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Feds Warn Residents Near Wyoming Gas Drilling Sites Not To Drink Their Water
The federal government is warning residents in a small Wyoming town with extensive natural gas development not to drink their water, and to use fans and ventilation when showering or washing clothes in order to avoid the risk of an explosion.
The federal government is warning residents in a small Wyoming town with extensive natural gas development not to drink their water, and to use fans and ventilation when showering or washing clothes in order to avoid the risk of an explosion. (photo: Creative Commons/ Flickr user woodleywonderworks) The announcement accompanied results from a second round of testing and analysis in the town of Pavillion by Superfund investigators for the Environmental Protection Agency. Researchers found benzene, metals, naphthalene, phenols and methane in wells and in groundwater. They also confirmed the presence of other compounds that they had tentatively identified last summer and that may be linked to drilling activities.
"Last week it became clear to us that the information that we had gathered" "was going to potentially result in a hazard -- result in a recommendation to some of you that you not continue to drink your water," Martin Hestmark, deputy assistant regional administrator for ecosystems protection and remediation with the EPA in Denver, told a crowd of about 100 gathered at a community center in Pavillion Tuesday night. "We understand the gravity of that."
Representatives of the EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, which made the health recommendation, said they had not determined the cause of the contamination and said it was too early to tell whether gas drilling was to blame. In addition to contaminants related to oil and gas, the agency detected pesticides in some wells, and significant levels of nitrates in one sample -- signs that agricultural pollution could be partly to blame. The EPA's final report on Pavillion's water is expected early next year.
ProPublica first drew attention to Pavillion's water in late 2008, and reported extensively on the EPA's ongoing investigation there last August.
EnCana, the oil and gas company that owns most of the wells near Pavillion, has agreed to contribute to the cost of supplying residents with drinking water, even though the company has not accepted responsibility for the contamination.
EnCana spokesman Doug Hock told ProPublica in an e-mail that the petroleum hydrocarbon compounds the EPA found "covers an extremely wide spectrum of chemicals, many of which aren't associated with oil and gas."
"ATSDR's suggestion to landowners was based upon high levels of inorganics -- sodium and sulfate that are naturally occurring in the area," he said.
EPA scientists began investigating Pavillion's water in 2008 after residents complained about foul smells, illness and discolored water, and after state agencies declined to investigate. Last August the EPA found contaminants in a quarter of samples taken during the first stage of its investigation, and the agency announced it would continue with another round of samples -- the set being disclosed now.
In the meeting Tuesday, the agency shared results from tests of 23 wells, 19 of which supply drinking water to residents. It found low levels of hydrocarbon compounds -- various substances that make up oil -- in 89 percent of the drinking water wells it tested. Methane gas was detected in seven of the wells and was determined to have come from the gas reservoir being tapped for energy. Eleven of the wells contained low levels of the compound 2-butoxyethanol phosphate -- a compound associated with drilling processes but that is also used as a fire retardant and a plasticizer.
The scientists also found extremely high levels of benzene, a carcinogen, and other compounds in groundwater samples taken near old drilling disposal pits. Some of the samples were taken less than 200 yards from drinking water sources and scientists expressed concerns that the contaminated water was connected to drinking water wells by an underground aquifer.
"The groundwater associated with some inactive oil and gas production pits" "is in fact highly contaminated," Ayn Schmit, a scientist with the EPA's ecosystems protection program, told residents. But she also cautioned that the EPA has not determined the cause of the contamination and is continuing its investigation.
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31 Comments so far
Show AllRight out of the documentary-"Gasland".
As the drill, baby, drill mantra is sung louder and louder by both parties, look for this story to be repeated across the land.
to be able to engage in harmful, profitable activites, yet still claim innocence when harm is found...
how nice...
"But [Schmit} also cautioned that the EPA has not determined the cause of the contamination and is continuing its investigation."
And the EPA will continue its investigation forever, bending over backwards to shield the industries involved from responsibility for their carelessness.
Fascism at work.
q
I just wonder why the MSM doesn't think this is news. Why we never hear about so many news worthy stories on our regular news. Poisen water, and water that catches on fire should be big news. Dick Cheaney, and his gang, just keep rolling in the profits...while Americans get cancer, and other illnesses, that are all a result of his gas empire. For a country that doesn't want to give medical care, they sure don't have a problem giving us all medical problems.
