklin Citizens for Truth: http://energyindepth.org/marcellus/introducing-franklin-citizens-for-truth/ 3: 7-25-12: And here again Susan Oliver (WPX PR) to the Susquehanna County Commissioners, "the methane in these 3 homes is the same as at Salt Springs Park",@20m:30s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l4oGeZ5Q10&feature=youtu.be&t=19m40s 4: 8-27-2012: Both iconic memes from Franklin Citizens for Truth on display at Heavenly Angels Restaurant, as well as the PA DEP notice of water contamination.   Watch this short video, and watch for the sign out front, and the tee tee shirt hanging behind the counter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQMFrncktMY Not well the assertion on the shirt, "Lighting our water on fire since 1795!" is nearly identical to the statement used by Susan Oliver back in May. 5: 4-24-2013:  The PA DEP in their determination letters to the Hadlicks and Mannings, say the same thing: "The presence of dissolved methane in your water supply, and all other  compounds exceeding primary MCLs and/or secondary MCLs, appear to be related to background  conditions."  http://www.scribd.com/doc/139278150/042413-Manning-Determination-Letter-PADEP-OCR 6: 5-2-2013: The PA DEP in their press release: "The testing included water samples taken from three private water wells to compare with samples taken from natural gas wells located nearby and with water samples taken from the spring and private water well at Salt Springs State Park, which historically contains naturally occurring methane. The spring is approximately one mile from the affected homes. The testing determined that the water samples taken from the private water wells contained gas of similar isotopic makeup to the gas in the water samples taken from Salt Springs State Park." http://www.damascuscitizensforsustainability.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DEP-STATEMENT-Franklin-Forks-Investigation.pdf

PA DEP sampled the Mannings water wells in December 2010, and March 2011.
They did not release results until April 2013. (16 months investigation).

Why did it take 16 months for the PA DEP to figure out how to say
exactly what WPX wanted them to say? 

Franklin Forks update-- new videos, blogs, updates.

---------------------------------------
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE 

The call for witnesses on MONDAY has been Cancelled.
Water tanks will STAY!  
Official press release from the families.
http://tinyurl.com/owzblxa


UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE
---------------------------------------

A) LEGAL STRATEGY TO BLOCK REMOVAL

There is a multi-faceted legal strategy being attempted to block

the removal of two water tanks on Dec 16th which will leave

these homes uninhabitable in the cold of December.

Ralph Hill CEO from WPX says: Merry Christmas!

B) Possible Direct Action / Blockade Dec 16th

In case these strategies fail, I have heard "through the grapevine"
there may be a regional call for NVDA occurring on this date.
This is being organized independently to keep the families isolated
from further retribution by the courts.

Others requested to come and bear non-violent witness to the events on this day.
Monday Dec 16th, 8am, GPS: 41.919,-75.847

If you have skills (and tools) in carpentry, electrical, or plumbing,
YOUR ASSISTANCE is also requiested to help install new tanks
with pump, heater, and construct shed.
C) Emergency fundraising to purchase equipment

In case A and B both fail, then we want to have equipment in place
to install as soon as WPX leaves. $4,000 - $5,000 needed by
Friday Dec 13th.

Contribute Online, Tax Deductable:TinyURL.com/WaterReliefForNEPA

Or send checks directly to affected family:
Matt and Tammy Manning,
Send checks or money orders to :
Tammy Manning,
20784 State Road 29,
Montrose, Pa. 18801

Two new videos released today:

WPX Fracking the Forks: Introhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEUf2Xl2BdM&list=PLo1TDxDrIRYoiFirCsLhcDz-21j4kqa0D

WPX Fracking the Forks: Craig and Ray fill the tank

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWj2SfRZPcA&list=PLo1TDxDrIRYoiFirCsLhcDz-21j4kqa0D

New blog by Dory Hippauf (with instructions on how to donate-- tax deductable)http://www.nofrackingway.us/2013/12/09/the-fracking-of-franklin-forks-families/

IF YOU HAVE CONTACTS with the media, please alert them to this happening.

Two families with URGENT needs in Franklin Forks PA. Need to raise $5,000 by Friday Dec 13th.

Two families with URGENT needs in Franklin Forks. Need to raise $5,000 by Friday Dec 13th.

For immediate release-- 

Please send to your email lists,
social media, and your press contacts.

Share this link on Social Media:
 TinyURL.com/WaterForFranklinForks2013




URGENT -- FAMILIES NEED HELP -- SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY PA

Two families in Franklin Forks need funds for water buffaloes,
sheds to house the water equipment, electric pumps, heaters.

