To: Participants and Friends of Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition.
MVCAC is an advocate for prohibiting drilling and fracking in the
Mon Valley. We have also advocated testing if drilling and fracking
do occur. Now that drilling and fracking have occurred and EPA has
done tests at the Skyview Elementary School, let me propose a current
position for MVCAC.
1. MVCAC approves of the testing thus far and recognizes that the air was not impacted at the Skyview Elementary School on the three dates tested.
2. We recognize that this school is within about 6,000 feet of the well pad. We wonder why testing and protective measures against air pollution have not been performed at any of the thirty or so businesses that are within 200 feet to 3,000 feet from well pad. Has monitoring been offerred to any of these locations? We think not.
3. We recognize that the air pollution from Marcellus drilling and fracking operations occurs in rather rapid episodes, and any human exposures at the well site, at the adjacent businesses, at the schools and at the residences in the Monongahela valley will be nearly impossible to measure without continuous monitors that are located at these listed sites.
4. Continuous methane monitoring is recommended near the well pad because methane is easy to detect, because it will be present in higher concentrations than the other pollutants, and because it serves as an indicator that many other hazardous or toxic substances are present.
5. Given that fracking was not completed on one of the wells at the Morgantown Industrial Park and given that much more work will be involved there before these two Marcellus wells are actually connected to gathering and transmission pipelines, it is highly recommended that continuous methane monitoring be instituted as soon as possible, with daily (or continuous) reporting of the data to the public, for the protection of all the residents and workers in the vicinity of the wells as well as in the greater Mon valley.
YOUR COMMENTS ARE SOLICITED ON THE ABOUT POINTS, TO BE PRESENTED TO THE MORGANTOWN CITY COUNCIL TOMORROW, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011. WE CAN ALSO SUBMIT OUR STATEMENT, ONCE FINALIZED TO THE WV-DEP AND TO THE U.S. EPA, THE AGENCY THAT DID THE THREE TESTS (AT THE REQUEST OF THE WV-DEP).
Duane Nichols, _duane330@aol.com_ (mailto:duane330@aol.com) , 304-216-5535
Nice start, Duane. Thank you for getting this ball in motion. My comments below in blue.
-----Original Message----- From: Duane330 Duane330@aol.com To: mvcac mvcac@cheat.org Sent: Mon, Oct 24, 2011 11:48 am Subject: [MVCAC] <urgent> Air pollution monitoring at two MIP Marcellus wells
To: Participants and Friends of Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition.
MVCAC is an advocate for prohibiting drilling and fracking in the
Mon Valley. We have also advocated testing if drilling and fracking
do occur. Now that drilling and fracking have occurred and EPA has
done tests at the Skyview Elementary School, let me propose a current
position for MVCAC.
1. MVCAC approves of the testing thus far and recognizes that the air was not impacted in any recordable manner within the limits of the monitoring equipment at the Skyview Elementary School on the three dates tested.
2. We recognize that this school is within about 6,000 feet of the well pad. After that, I'd delete the original wording. i.e. "We wonder why testing and protective measures against air pollution have not been performed at any of the thirty or so businesses that are within 200 feet to 3,000 feet from well pad. Has monitoring been offerred to any of these locations? We think not." Instead, state simply and strongly, "We recommend that the health of individuals in the adjacent business community be guarded. Thus the MVCAC recommends that continuous monitoring be instituted in multiple locations within the vicinity of the thirty plus businesses located within 200 to 3,000 feet from the well pad. " That comes across as less emotive.
3. We recognize that the air pollution from Marcellus drilling and fracking operations occurs in often unpredictable, short-term (instead of "rather rapid") episodes, and any human exposures at the well site, at the adjacent businesses, at the schools and at the residences in the Monongahela valley will be nearly impossible to measure without continuous monitors that are located at these listed sites. Delete "listed".....redundant.
4. Continuous methane monitoring is recommended near the well pad because methane is easy to detect, because it will be present in higher concentrations than the other pollutants, and because it serves as an indicator that many other hazardous or toxic substances are present. Specify the sensitivity of the monitoring equipment to be effective, maybe? Hmmm...where are my notes from Joe Osbourne's talk?
5. Given that fracking was not completed on one of the wells at the Morgantown Industrial Park and given that much more work will be involved there before these two Marcellus wells are actually connected to gathering and transmission pipelines, it is highly recommended that continuous methane monitoring be instituted as soon as possible, with daily (or continuous) reporting of the data to the public, for the protection of all the residents and workers in the vicinity of the wells as well as in the greater Mon valley. How often does a continuous monitor spit out data? Who collects and processes the data? Who posts it to a publicly accessible website? Who is it at the Mon Co Health Dept. that would be the go-to person if there is a pollution threat? We can't take anything to DEP at this time, is that right?
