DEP announces additional pipeline taskforce meeting
Thursday, December 3, 2015
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is announcing an additional meeting for the Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force to continue the review of suggestions for the draft report. The meeting will be held at 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on December 16, 2015, at the DEP South Central Regional Office.
A public comment period on the draft report is being extended until December 29, 2015. The report can be found here. Public comments are being accepted through eComment.
The meeting agenda will be dedicated to reviewing the recommendations and a dedicated time for comments from members of the public that wish to attend. Public seating will be limited, and the meeting will also be streamed live at http://pacast.com/players/live_dep.asp.
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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.