The EPA stated that one home had arsenic levels 9 times safe levels and that 5 homes had methane levels above the standard Pennsylvania has established for remediation. In the case of the home with high arsenic levels, EPA offered replacement water, but the homeowner declined. The EPA stated it will do more testing at the well. http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/epa-releases-third-set-of-dimock-water-tests-1.1303087.
The EPA stated that it currently had no conclusions to offer whether the methane or arsenic levels were a result of natural causes or drilling. And that is not good enough.
Once the EPA began testing in Dimock, it must do the job fully. It should be doing isotopic analysis of the methane for example, to determine the source of the gas in water, as the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection did in 2009-2010.
Importantly, the latest EPA test results showed no spikes in chloride or any other indication that frack fluids contaminated drinking water.
fyi sodium was very high in a few homes that I know of...also there were some questions about the trace glycols and another chemical...methane is not benign and it still surges into a few homes here at extremely high levels....the water delivery truck still runs the roads of Dimock...now for conclusions? DEP documented their investigation-stated that Cabot drilled defective gas wells and allowed discharge to the water of the Commonwealth and Cabot denied it and you allowed documents to be drawn up that let cabot state they did not do it!!! You want EPA to finish the job? And then what? The gas industry NEVER DOES IT! I am waiting for the next compressor station blow up to be "Naturally Ocurring"... Don't waste tax payers money on investigations if you will not or CAN NOT hold the gas company accountable...
ReplyDeleteThe EPA investigation is far from a waste of taxpayer funds. You say the gas company has not been held accountable. Here are the facts:
Delete1. Fines in excess of $1.3 million dollars;
2. Escrow accounts fro 18 affected homeowners totaling $4.1 million were established with gas company money;
3. Plugging of gas wells ordered at the cost of tens of millions of dollars in direct expense and lost revenues to the gas company were ordered;
4. Drilling permits were withheld for years.
That is just some of the accountability.