Fracking - Rochester, NY area 

RochesterEnvironment.com

Some would say if you are ‘pro’ Fracking or ‘anti’ Fracking you cannot be objective on Fracking.  I say that is the wrong heuristic because the focus of our attention should be on the health of our environment, not on the health of a particular industry.  Our media needs to change their notion of ‘objectivity’ when it comes to environmental issues, especially as Climate Change becomes the lens from which we should view all environmental issues.    

"Hydraulic fracturing is the propagation of fractures in a rock layer caused by the presence of a pressurized fluid. Hydraulic fractures may form naturally, as in the case of veins or dikes, or may be man-made in order to release petroleum, natural gas, coal seam gas, or other substances for extraction, where the technique is often called fracking[a] or hydrofracking.[1] This type of fracturing, known colloquially as a frack job (or frac job),[2][3] is done from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations. The energy from the injection of a highly-pressurized fracking fluid, creates new channels in the rock which can increase the extraction rates and ultimate recovery of fossil fuels. The fracture width is typically maintained after the injection by introducing a proppant into the injected fluid. Proppant is a material, such as grains of sand, ceramic, or other particulates, that prevent the fractures from closing when the injection is stopped. " Hydraulic fracturing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia    

Still wondering what the heck Fracking is?  Go here: Hydraulic Fracturing 101  Hydraulic fracturing - What it is Geologic formations may contain large quantities of oil or gas, but have a poor flow rate due to low permeability, or from damage or clogging of the formation during drilling. This is particularly true for tight sands, shales and coalbed methane formations. Hydraulic fracturing (aka fracking, which rhymes with cracking) stimulates wells drilled into these formations, making profitable otherwise prohibitively expensive extraction. Within the past decade, the combination of hydraulic fracturing with horizontal drilling has opened up shale deposits across the country and brought large-scale natural gas drilling to new regions. EarthWorks

Page Contents:  Fracking NewsLinks  | Fracking Discussions  | Fracking linked with Climate Change | Fracking Studies |Fracking Resources | Groups against Fracking |

 

EnergyClimate Change will strain NYS’s water even if we don’t Frack New York State has a lot of fresh water and, according to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), we are going to weather Climate Change.

The West and the South of the United States are not going to fare so well. So you might think that piling on hydrofracking (or Fracking), which will require a lot of our fresh water for drilling, to the stresses that will be caused by Climate Change wouldn’t matter much. more...

 

 

 

 

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Fracking Discussions

Discussions on Fracking issues concerning the Rochester, NY area.  Click on the article and join in one of the discussions below at my blog Environmental Thoughts.

 

Climate Change will strain NYS’s water even if we don’t Frack - Rochester Environmental News | Examiner.com New York State has a lot of fresh waterand, according to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), we are going to weather Climate Change. The West and the South of the United States are not going to fare so well. So you might think that piling on hydrofracking (or Fracking), which will require a lot of our fresh water for drilling, to the stresses that will be caused by Climate Change wouldn’t matter much. And that is actually the conclusion of the Report 11-18 Response to Climate Change in New York State (ClimAID)report that NYSERDA funded and completed last month. This report is a very comprehensive look at Climate Change in New York State. What the report suggests is that “As much as 7 million gallons of water may be required to hydraulically fracture a well.” (Page 94, ClimAid) “Increased consumption due to natural gas drilling in deep shales” will be “low.” (Page 444, ClimAid). The report also states that we should feel assured about our fresh water because “The commissions already have guidelines for determining acceptable withdrawals during low-flow periods, and other possible guidelines have recently been proposed in the generic environmental impact statement related to shale gas drilling in New York State.” (Page 100, ClimAid) Continue reading on Examiner.com Climate Change will strain NYS’s water even if we don’t Frack - Rochester Environmental News | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/environmental-news-in-rochester/climate-change-will-strain-nys-s-water-even-if-we-don-t-frack#ixzz1mjyXp2jM

Documents that include Fracking  as they relate to Climate Change

How we get our energy is one of the most important factors in Climate Change in our region.  Using fossil fuels--gas, oil, coal, even biomass--creates even more greenhouse gas and warms our atmosphere.  Read these reports and studies that link how we use energy to Climate Change:

