Fred Baldassare is a gas migration expert who worked for DEP during the Dimock investigation of gas migration.
He has submitted a must read comment to the Duke Study post of monday May 9th.
Read the comment that confirms the gas that migrated in Dimock was shallow gas above the Marcellus to which the driller was drilling. That fact does not minimize the problem posed by gas migration.
No matter the source of gas, gas migrating is a problem that must reduced.
If he worked on the Dimock problem during the gas migration (as I did for a brief period) then why the **** didn't he require a complete characterization of the groundwater?
ReplyDeleteFred Baldassare was not even a Department geologist in the area (Region 2)of the state when the Dimock situation happened. As a former DEP Secretary, you should at least get your DEP regions straight.
ReplyDeleteI have the regions right. Fred worked out of the Pittsburgh office. He was and is a national expert on gas migration and he was assigned to help on the Dimock matter, even though that was not in the Pittsburgh region.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Anonymous,
ReplyDeletePerhaps you could identify yourself. If you were informed, you would understand that at the time of the Dimock incident the PA O&G regulations had 0, nil, no regulatory framework to require investigations of stray gas migration incidents. At the time of the incident, the course of action taken by the RP was legal maneuvering, instead of cooperation and investigation. It was the PADEP, with very limited resources, and at tax payers expense, that had to conduct the investigation. Further, a "complete characterization of the groundwater" was not required (and generally, is not required) to identify the origin and source of the stray gas that impacted the home owners in Dimock. The investigation was comprehensive enough to reveal the source of the gas.
Since the Dimock incident, and thanks to then PADEP Secretary, John Hanger, the O&G regulations have been revised significantly to be more protective of public health and safety, and to specifically require investigations of stray gas migration.
Is there a copy of the DEP investigation available that proves Cabot was responsible for the gas migration issue?
ReplyDelete