Environmental groups ask Pa. DEP for more distance between well sites and homes, schools
Monday, March 7, 2016
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has been urged to increase the buffer zones between well sites and homes, workplaces, schools and businesses, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Environmental groups are asking for larger setback regulations, which would require more distance between wells and people, thus promoting public safety.
The Environmental Health Perspectives Journal released a study last month that indicated that individuals in close proximity to well sites may be vulnerable to explosions, heat, toxins and air pollution. The source reports that the study looked at setback regulations for well sites in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus shale, Texas’s Barnett shale and Colorado’s Niobrara shale.
Read more: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette > Increase distance between well pads and people, environmental groups urge
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.