YOUR COMMENTS ARE SOLICITED ON THE ABOUT POINTS, TO BE PRESENTED TO THE MORGANTOWN CITY COUNCIL TOMORROW, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011. WE CAN ALSO SUBMIT OUR STATEMENT, ONCE FINALIZED TO THE WV-DEP AND TO THE U.S. EPA, THE AGENCY THAT DID THE THREE TESTS (AT THE REQUEST OF THE WV-DEP).
Duane Nichols, duane330@aol.com, 304-216-5535
Attached Message From: Jonathan Rosenbaum freesource@cheat.org To: Energy Committee ec@osenergy.org Cc: Chuck Wyrostok wyro@appalight.com; Kitty Lozier clozier@gmail.com; Phyllis Marshall phyllismarshall@msn.com Subject: [EC] WVU Faculty Senate viewpoint meeting Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:58:37 -0400
Heh all,
Right before the exciting City Council COW meeting this Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. where the future of the ban will be discussed informally, http://morgantown.com/agendas/2011/10-25-11-COW.pdf (Note: Bill Bryne will be in another country :) ..
Forum on Marcellus Shale Drilling
Tuesday, October 25, 2011, at 5:30 p.m., 126 Ming Hsieh Hall, WVU Downtown Campus
A Discussion of Important Issues From Various Viewpoints. Presented by Pi Sigma Sigma Public Policy Honorary and WVU Political Science Department. See flyer for more information.
Note the interesting line-up:
John King - WVDEP Environmental Advocate (Remember Pam Nixon at the SierraFest?) Don Spencer - Ex-City Council, the biggest supporter for strong legislation .. resolutions, ban, etc. WV4MOM - No idea who will be talking, I suspect that it may be Professor Tauger from political science Dr. Carr - Interim director of WVU's marcellus initiative, self-describe industry advocate, and the worst choice imaginable by WVU's president.
A new page to watch, http://facultysenate.wvu.edu/marcellus. You may be able to catch both events concurrently.
-Jonathan
_______________________________________________ EC mailing list EC@osenergy.org http://osenergy.org/mailman/listinfo/ec
_______________________________________________ MVCAC mailing list MVCAC@cheat.org http://cheat.org/mailman/listinfo/mvcac
I support the positions proposed. It is clear that episodic monitoring for a few days at a time is unlikely to identify emissions from "upsets" or fracking events and other activities that occur commonly during well completion. Thus, while the EPA monitoring is a step in the right direction, it is neither sufficient nor conclusive enough to allay community concerns. Question as simple as "What was happening at the site during the monitoring?" and "Which way was the wind blowing that day?" have not been answered, so anyone with concerns about air pollution is likely to remain concerned.
Continuous emissions monitoring is needed at the site, and ambient monitors at an upwind and a downwind location are needed to verify that off-site concentrations do not cause health or environmental impacts. Appropriate technology is available to significantly reduce emissions, and regulations in some states require these. But until the WV Legislature passes a Marcellus bill with stringent air pollution requirements, WV-DEP adopts rules to implement that legislation, and the needed inspectors and enforcement programs are in place to assure compliance, Morgantown's air remains at risk, and no one is watching.
Jim Kotcon
Duane330@aol.com 10/24/2011 3:47 PM >>>
To: Participants and Friends of Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition.
MVCAC is an advocate for prohibiting drilling and fracking in the
Mon Valley. We have also advocated testing if drilling and fracking
do occur. Now that drilling and fracking have occurred and EPA has
done tests at the Skyview Elementary School, let me propose a current
position for MVCAC.
1. MVCAC approves of the testing thus far and recognizes that the air was not impacted at the Skyview Elementary School on the three dates tested.
2. We recognize that this school is within about 6,000 feet of the well pad. We wonder why testing and protective measures against air pollution have not been performed at any of the thirty or so businesses that are within 200 feet to 3,000 feet from well pad. Has monitoring been offerred to any of these locations? We think not.
3. We recognize that the air pollution from Marcellus drilling and fracking operations occurs in rather rapid episodes, and any human exposures at the well site, at the adjacent businesses, at the schools and at the residences in the Monongahela valley will be nearly impossible to measure without continuous monitors that are located at these listed sites.
4. Continuous methane monitoring is recommended near the well pad because methane is easy to detect, because it will be present in higher concentrations than the other pollutants, and because it serves as an indicator that many other hazardous or toxic substances are present.
