NYT: Regulation Lax as Gas Wells’ Tainted Water Hits Rivers (Pittsburgh: home, to buy)

[DomerJen]

Another report on natural gas fracking

You would think that regulators would at least *test* for radioactive material in drinking water, when they *know* that it's coming into the plants.

[gg]

A gold rush that is disastrous for people who wan to drink water. Oh, I guess that is about everyone. What a mess that stuff is, but as long as big money is involved I guess that is all that matters. Pretty said stuff.

[Love2Golf09]

The ny times has zero credibility. The author probably pulled a jayson Blair and made up the "facts" in the article. When my yough river water is poisoned I will believe it. I don't see that happening anytime soon.

[BrianTH]

It looks like they are starting to monitor in some places for radiation, so that's good. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of confidence in the new state administration on these issues.

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by Love2Golf09

The ny times has zero credibility. The author probably pulled a jayson Blair and made up the "facts" in the article. When my yough river water is poisoned I will believe it. I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Actually, you have zero credibility. Whatever you think, the opposite is probably true.

If it wouldn't mean benzene in my drinking water, I would wish you benzene in your drinking water.

[BrianTH]

It is not like the NYT article is incredibly alarmist or anything. Even if you overall support the development of shale gas in Western PA, it makes sense to be very careful with your handling of the wastewater, and to provide enough monitoring and other regulatory enforcement to make sure that is happening.

Meanwhile, despite all their implicit threats of pulling out if you look at them cross-eyed, shale drillers are making huge margins in the area, even with gas prices at relatively low levels. So the industry has the money to handle wastewater the right way, and indeed the money to pay up a little something to fund enforcement.

[gg]

Oh goody, more cancer for everyone. I hate when we do things to mess up our water, but this area seems to not mind drinking polluted water. I am going to look into a filtration system for my home tonight. I don't think a triple system is too expensive. RO's are kind of wasteful. Research starts tonight. I can't have my family drinking water from the Allegheny that is going to have more crap in it than it already does. Guess it is all good for the economy though. Some land owners are making a fortune and could care less what is down river and I have to buy a system for my home, so I can drink water. Problem is, I am spending money while the polluters are making fortunes.

[grimacista]

Marcellus Shale drilling is the wild west. There are no rules. The companies do pretty much whatever they want. Both the Rendell and Corbett administrations have done nothing. The PA Dept of Environmental Protection, which is the 'front line' to regulate these matters is outmanned and undergunned and cannot tell whether its purpose is to advance drilling or to protect the environment.

I am all for jobs and minimal government invasion and am in no way an environmentalist but this is the classic situation where everyone just sees dollar signs and doesn't look a couple years down the line. How livable will PA be with pipelines criss-crossing everywhere, compressor stations emitting pollutants all over etc. The state needs to develop a set of real laws to address this situation, not the woefully inadequate Oil & Gas Act, and get with the program.

[gg]

This is why water means nothing to people.

Marcellus gas wells generate an amazing bounty for landowners - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

[Hopes]

I think it's time to contract a water cooler service for my house. Why wait until after we hear the water is destroyed? It could be too late by then.