  • Concerned Health Professionals of New York "“By insisting on a comprehensive health impact assessment as a precondition for a decision to permit or prohibit hydraulic fracturing in our state, Concerned Health Professionals of New York is upholding the fundamental principles of preventive medicine. The unique vulnerability of children to chemical contaminants and air pollution – of the kind we know are associated with drilling and fracking operations – means that we must undertake the most thorough investigation and seek the input of many experts. This is no time for secrecy. Members of New York’s medical community must have access to the documents that are now under review by the team of outside reviewers. The public – who are being asked to assume risks of fracking – must likewise have input to the scientific process that is judging those risks.” "
  • Report 11-18 Response to Climate Change in New York State (ClimAID) Responding to Climate Change in New York state: the ClimAid integrated assessment for effective Climate Change adaptation in New York state (November 2011)
  • Don’t miss this great article on Fracking by Bill McKibben.  Bill really gets at the heart of why it would be so disastrous to Frack in NYS, or any other place for that matter.  Few are able to articulate the real danger our addiction to fossil fuel represents for mankind at this point in time.  We keep searching for that cheap energy source to fuel a way of life that is chewing up our environment—as if we haven’t learned a thing about our environment in the past one hundred years.  Check out this important article and spread it far and wide. Why Not Frack? by Bill McKibben | The New York Review of Books "As the International Energy Agency reported last summer, the numbers are significant: their projections for a “Golden Age of Gas” scenario have atmospheric concentrations of CO2 peaking at 650 parts per million and temperature rising 3.5 degrees Celsius, far higher than all the experts believe is safe. In September, the National Center for Atmospheric Research tried to combine all the known data—everything from methane leakage in coal mines to the cooling effects of coal-fired sulfur pollution—and concluded, in the words of the scientist Tom Wigley, that the switch to natural gas “would do little to help solve the climate problem.” " Table of Contents - March 8, 2012 | The New York Review of Books

* One thing we here in NYS, which is considering Fracking, don’t discuss much is the safety of existing gas pipelines.  We should: Pipeline Safety Tracker Find the Accidents Near You Although they carry the vast majority of our oil and natural gas, the nation's 2.5 million miles of pipelines remain largely invisible to the public. And while they're much safer than alternatives such as trucks, pipelines suffer hundreds of ruptures and spills every year. Critics blame minimal oversight and old pipes for accidents that could have been prevented; operators maintain that they're committed to continuous improvement. Here we map accidents that regulators labeled "significant incidents" from 1986 to the present. | Related Story » (November 15, 2012) ProPublica [more on Energy in our area]

Fracking Resources

It is possible, because the Rochester region lies within the Utica Shale, that hydrofracking, or Fracking, could become a grave environmental issue in our region.  Here are the main sources in our region to stay abreast of this on-going issue:

