First Responders Share Readiness for Shale Gas Risks
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
CARROLLTON, Ohio — Carroll County’s Emergency Management Agency’s Director Tom Cottis, as well as other first responders from law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services will participate in a question and answer session at the Nov. 1 meeting of Carroll Concerned Citizens.
Topics such as traffic safety, well fire and hazardous spill response, and law enforcement oversight will be discussed.
Location
The meeting will be held at the Church of Christ, 353 Moody Ave., Carrollton, beginning at 7 p.m.
It is free and open to the public.
Leave a Comment
Marcellus & Utica Shale Well Map
Additional Shale Maps
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.