A Federal Judge has approved a court order for WPX Energy
to remove all of two family's water equipment: water tanks ("water buffaloes"),
pumps, heaters, sheds, hoses, plumbing, etc, on Dec 16th 2013.

This will leave TWO HOMES
in an uninhabitable condition.

Background:
WPX Energy had voluntarily, per request of Pennsylvania DEP,
installed the equipment in March 2012, and delivered non-potable
water for washing and bathing.

The families were never given potable water
for drinking and cooking, and had to purchase water
in town, at great expense/burden.

Now, WPX has stopped deliveries and wants to remove the equipment.
They have received a court order to do it (US Federal Judge Caputo, Middle District of PA)

Problems are:

1: these tanks are on Private Property,

2: WPX cannot prove they own them (they were a GIFT!)

3: They were installed inside permanent fixtures,
   which must be demolished to remove the tanks.

4: There was no lease, no contract, no terms of removal.

5: The water wells have not been tested in 18 months
   and are likely STILL CONTAMINATED!

These tanks are necessary for life.
Removal will leave the homes UNINHABITABLE without replacement.

No state agency is stepping up to help these families.

Families need funds to replace these items
in order to continue to receive safe water
for household use.

They need $2500 per family for the replacement and installation of water equipment
to get water delivered to their homes. Total of $5,000.

They are still unable to drink from their wells, which when last tested (Mar 2012),
revealed high metals, chlorides, TDS and other contaminants,
including explosive levels of methane,

Methane is naturally occurring in the area at ~1 mg/l.

This is what 83.1 mg/l looks like,
nearly 100x higher than normal ambient levels:





Water quality change and health problems started coincident w/nearby-gas drilling in
Dec 2011. Problems started with 7 wells drilled, then fracked within 2 mile radius.
They are surrounded by gas pads with several wells on each pad.

Thanks, for your donations to help the families who are in need. These funds will go to
Franklin Forks families first. 

If there are surplus funds, will go to other families in Dimock, Auburn, Springville area
who've suffered with contaminated water since 2008.

Send checks or money orders to :
Tammy Manning,
20784 State Road 29,
Montrose, Pa. 18801

Again--
We need to raise $5,000 by Friday Dec 13th
 if the legal challenges to this unjust order fail.

Tax Deductible donations online at:
TinyURL.com/WaterReliefForNEPA
 

alternate link: 
https://secure3.convio.net/fww/site/Donation2;jsessionid=C543815B1393DA5379F0A93601071EB8.app347a?idb=783335278&df_id=2560&2560.donation=form1&idb=0&autologin=true

Contact info:
Tammy Manning : 607-727-6820
Vera Scroggins : 607 237 9685
Craig Stevens: 570 967 2280

Much thanks for help during this Holiday Season.

Looking for people to come and stand in
NON-VIOLENT WITNESS to these events,

Monday, Dec 16th, 2013, 8am.
GPS: 41.919,-75.847

If the tanks are removed,
we will need VOLUNTEERS
skilled in construction, electrical, and plumbing

to install new tanks
and get them online before sundown.

Come and visit the families and learn what is happening to us since gas drilling in 2008.
Citizen Gas Tours are given weekly by Vera and Craig.

COURT INFO:

Middle District of Pennsylvania
Court's Address	William J. Nealon Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse, 235 N. Washington Avenue, Scranton, PA 18501-1148
Court's Phone Number	570-207-5600
Court's Email Address	mdpacourt@pamd.uscourts.gov
Court's Hours	Monday through Friday - 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Case # 3:12-cv-00646

Barges? We don't need no Fracking Barges!

On October 30, 2013, the U.S. Coast Guard proposed a policy
that would allow oil and gas companies to ship fracking wastewater
down our nation's waterways by barge.

Here's why it's a really bad idea (and PLEASE sign the petition!)

TinyURL.com/NoFrackingBarges

http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/blogs/the-u-s-coast-guard-is-pushing-for-a-fracking-disaster-waiting-to-happen/

--
--
May you, and all beings
be happy and free from suffering :)
-- ancient Buddhist Prayer (Metta)

Drilling occurring right up to NY Border

GAS DRILLING is occurring right up to the NY border. 
Check these maps:
If you live in towns of Vestal, Binghamton, Conklin, Kirkwood, Windsor, in Broome County, or any other town north of Tioga, Bradford, or Susquehanna County PA where there is drilling occurring,
and you are on a private water well, YOU SHOULD BE CONCERNED.