  • Get the latest updates on Fracking every day: Recent Gas Drilling News (07-09-12 11:59PM EDT)  - from Sustainable Otsego "Sustainable Otsego is a loose, minimally structured network of local activists and supporters who seek to promote sustainable practices in the rural Leatherstocking region focused on Cooperstown and Otsego County, New York. It listserv provides a forum for the discussion of sustainability issues. When we were founded, in 2007, our main concerns were with peak oil, energy descent, relocalization, and their consequences -- all continuing vital issues. We were the incubator for the Kid Garden at the Cooperstown Central School; we have lobbied our county government on a range of sustainability issues, including the need for a county sustainability plan. "
  • Fracking - ProPublica "Gas Drilling's Environmental Threat "
  • Drilling for Natural Gas in the Marcellus Gas Shale: Everything you wanted to know: pressconnects.com | Binghamton Marcellus Shale | Press & Sun-Bulletin
  • What you need to know about fracking | Environmental Working Group "Hydraulic fracturing has been around for decades. But now, natural gas producers are deploying a new gas drilling method called high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing to release gas locked in untapped shale formations. According to a report by the Department of Energy's outside advisory panel on natural gas, in 2011, shale gas reached 29 percent of total dry gas production in the lower 48 states, up from 6 percent in 2006.  " from EWG Home | Environmental Working Group
  • NYS DEC on all things related to Frackiing: SGEIS on the Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Regulatory Program - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Well Permit Issuance for Horizontal Drilling and High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing to Develop the Marcellus Shale and Other Low-Permeability Gas Reservoirs The Department of Environmental Conservation regulates the development and production of oil and gas resources in New York State. The development of a potentially significant gas resource in the Marcellus Shale uses horizontal drilling and a high-volume hydraulic fracturing technique known as "slick water fracturing." This technique requires large volumes of water and requires further review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act ("SEQRA") before any well permits can be issued.
  • Welcome to R-Cause: Rochesterians Concerned About Unsafe Shale-gas Extraction - ABOUT R-CAUSE "Rochesterians Concerned About Unsafe Shale-gas Extraction R-CAUSE was created by Rochester citizens who treasure New York State and want its waters, land and air to remain clean and its communities to remain viable. R-CAUSE's goal is to inform as many people in the Rochester area as possible about the risks associated with high-volume, slick-water, horizontal hydraulic fracturing. "
  • Find out how that Fracking is working for our friends in Pennsylvania.  Track the number of operators, active wells, violations, and fines.  Those poor people. Shale Play: Natural Gas Drilling in Pennsylvania | NPR StateImpact: Issues That Matter. Close To Home. "The Marcellus Shale has been underneath Pennsylvania for centuries, but the extraction of natural gas began only recently. The gas boom is changing the landscape of northeastern and southwestern Pennsylvania. Use this tool to learn which operators are drilling, and where. Find gas-producing wells in your county or municipality — and see whether the drillers have been cited for violating state environmental regulations. Read more about the data. " from NPR StateImpact: Issues That Matter. Close To Home.
  • Drill Bits: Revisiting the Hydro-Fracking Debate - GrowWNY Originally published in July of 2011, we are republishing this introductory article to offer information for Western New Yorkers wishing to get involved with hydro-fracking issues. To find out more about what is going on today, read this article by Sierra Club member Art Klein and visit the webpages for Western New York environmental organizations that are involved with this issue. --from GrowWNY
  • Safeguard Drinking Water | Riverkeeper updates on Fracking from Riverkeeper - NY's Clean Water Advocate
  • Shale Gas Review "Tom Wilber has been in the newspaper business for more than 20 years and has written for the Central New York Business Journal and the Watertown Daily Times. For 17 years, he worked for the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, covering business, health, and environment beats. "
  • FracFocus Chemical Disclosure Registry "Welcome to FracFocus, the hydraulic fracturing chemical registry website. This website is a joint project of the Ground Water Protection Council and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. On this site you can search for information about the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells. You will also find educational materials designed to help you put this information in perspective. "
  • Marcellus Shale - Tribune-Review
  • Stay up to date with banning Fracking in New York State: action, news, events, and more:  New York <i>Ban Fracking Now</i> Action Center "We've got so much going on in New York's campaign to Ban Fracking Now for you to be involved with. Take a look at all the events and volunteer opportunities! Sign up to be involved and we'll be in touch. And don't forget to share this page with your networks by using the buttons to the right. Every bit of outreach we all do helps to grow the movement to Ban Fracking Now! " from Food & Water Watch
  • For those still unclear about what horizontal hydrofracking is, check this interactive feature from the New York Times.  Fracking is not your grandmother’s single, straight down drilling for oil.     Extracting Natural Gas From Rock - Interactive Feature - NYTimes.com "A look at the process and hazards of hydraulic fracturing. "
  • Fracking | from EcoWatch "EcoWatch is a global non-profit news organization that covers issues relating to water, air, food, energy and biodiversity. Our mission is to unite the voices of the grassroots environmental movement and mobilize millions of people to engage in democracy in pursuit of a sustainable future. "
  • Hydraulic Fracturing ("fracking") - from Grassroots "Grassroots is a New York-based non-profit organization founded in 2000 with a mission to educate the public about the links between common environmental exposures and human health, and to empower individuals to act as catalysts for change within their own communities. "
  • MarcellusGas.Org "The MarcellusGas.Org website was created to provide easy-access information related to Marcellus gas wells in Pennsysylvania. The site was launched in September of 2010, and continuely adds new features to provide members with improved information tools and resources. "

