Residents voice concerns over pipeline safety in Marcellus communities
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Should we be concerned about shale pipeline safety in Appalachia?
There have been incidents in recent years, as shale production has increased. With pipelines running through farmland and along roadways and compressor stations every so many miles, the public can be impacted if there is a problem or accident.
In a recent episode of Inside Appalachia, WV Public Broadcasting shares viewpoints on pipeline safety in the Appalachian states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, where Utica and Marcellus shale drilling has produced a glut of natural gas while planned pipelines await approval and construction to carry the gas to markets in the Northeast.
Read more: WV Public Broadcasting > Pipelines Creating Increasing Safety Concerns in Appalachia
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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.