Energy Transfer pipeline projects on how in Pennsylvania ‘until further notice’
Monday, February 18, 2019
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection recently announced it’s suspending all permit reviews for pipeline builder Energy Transfer until further notice, according to DESMOG.
The company has been accused of having a record of law-breaking in Pennsylvania, causing sinkholes, water contamination and an early-morning pipeline explosion.
“There has been a failure by Energy Transfer and its subsidiaries to respect our laws and our communities,” Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said in a statement when the suspension was announced. “This is not how we strive to do business in Pennsylvania, and it will not be tolerated.”
Energy Transfer has been building a network of pipelines in Pennsylvania that are designed to carry natural gas and natural gas liquids from fracked Marcellus shale wells.
Learn more: DESMOG > Energy Transfer Pipeline Projects on Hold in Pennsylvania After String of Violations
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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.