Thursday, September 30, 2010

Is there cause for concern?

I just came across an interesting discussion that has me questioning my recent decision to join the ranks of the protesters of fracking. Some very interesting statements are made, such as
"fracking fluids are more than 99.5 percent water and sand. The additives used amount to less than one half of one percent – many of which can be found under your kitchen sink. These additives are used for several reasons; to prevent pipe corrosion, kill bacteria and to assist in forcing the water and sand down-hole to fracture the targeted formation."

Read the rest here.
This discussion makes me wonder... are people overreacting? I think not, but I also think that fracking has the potential to go smoothly, if all of the proper precautions are followed thoroughly.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Monday, September 27, 2010

Hung up on Fracking


Now that I've been doing all this reading on hydraulic fracturing -- FRACKING -- I finally understand what those anti-fracking signs that populate people's front yards, next to the old Vote Moriarty for Mayor signs, are actually protesting.

(In my quest for an image, I found an Ithaca-based anti-fracking group on Facebook)


"There's no such thing as zero-impact drilling," says John Hanger, head of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection. Since 2008 he's doubled the number of state regulators (100 to 205) and inspectors (21 to 45) to oversee the gas industry.

Hanger told Keteyian that there is evidence of chemical contaminants in water. "Spills and surface leaks have, in fact, contaminated people's drinking water," he said.

Yet nationwide the industry is not required to disclose what potentially toxic chemicals - like hydrochloric acid - are used in the drilling process.

A provision of a law proposed by the Bush administration and passed by Congress in 2005 (dubbed by opponents the " Halliburton loophole") stripped the EPA of its ability to regulate "fracking" - leaving the job of regulatory enforcement in the hands of cash-strapped, undermanned state agencies.

Since then, drilling companies have been allowed to put millions of gallons of unknown chemicals into the ground without reporting it, making it difficult to link pollution claims to drilling" (From Armen Keteyian, "A Burning Debate Over Natural Gas Drilling")

 In Pennsylvania, gas drilling is already occurring. Cited in Keteyian's article is Stephanie Hallowich, a western P.A. homeowner, who fears for the health of her children. She claims that since drilling has commenced in her community, her own water has turned black in color, forcing her to purchase drinking water. While the scent of fumes in the air causes concern about the quality of the air that she and her children breathe. As cited in the excerpt above, "there's no such thing as zero-impact drilling," and we aren't even briefed on the potential risks that we may face! Not to mention the fact that Hallowich's community has transformed into an industrial site. 

"The Governor of New York recently announced that fracking will not occur unless it can be proven that the procedure will not pollute water supplies." Given that contamination has been observed in other states where fracking is already occurring, this is one step in the right direction.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

More on drilling for gas in New York state

After scouring the internet for more information on the potential drilling for oil in upstate New York, I have discovered that the word "potential" needs to be replaced with "inevitable." This drilling is a sure thing. Landowners are leasing their land out for huge sums of money. The issue here is not the drilling itself -- oil revenue will bring wealth in a time of need. The issue is what unforeseen consequences may occur down the road. There is always the possibility of pollution, contamination, destruction, catastrophe... All the best planning cannot account for all possible outcomes.

"It’s a development born of new technology, rising energy prices and insatiable demand that is turning the Marcellus Shale formation, which reaches from Ohio to Virginia to New York, into a potential trillion-dollar resource in the gut of the nation’s most populous and energy-hungry region." - New York Times

Drilling -- are you for it or against it?

Gas Drilling in Upstate New York -- Is drinking water being affected?

As many of you probably know, upstate New York houses much of the drinking water that is consumed in NYC.
The Cannonsville Reservoir, pictured below, is located less than ten minutes from the house I grew up in in Hancock, NY (Delaware county), and provides NYC with about 50% of its drinking water (Wikipedia.org).


Currently, hearings are under way in which the possibility of hydraulic fracturing ("fracking," a specific technique for drilling natural gas) in New York state is being discussed. The EPA argues that the gas drilling procedures are environmentally friendly, while critics are claiming that the technology is flawed. Fear lies in the possibility that natural gas may contaminate drinking water. Read all about the proceedings.
What does NYC have to say?


View current NY reservoir levels here.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

SCORECARD: Information on pollution in your own community

Checkout Scorecard to find out who is polluting in your community! All you have to do is enter your zip code, and you will be provided with a list of the biggest polluters in your area and a list of the toxins most commonly released in your area, along with lots of other interesting information.


I ran a search on Cortland, NY (13045) and discovered that PALL CORP. PALL TRINITY MICRO DIV., BUCKBEE-MEARS CORTLAND, and CORTLAND LINE CO. INC. are the three big polluters in Cortland County.
The top three chemicals that are released into the area and are suspected to have the following human health hazards:

1. TERT-BUTYL ALCOHOL @ 17,499 pounds
  • Developmental toxicant
  • Kidney toxicant
  • Neurotoxicant
2. METHYL ETHYL KETONE @ 12,080 pounds
  • Cardiovascular or Blood Toxicant
  • Developmental Toxicant
  • Gastrointestinal or Liver Toxicant 
  • Kidney Toxicant
  • Neurotoxicant
  • Reproductive Toxicant
  • Respiratory Toxicant
  • Skin or Sense Organ Toxicant

3. HYDROCHLORIC ACID @ 11,309 pounds
  • Gastrointestinal or Liver Toxicant
  • Immunotoxicant
  • Musculoskeletal Toxicant
  • Respiratory Toxicant
  • Skin or Sense Organ Toxicant

I also ran a search on my hometown of Hancock, NY (13783) in Delaware County. It turns out that the biggest polluter in the area is Norbord of Deposit, NY. As a child, I used to think that the place was a cloud factory as billowy whiteness ceaselessly flowed from its smokestack. As I grew older I realized that the smokestack actually released steam instead of clouds... but it seems I may have been mistaken both times. Here is a map of toxic chemical releases at Norbord.


  




Tuesday, September 7, 2010

First Post

How I got to be here is sort of a funny story, which I think deserves illustration. Imagine this: you are a graduate student majoring in Adolescent Education in English, two semesters away from graduation and teacher certification, trying to fulfill a few last requirements. One of those requirements is a health course, and of course, you (I) manage to get into the health course that is intended for and occupied by health teachers. Imagine it!

Given that my graduation timeline will be thrown askew if the class is dropped, I have decided to stick it out. My health class co-conspirator and fellow English major Kristen and I have partnered up to deliver a 30 minute presentation on November 23rd, 2010, on the topic of environmental health. What is environmental health, exactly? you might ask. My honest answer is that I haven't quite figured that out yet. The purpose of this weblog is to familiarize myself with the study of environmental health and to understand both the ways local people are affected by the environment and how the environment is affected by them. With the persual of this blog, I hope to come to a clear understanding of the concept by November 23rd.

Check out the links on the right side of this page for an introduction to environmental health. I will be adding to them as I gather more information.