5. Given that fracking was not completed on one of the wells at the Morgantown Industrial Park and given that much more work will be involved there before these two Marcellus wells are actually connected to gathering and transmission pipelines, it is highly recommended that continuous methane monitoring be instituted as soon as possible, with daily (or continuous) reporting of the data to the public, for the protection of all the residents and workers in the vicinity of the wells as well as in the greater Mon valley.
YOUR COMMENTS ARE SOLICITED ON THE ABOUT POINTS, TO BE PRESENTED TO THE MORGANTOWN CITY COUNCIL TOMORROW, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011. WE CAN ALSO SUBMIT OUR STATEMENT, ONCE FINALIZED TO THE WV-DEP AND TO THE U.S. EPA, THE AGENCY THAT DID THE THREE TESTS (AT THE REQUEST OF THE WV-DEP).
Duane Nichols, _duane330@aol.com_ (mailto:duane330@aol.com) , 304-216-5535
With little editing, that statement makes a damn good LTE, Jim. d
-----Original Message----- From: James Kotcon jkotcon@wvu.edu To: Duane330 Duane330@aol.com; mvcac mvcac@cheat.org Sent: Mon, Oct 24, 2011 4:42 pm Subject: Re: [MVCAC] <urgent> Air pollution monitoring at two MIP Marcellus wells
I support the positions proposed. It is clear that episodic monitoring for a few days at a time is unlikely to identify emissions from "upsets" or fracking events and other activities that occur commonly during well completion. Thus, while the EPA monitoring is a step in the right direction, it is neither sufficient nor conclusive enough to allay community concerns. Question as simple as "What was happening at the site during the monitoring?" and "Which way was the wind blowing that day?" have not been answered, so anyone with concerns about air pollution is likely to remain concerned.
Continuous emissions monitoring is needed at the site, and ambient monitors at an upwind and a downwind location are needed to verify that off-site concentrations do not cause health or environmental impacts. Appropriate technology is available to significantly reduce emissions, and regulations in some states require these. But until the WV Legislature passes a Marcellus bill with stringent air pollution requirements, WV-DEP adopts rules to implement that legislation, and the needed inspectors and enforcement programs are in place to assure compliance, Morgantown's air remains at risk, and no one is watching.
Jim Kotcon
Duane330@aol.com 10/24/2011 3:47 PM >>>
To: Participants and Friends of Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition.
MVCAC is an advocate for prohibiting drilling and fracking in the
Mon Valley. We have also advocated testing if drilling and fracking
do occur. Now that drilling and fracking have occurred and EPA has
done tests at the Skyview Elementary School, let me propose a current
position for MVCAC.
1. MVCAC approves of the testing thus far and recognizes that the air was not impacted at the Skyview Elementary School on the three dates tested.
2. We recognize that this school is within about 6,000 feet of the well pad. We wonder why testing and protective measures against air pollution have not been performed at any of the thirty or so businesses that are within 200 feet to 3,000 feet from well pad. Has monitoring been offerred to any of these locations? We think not.
3. We recognize that the air pollution from Marcellus drilling and fracking operations occurs in rather rapid episodes, and any human exposures at the well site, at the adjacent businesses, at the schools and at the residences in the Monongahela valley will be nearly impossible to measure without continuous monitors that are located at these listed sites.
4. Continuous methane monitoring is recommended near the well pad because methane is easy to detect, because it will be present in higher concentrations than the other pollutants, and because it serves as an indicator that many other hazardous or toxic substances are present.
5. Given that fracking was not completed on one of the wells at the Morgantown Industrial Park and given that much more work will be involved there before these two Marcellus wells are actually connected to gathering and transmission pipelines, it is highly recommended that continuous methane monitoring be instituted as soon as possible, with daily (or continuous) reporting of the data to the public, for the protection of all the residents and workers in the vicinity of the wells as well as in the greater Mon valley.
YOUR COMMENTS ARE SOLICITED ON THE ABOUT POINTS, TO BE PRESENTED TO THE MORGANTOWN CITY COUNCIL TOMORROW, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011. WE CAN ALSO SUBMIT OUR STATEMENT, ONCE FINALIZED TO THE WV-DEP AND TO THE U.S. EPA, THE AGENCY THAT DID THE THREE TESTS (AT THE REQUEST OF THE WV-DEP).
Duane Nichols, _duane330@aol.com_ (mailto:duane330@aol.com) , 304-216-5535
_______________________________________________ MVCAC mailing list MVCAC@cheat.org http://cheat.org/mailman/listinfo/mvcac
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James Kotcon