The US MSM is utterly corrupt. This would be big news in any other part of the world. For example, every Canadian knows about BPA in food packaging and containers, and raised enough fuss for BPA to be completely banned from food packaging.
but canada LOVES fracking and developing the tar sands for oil -
don't look to canada for common sense answers
The MSM is owned by the same companies that are doing the drilling.
Only the right-wing Albertans. They would never accept such crap in Ontario or Quebec or the Maritimes - which is 90% of Canada population-wise.
Google depopulation program links for a great article. It should take you to rense.com. Wonder if the media will report on that?
razor that's the whole point. cheesedick cheney will roll his flubby ass around in profits and citizens will be exposed to toxic shit from their industries.
don't have healthcare die quick then. you are 100% right about the healthcare thing. the asshole corporations will make people sick but when people need care they are told sorry you are on your own.
people need to sue the assholes responsible for this. sue for big amounts.
or take direct action against the asshole corporations responsible.
AMEN.
When I visited Wyoming 40 years ago, I was surprised that the water was darker and more fragrant than the coffee. After 40 more years of drilling, coal extraction and agriculture, and little attention paid to the water supply, it must be worse. Now it is certain that the citizens of Wyoming must take action or have to import drinking water, bathing water, water for animals. Not a way to live.
Joe
I lived in the middle of a walnut orchard with well water. All of my dogs got cancer. Wonder what is is store for me? Sll the pesticides leaking into the ground water. Humans have killed this planet. Too bad the ones thst did it will not suffer the harm. Or they will have access to great medical care.
Didn't John Grisham write about this in "The Appeal"?
"In a crowded courtroom in Mississippi, a jury returns a shocking verdict against a chemical company accused of dumping toxic waste into a small town’s water supply, causing the worst 'cancer cluster' in history. The company appeals to the Mississippi Supreme Court, whose nine justices will one day either approve the verdict or reverse it."
Can you guess who buys off the swing judge?
the rightwing majority in wyoming is going to fall straight cognitive dissonance now!
it just can't be the fracking - oh no it must be those pesky environmetalists trying to trick us!
what's more important a decent wage or the shower head BLOWING UP during a shower?
and how safe can the water be to even wash your hands or shower in if it might explode?
and where the hell are the folks from the EPA and the enforcement of the clean water act?
welcome to the new america!
where WE THE PEOPLE are a quaint old-fashioned expression in a corporate driven - profits at all costs world.....
Ronny The Great laid off the inspectors. I mean the Federal Gummint won't do nohthin, it is useless. NO NEW TAXES. You get what you pay for. (If you are lucky.)
CDers are soooo out of step with America. We want to stay as warm or cool as we choose. We want the FREEDOM to drive whenever and wherever. We want our toys and gadgets. Besides, cancer is good for the medical economy. Medicine is our growth industry. We all need to do our part to 'help' out.
Hyperbolic relates to a mathematical function. Hyperbole is like superlative and one should open to page one before correcting the grammatical content of a commentator of unknown resources. This is why hall monitors are needed sorely where self restraint is absent.
Maybe you can start to understand why I want a law passed banning all cults from the state.
and by state I mean the whole state: the police, the security services, parliment, judges the NHS, the state!
Will a Law pass banning cults from the state? NO! Why because all the cult members in the government and outside it will work to stop that happening- They care nothing for socitey they are out for them selves and their power!
'Fuck the people' seems to be there motto!
A cult member will alway serve their cult first, therefore it is undemocratic to allow them into government.
and drilling things also...
i visited the lovely tetons...then i smelled the water...i left and ill never go back...i hope the glowing wolves eat cheney
ARTHUR:
Each evening, from December to December,
Before you drift to sleep upon your cot,
Think back on all the tales that you remember
Of Camelot.
Ask ev'ry person if he's heard the story,
And tell it strong and clear if he has not,
That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory
Called Camelot.
Camelot! Camelot!
Now say it out with pride and joy!
TOM:
Camelot! Camelot!
ARTHUR:
Yes, Camelot, my boy!
Where once it never rained till after sundown,
By eight a.m. the morning fog had flown...
Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment that was known
As Camelot.
with respect to Alan Jay Lerner...and all the Arthurian authors...
It is safe to drink and let them drink it. Lets not spend a cent on testing or cleaning up. They got what they wanted so let them drink it.
