Group Releases Shale Development Standards — Ohio Not Involved
Monday, April 1, 2013
The Center for Sustainable Shale Development announced an agreement on evironmental standards for shale drilling in Pennsylvania and Ohio, the only problem? Ohio was never involved in the decision-making process, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Oil and gas companies that met the group’s 15 standards would receive a
“seal of approval,” but companies are not bound by law to meet any of the standards suggested.
Since the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, or any Ohio-based group for that matter, wasn’t contacted to provide input on the standards, many Ohio-specific issues do not appear on the list.
Read it:
“Keith Dimoff, the director of the Ohio Environmental Council, an advocacy group, said the standards don’t address serious issues that are particular to Ohio, including disposal wells that drilling companies use to inject fracking wastes.“They don’t address a wide range of risks,” Dimoff said.”
» Via: The Columbus Dispatch › Ohio not part of nonbinding ‘fracking’ pact
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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.