Rochesterians Concerned About  Unsafe Shale-gas Extraction R-CAUSE was created by Rochester citizens who treasure New York State and want its waters, land and air to remain clean and its communities to remain viable.   R-CAUSE's goal is to inform as many people in the Rochester area as possible about the state-wide risks associated with  high-volume, slick-water, horizontal hydraulic fracturing. 

Fracking Studies

Numerous studies on Fracking

  • Before we even think of Fracking NYS wouldn’t we want make sure existing drilling regulations are being followed?  Breaking All the Rules: Oil and Gas Enforcement We have released a national reportabout state enforcement of oil and gas regulations. The national report examines the current state of oil and gas enforcement in Colorado, New Mexico,New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania andTexas. This report arose from discussions with oil and gas agency decision-makers, inspectors, members of multi-stakeholder oil and gas organizations, former management-level industry employees, oil and gas and environment attorneys, members of conservation organizations, and representatives of academic institutions - all around the question of what makes enforcement effective.  (September 26, 2012) EarthWorks
  • Water Pollution Risk Associated with Natural Gas Extraction from the Marcellus Shale  In recent years, shale gas formations have become economically viable through the use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. These techniques carry potential environmental risk due to their high water use and substantial risk for water pollution. Using probability bounds analysis, we assessed the likelihood of water contamination from natural gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale.  (August 2012) Rozell, D. J. and Reaven, S. J. (2012), Water Pollution Risk Associated with Natural Gas Extraction from the Marcellus Shale. Risk Analysis, 32: 1382–1393. doi: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.2011.01757.x
  • The Costs of Fracking The Price Tag of Dirty Drilling's Environmental Damage Over the past decade, the oil and gas industry has fused two technologies – hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling – to unlock new supplies of fossil fuels in underground rock formations across the United States. “Fracking” has spread rapidly, leaving a trail of contaminated water, polluted air, and marred landscapes in its wake. In fact, a growing body of data indicates that fracking is an environmental and public health disaster in the making. However, the true toll of fracking does not end there. Fracking’s negative impacts on our environment and health come with heavy “dollars and cents” costs as well. In this report, we document those costs – ranging from cleaning up contaminated water to repairing ruined roads and beyond. Many of these costs are likely to be borne by the public, rather than the oil and gas industry. And as with the damage done by previous extractive booms, the public may experience these costs for decades to come. September 20, 2012) Environment New York [more on Fracking in our area]

 

Groups Against Fracking

Groups against Fracking in NYS.