Hope you've got baseline tests done.

This is the COYLE NORTH 1-3H WELL, Liberty Twp, Susquehanna County.

How the Aquifer at Franklin Forks was Contaminated

This is a work in progress...

I want to expand the narrative text, but for dnow,
we're going to explain, in pictures,
How and why fracking commonly contaminates underground water sources.

Section I. Understanding Potential Energy

First, a physics lesson.
 
Energy can be translated between forms,
such as translating kinetic energy into potential energy.
But energy can neither be created nor destroyed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_of_energy

This is how a pendulum works:

Another way to visualize this is if we imagine a giant lifting a ball on to a mountaintop:

With work, Kinetic Energy can be transformed...

 ... into Potential Energy

Potential Energy is a system waiting to
release stored energy via the path of least resistance,
so we can expect the ball to come rolling down the mountain
any time now!

A slingshot is another way to transfer kinetic energy
into stored (potential) energy. When you apply force and stretch the
rubber band, energy is stored in the chemical bonds of the rubber,
which is wanting to release and send the payload flying!

The reason why a shock absorber on a car works is that an initial shock is absorbed by compressing a spring.
This energy is then slowly released due to the action of a gas-charged cylinder and a piston.

LESSON from Section I:

If you put energy into a system, that energy doesn't vanish. It can be translated into other forms, such as heat, or as stored (potential) energy.

Section II. Understanding Water Volumes, Visualizing an underground frac job.

Ferris Wheel at Pleasure Pier in Galveston, TX is BIG!
at ~100' in diameter.

Another view of Ferris Wheel at Pleasure Pier in Galveston, TX
100' in diameter.

According to Skytruth, the average frac in Pennsylvania is 4.3 Million Gallons of water.
http://blog.skytruth.org/2012/09/water-water-everywhere-20-months-of.html

4.3 million gallons is a sphere about 103' in diameter. Let's call it 100'.

Cabot's typical horizontal well in 2012
was 4,100 ft long, with 17.7 frac stages (let's call it 18 stages).
WPX was the operator in Franklin Forks, but let's assume they are doing about the same.

Fracking the Oliver Well Pad, Susquehanna County, PA (Chief)
Fracking involves massive pumping trucks all working in concert
to generate explosive pressures underground.
Photo: Vera Scroggins: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ1YldfSUV4

Average PA frack = 4.3 Million gallons.
4.3M / 18 stages = 238,888 gallons.
This is the volume of a sphere 19.7' in diameter.
(Let's call it 20'ft)

Now think about this 100' diameter sphere made up of
18 smaller 20' diameter spheres,
each holding ~240,000 gallons.
Each of these represents one frac stage.

A schematic diagram of an 18 stage frac job, using 4.3M gallons of water.
Each frac uses as much fluid as sphere 20' in diameter.
Assuming a lateral length=4,158', the center point between each frac stage is 231'.
NOTE: Image is not to scale. Actual distribution of fluids likely not spherical.

LESSON from Section II:

Hydraulic Fracturing involves massive amounts of fluids, and tremendous energy at the surface. This energy at the surface is converted into heat, and stored, potential energy underground.

Section III. Understanding the local geology near Franklin Forks.

According to maps by the Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research,
the depth of the Marcellus Shale in Northern Franklin Twp. Susquehanna County is 5,000-6,000'ft.

According to maps by the Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research,
the depth of the Marcellus Shale in Northern Franklin Twp. Susquehanna County is 5,000-6,000'ft.
(detail, Susquehanna County map, with yellow star at Franklin Forks contamination site)

The Depue 8H well in Franklin Forks was 4804'ft deep (TVD).
Strange: in Franklin Forks, the Marcellus is 5,000-6000'ft. deep.

TVD, Total Vertical Depth is the linear vertical depth
from the well pad to bottom-of-hole independent of curved path.

The following graphics were taken from an industry-funded presentation, with the depth of the Depue 8H well added:

• http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gwat.12056/pdf
• http://www.gwpc.org/sites/default/files/event-sessions/Molofsky_Lisa2_0.pdf

According Molofsky, et.al., GSI Environmental,
cross section of the area near Franklin Forks.
According to this chart, the Depue 8-H at 4,604'ft was drilled
into the Tully Sandstone formation, not the Marcellus.

