Gas Fracking Again...

[eric1978]

I just got done watching Gasland. Pretty eye-opening stuff. It was a well-made documentary and I have a feeling we'll see more from Josh Fox.

One thing is for sure, if hydraulic fracturing is done in the wrong places, we're not gonna have to worry about bickering over smallmouth regulations or license fees anymore. Our rivers and lakes will be ruined, and we'll be killing each other over bottled drinking water. That might sound dramatic, but seriously, what do we do if all our potable water is contaminated? On top of that we get to breathe all the airborne pollutants these wells are spewing. Bad news. It's just another reminder of how important and urgent transitioning to renewable energy is.

You see the problems in the Gulf every night on the news, and shake your head and feel sick to your stomach for the people and wildlife down there, but it still doesn't seem quite real since we're way up here. But this fracking crap could be knocking on our door any time, and the next documentary might be on massive fish kills in Ozark streams. I'd like to hear more about where they're doing this in AR.

How many more outrageous crimes against nature and humanity do we have to discover Dick Cheney is behind before he's locked up and the key's thrown away? That man is pure evil, I'm sorry.

[snagged in outlet 3]

"And as Al said, if the state has only a handful of inspectors for potentially thousands of wells, you can see how we'd loose."

What would an inspector do anyway? Once that stuff is injected down the hole it's basically a mute point to make sure they doing it right. They don't have to answer to anyone anyway thanks to Busch and Cheney.

SIO3

[Al Agnew]

There are a lot of other dangers that the inspectors could check on, especially the way the fluid is stored on site and what they do with it afterwards. They have to pump the "used" water back up and recover it, treat it, and dispose of it, all of which lends itself to carelessness or recklessness. Inspectors could also monitor local water wells and streams in the watershed, looking for any contamination...at least discover problems before they get completely out of hand.

[bobber]

I have seen some of the damage already starting on the Cadron and the home made holding ponds.(what a joke!) 3 water pumping stations on the banks with diesel fuel soaked, stained ground spots. materials used in damming the creek to move heavy equipment deeper into the woods of our natural forest.

[snagged in outlet 3]

I was trying to get across that the process, even when done to standard operating procedures, is a disaster to the environment. Only half of the "produced" water comes back up. The other half, with the 596 chemicals stays in the ground.

This shouldn't be happening until they comply with the clean water act.

SIO3

[redbud]

@#$&*$#@#$$%^$##@##$ freakin frackin greedy bastards,same people believe in clean coal.Fight them,sic the Sierra Club on em.

[stinger160]

Isn't there a foundation started to protect the upper white river watershed? Should they be contacted to see what they know and/or how they could help?

[Al Agnew]

Been hearing more and more about the Marcellus Shale in PA, NY, VA, WV...lots of problems already happening. One of the biggest problems is the used fracking liquid. There is currently no available technology to take the salinity out of it, let alone some of the other stuff that's in it. They are either putting it through municipal sewage plants SIMPLY TO DILUTE IT, or re-injecting it underground to get rid of it. And it's a LOT of fluid we're talking about.

[Gavin]

DVR'd Gasland a couple weeks ago and I finally had a chance to watch it tonight...It was a small sample, and reactionary IMO, but enough substance there to raise a heck of alot of concern.

It doesnt sound like the fracking process can be done safely and predictably....add the water use, waste disposal problems, air quality issues, water quality issues, no regulation, and I see a real problem developing. Our need for energy and minerals is real, but there must be a better way to do these things.

[catman70]

I'd just like to point out that it's ok for industries to pump hazardous wastes underground so long as they're releasing it more than 4,000 ft from the surface. I've been unable to discover which portions of the clean water act the fracking was exempted from. The whole thing or just parts?

Also, I'd like to point out that the VP has no direct input into the bills. If he did, how do you (you know who you are) know that our VP didn't write in the subsidies for "green" energy that were prevalent throughout the 2005 energy bill? Maybe it was Obama who oversaw the exemption. He's been the biggest benefactor from BP in terms of donations and he voted for the 2005 energy bill both times it came to a vote in the Senate.