  • R-Cause: Rochesterians Concerned About Unsafe Shale-gas Extraction  “R-CAUSE was created by Rochester citizens who treasure New York State and want its waters, land and air to remain clean and its communities to remain viable. R-CAUSE's goal is to inform as many people in the Rochester area as possible about the risks associated with high-volume, slick-water, horizontal hydraulic fracturing.”    
  • NYRAD "New York Residents Against Drilling (NYRAD) is a grassroots network of local residents who are opposed to unconventional gas development in New York State. High volume hydraulic fracturing threatens our land, air, and water, jeopardizing the economic and physical health of our communities. Thousands of wells, many miles of pipelines, and large noisy compressor stations could turn our rural communities into giant industrial zones. Therefore, we are joining together to: educate ourselves and our neighbors about the long-term negative economic, environmental, health, and community impacts of gas extraction by hydraulic fracturing; advocate for legislation to safeguard our communities from these threats; encourage the development of alternative, green, sustainable energy sources; We believe that all people have a right to clean air and pure water, and that it is our duty to preserve and protect the natural, scenic, historic, and commercial assets of this beautiful state we live in, for ourselves and future generations. "
  • Frack Free Genesee "A coalition to protect the western finger lakes and Genesee valley "
  • Food & Water Watch "Food & Water Watch works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainably produced. So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink, we help people take charge of where their food comes from, keep clean, affordable, public tap water flowing freely to our homes, protect the environmental quality of oceans, force government to do its job protecting citizens, and educate about the importance of keeping the global commons — our shared resources — under public control. "
  • Welcome to Sustainable Otsego "Sustainable Otsego is a loose, minimally structured network of local activists and supporters who seek to promote sustainable practices in the rural Leatherstocking region focused on Cooperstown and Otsego County, New York. It listserv provides a forum for the discussion of sustainability issues. When we were founded, in 2007, our main concerns were with peak oil, energy descent, relocalization, and their consequences -- all continuing vital issues. We were the incubator for the Kid Garden at the Cooperstown Central School; we have lobbied our county government on a range of sustainability issues, including the need for a county sustainability plan. We have been particularly occupied recently with resistance to shale gas drilling in our region. We sponsored a series of forums in the spring of 2009 which brought wide publicity in our area to problems associated with shale has drilling, and we have continued public education efforts in this regard, as well as political lobbying. Sustainable Otsego is one of scores of organizations statewide in New York who oppose current drilling techniques as too unsafe and costly to be permitted. "
  • RAFT - Residents Against Fracking in Tioga "RAFT was formed in January 2012 by a group of Tioga County residents who have educated themselves about the dangers of fracking and have come to the unshakable conclusion that there is no way fracking could conceivably be done safely. We are concerned about the safety of the water, air, food supply, land, environment, communities, and people. We therefore have dedicated ourselves to educating our neighbors and fellow community members, and to helping to write laws that protect our towns and county from fracking. "
  • Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy "Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy is an all volunteer grassroots organization working to prohibit dangerous hydraulic fracturing (fracking) since 2008. We support the American Clean Energy Agenda. Find out how your organization can also lend its support info@castskillcitizens.org. "
  • Save the Southern Tier "We are mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters, business owners, farmers, young people, retired people, faith leaders and chefs who care deeply about our community and home. Save The Southern Tier is a broad-based network of existing grassroots groups who are working to stop fracking from happening in our home and in the state at large. Our movement is diverse in tactics and strategy, but our numbers are growing and we will work tirelessly to prevent fracking from happening. "
  • Grandma's Thinking ... Ban fracking: the realities of the technology and industry lies must be exposed! Stop the fracking disaster before it kills off the very planet we live on. YOUR survival depends on it! Now is the time!
  • Hector Clean Waters The Town of Hector is facing the very real threat of high volume hydrofracking destroying our pristine water, air, and growing local economy. Our work is focused on educating Hector residents, landowners and government officials on the danger fracking poses to our way of life, and working to protect our water, families, and health. 
  • Hudson Valley United Against Fracking "Hudson Valley United Against Fracking will serve as a network to amplify, build and broaden the citizens movement against fracking in this region of New York State. With a rich history, the Hudson Valley has long been the center of state and national leadership on environmental and public health stewardship. The Hudson Valley is united against fracking because fracking threatens our health, the integrity of our communities, our economy, and our precious environment. A majority of residents in the Hudson Valley are opposed to fracking. A large and growing number of elected officials, business owners, environmental and citizens organizations have been voicing their concerns about this dangerous gas drilling practice for years. Meanwhile, the Hudson Valley stands ready and eager to help lead a swift transition to renewable energy and efficiency across all of New York State. "

Americans Against Fracking "Fracking and drilling associated with fracking poses a direct and immediate threat to the drinking water, air, climate, food, health and economies of communities across the United States. Americans Against Fracking is comprised of entities dedicated to banning drilling and fracking for oil and natural gas in order to protect our shared vital resources for future generations. Our goal, quite simply, is to ban fracking. To that end, we support federal, state and local efforts to ban fracking and to stop practices that facilitate fracking like natural gas exports, frac sand mining and the construction of pipelines. From halting plans to open the Delaware River to fracking, to passing over 250 municipal measures against the practice, the movement to protect Americans from fracking has won significant victories. Regulations alone won’t protect us from this toxic, polluting process—we need to ban fracking now. "