According Molofsky, et.al., GSI Environmental, the Upper Devonian
strata above the Marcellus in the region of Franklin Forks is marked
by "Large Scale Faults",

Combining two graphics from Molofsky, et.al., GSI Environmental.
Upper Devonian Formation in this area marked by "Large Scale Faults"

"Large Scale Faults" in upper Devonian strata near Franklin Forks.
(from Molofsky, et.al., GSI Environmental)

LESSONS from Section III:
The Upper Devonian strata above the Marcellus near Franklin Forks, in Susquehanna County PA is marked by Large Scale Faults. The shale depth in this area is between 5,000 and 6,000 ft. HOWEVER-- the operator in the area, WPX (Williams Company) drilled one early well, the Depue 8H, only to 4,604', which according to the above charts, seems to be the Tully Sandstone formation, not Marcellus.

Section IV. Putting it all together

According to this article by Haliburton's Kevin Fisher, fractures commonly can extend 1,500' above the horizontal well bore:

http://www.halliburton.com/public/pe/contents/Papers_and_Articles/web/A_through_P/AOGR%20Article-%20Data%20Prove%20Safety%20of%20Frac.pdf

Haliburton's Kevin Fisher reveals that fractures can extend >1,500'ft above the
horizontal bore depth. (July 2010, AOGR)

So, 4604'  (depth of Depue 8H) - 1,500' (Fischer upward fracture distance) = 3,104'.

Matt and Tammy here say their well is ~160' deep:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af0HAhMrxlA

3104'ft - 160'ft = 2944'ft ==> This is all that fluids/gas must travel to contaminate the aquifer.
This is only 3x the distance reported in Fisher's data as being observed.

And in Franklin Forks, this was through the Upper Devonian layer which was marked by "Large Scale Faults".

According Molofsky, et.al., GSI Environmental, the Upper Devonian
strata above the Marcellus in the region of Franklin Forks is marked
by "Large Scale Faults", as well as intra-layer Detachment / Decollement zones.

Each frac stage releases ~240,000 gallons into the surrounding rock.
This volume is equal to a sphere ~20' in diameter.

Fluids injected want to find a path of least resistance back to the surface.

According Molofsky, et.al., GSI Environmental, the Upper Devonian
strata above the Marcellus in the region of Franklin Forks is marked
by "Large Scale Faults", so these could be the path of least resistance
for methane and fluids under extreme pressure to return to the surface
and contaminate shallow aquifers.

At 4,600'ft down, the hydrostatic pressure alone is ~3,500 psi.
This does not include the lithostatic or overburden pressure,
caused by the weight of the rocks.

I'd estimate the combined static pressure
at that depth is about 7,000-10,000 psi.
This is approximately the pressure of a fuel-air bomb.Note that the hydraulic fluids must overcome this
static pressure in order to fracture the rock. This is why the fluid pressures underground are typically ~15,000 psi.
(many industry sources cite this number)

This pressure gradient creates stored (potential) energy
in the injected fluids.

The pressures involved in hydraulically fracturing rock are similar to a fuel-air bomb.

Fluids injected at these depths contain stored (potential) energy,
which wants to release, by moving up through the pressure gradient
into areas of lesser pressure (like shallow, water-bearing strata).
It's like a ball on top of an inverted mountain.

LESSONS from Section IV: The fluids injected underground in the Hydraulic Fracturing process are under extreme pressures.

The energy expended at the surface is translated into stored (potential) energy in the fluids, which want to release this energy by returning to the surface via the Path of Least Resistance, which is likely natural faults and fissures in the surrounding geology. 



V. Conclusions:

Duke found 81.3 mg/L methane in the Manning's well	PA DEP found 38.9 mg/L and 58.4 mg/L methane in the Manning's well
Methane concentrations this high form a serious risk of explosion.	Methane was not the only contaminants found in the water wells in Franklin Forks. Also found: Barium, Iron, Aluminum, Magnesium, Manganese, Arsenic, Chlorides, Total Dissolved Solids exceeding safe levels.

Far from being a fringe scenario, water contamination from the drilling operations in Franklin Forks seems likely, once we understand the geology and the physics.

Extreme pressures are induced into large volumes of fluid underground by expending tremendous energy at the surface. Like the energy transferred into the rubber band of a slingshot, or like lifting a heavy weight up, this energy is not lost, but STORED. 

The "charged" fluids pumped underground do not want to stay there, and will find the way back to the surface using the path-of-least resistance, which in the case of Franklin Forks, is likely to be the fault-network in the Upper Devonian formation which lies above the Marcellus.