They vote for the same people that allow this to happen.
Lets cut governement spending for EPA in all red states. No controls or inpsection of food in red states.
Private business will take care of everything we don't need any governement telling us want to do.
One thing that I didn't get from the article or for that matter any reporting of similar situations elsewhere is whether or not this is a new situation. If so the blame is obvious and watersheds must be protected. If not then a preexisting condition is present and removing the petrol product might be a positive thing. It would be interesting to hear from a geologist about this stuff instead of carpers like me who have a healthy mistrust of any corporate lackey.
A place as beautiful and pristine as Wyoming is now ruined by unbridled corporate greed. Nothing is sacred to these bastards! And, I guess, these poor people will have to start drinking their own pee soon or buy bottled water, enrich someone else and add plastic disposal to their other problems.
Indeed, it's very sad.
As a small child in the early 80's I had visited beautiful Yellowstone.
To what extent has the land and water been damaged--to the point of no return?
How do we fix this?
1. I read in the ECONOMIST of some week in April 2009 that India has invented a water filter that filters out all organic contamination from water. It sells for $24 and requires a $4 filter change once every 4 months. The amount of water filtered daily is enough for a large family, which in India means anywhere from 12-16 people.
3 million of these are already installed. Indian engineers for TATA (a conscientious plutocrat?) are trying to reduce costs to about $12 to reach the very low income groups. Their target is to have 100 million filters installed within 3 years. That would cover more or less the entire population of India, where about 3 million people, mostly children and the aged and infirm, die annually from water borne diseases.
2. Sometime this year a Swiss scientist thought up a brilliant idea for destroying all bacteria,viruses and parasites in murky and dirty water that is the rule in vast slums like the Kibera Slum in Nairobi Kenya (pop. about 1 million living on less than $0.5 a day). The method is absolutely free, and almost laughably easy. It is available to the poorest 2 billion people all over the world where ever one finds discarded bottled water bottles in waste dumps and some piece of metal - - roof, discarded,even rusting tin stuff, tin foil or whatever. The idea is to fill up any number of water bottles that a reasonably spaced out layout on the piece of metal is possible. Take ,say, about 100 bottles on 50 sq.feet of metal and leave them in bright sunshine for about 6-8 hours. The ultraviolet radition will kill all the organic parasites and water is clean for drinking without any disease.
These are the type of solutions one finds when serious scientists and technicians and trained mathematical economists are inducted by progressives anywhere. Otherwise there is that whining crowd of numerically and scientifically challenged liberal "poetic" mindset that is replete with soundbites of very moving phrases and quips from literature writers in human history but devoid of any practical or systematic thinking about solutions. I find that progresive keyboarding class on most threads on "progressive" blogs such as here on CD. They hold forth on almost every article like broken down tape recorders playing the same tired old whining tunes over and over again. I rarely find INFORMATION or NEW KNOWLEDGE in the comments from resident keyboarders. Yes, there are some insightful comments with very delicious turns of phrase as is to be expected from a literate group. But often that's all we have - - an English phrase preening contest.
I read this thread and article, but there is absolutely no hint of any systematic, well thought out solution that can be implemented (with perhaps for some initial capital input)except vague generics about this or that MF giving the poor and "working class" the shaft.
When will the keyboarders here get out of the rut of "class warfare" generalities and use their brains and Nature's laws to make the plutocratic class irrelevant to human affairs? The plutocratic class by and large IS CUNNING, but it generally has very low numerical and science knowledge and IQ's. For example a very proficient hacker can bring down entire computer systems and the diamond-necklaced trophy women and (men?) would perish in a few days, dragging their erstwhile tyrannical spouses with them. The goon brute force muscle they employ, which have even lower IQ's, would be completely at sea without direction and leadership.
As a society is there any doubt that we're becoming more and more insane? Greed seems to be leading the way to all other types of destruction, and especially self-destruction. Mankind is a truck speeding downhill with the driver asleep at the wheel.
Interesting how this article precipitated a fair amount of comment, but if it had been about the same think happening in West Virginia, Pennsylvania of New York, it would have resulted in jsut 3-4 comments.
Let those swaggering right-wing cowboys drink their own medicine. The whole state only has a population equal to one-third of my home county.
We are all related, where did you learn about medicine?
Capitalism unleashed.