Mendoza: EPA's reversal in Range Resource case a reasonable setback to frack attacks

Star-Telegram
By Mary Mendoza
April 2, 2012

Ending a nearly 18-month saga, the EPA announced Friday that it had withdrawn an order against Range Resources over alleged groundwater contamination in the Barnett Shale.

This brings to a close a local battle reflecting a national controversy being debated in the media over the nature and magnitude of environmental risks associated with the unconventional production of shale gas and oil by hydraulic fracturing.

The battle began in December of 2010, when the Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency order to Range requiring it to provide alternate potable water supplies to certain residences, conduct an elaborate sampling program in the area, provide methane monitors to area homeowners and develop plans to remediate a contaminated aquifer. In its news release, the EPA trumpeted its order to Range as protection for homeowners against an imminent and substantial threat caused by Range's operations, even though the order was based upon a sampling of only two wells in the area.

The EPA-Range Resources battle was fought on a number of battlefields. Range took its case to the Texas Railroad Commission, which unanimously concluded that Range was not responsible by pointing to the shallow Strawn Formation as the likely source of the gas in the two wells.

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EPA WATER TEST RESULTS PROVE FRACKING CONTAMINATION IN DIMOCK

March 20, 2012 | by Zack Malitz
In Press, Water For Dimock

Contact:

Josh Fox, Gasland (Sommer Hixson): 646.259.4138

Ana Tinsly, Water Defense: 646.331.4767

EPA Water Test Results Prove Fracking Contamination in Dimock

Gasland Director, Water Defense call results “a vindication” of residents’ complaints, Call on EPA to Compel PA to Action and Provide Replacement Water

Gasland Director Josh Fox and Water Defense today said that the Environmental Protection Agency’s preliminary water test results for Dimock, PA vindicated long-standing allegations from residents that their water was contaminated from nearby gas drilling. Despite initial pronouncements from EPA Region 3 that the water poses no immediate health threat, the test results reveal the water is anything but safe, with explosive levels of methane, heavy metals, and hazardous chemicals associated with gas drilling. Gasland and Water Defense commended the EPA for undertaking the tests, and called on EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to compel the state of Pennsylvania to provide long-term water relief for the affected residents.

“The science in this case triumphs over the spin. After a media rollercoaster ride the EPA test show conclusively that Dimock families’ water wells are contaminated with high and explosive levels of methane. The families are vindicated and their calls for a permanent water line should be heeded by US EPA,” said Josh Fox, Director of Gasland. “I’ve been working with these families for three years now. Their resilience is remarkable and I am still moved and impressed by their endurance and dignity.”

"The building that houses my water well has a built in bomb shelter," said resident Sheila Ely, commenting on the explosive levels of methane in her well water that could blow up her house if her water well was reconnected.

“For three years, the families of Carter Road have had to endure not only dangerous, explosive conditions, but slander and attacks from a powerful industry dedicated to silencing its critics and concealing the truth about its practices,” Claire Sandberg, Executive Director of Water Defense. “Administrator Jackson affirmed her commitment to protecting public health when she announced the EPA would undertake this water testing. Now that the facts are in, it is incumbent on her to take action and compel the state of Pennsylvania to provide long-term replacement water for the affected families.”

Finding answers for Pavillion residents - EPA responds to media scrutiny

JIM MARTIN
Trib.com
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Jim Martin of Denver is the Environmental Protection Agency’s regional administrator

Several recent news and opinion pieces in this newspaper have mischaracterized the Environmental Protection Agency’s work in Pavillion. I’d like to take this opportunity to clarify some key facts about our science.

First, the editorial page of this paper wrote that EPA has “poisoned the public debate by releasing its report” and a recent opinion piece claimed that the report release was “rushed.” These assertions do a disservice to the rigorous scientific process EPA conducted and the vital interest in informing the public and scientific community of the results of EPA’s work.

Our investigation of drinking water safety in Pavillion has been under way for three years. We have conducted four rounds of sampling. After the sampling phase, our career scientists conducted a meticulous evaluation of the data. Their conclusions were thoroughly reviewed by EPA career managers and subjected to an initial peer review by independent experts. The draft report exhaustively describes the evidence supporting EPA’s conclusions and how that evidence was evaluated.

Importantly, we have been clear that the report is a draft, that we expect and want public feedback, and that we are asking independent experts to publicly peer review our work, which is the accepted method of resolving questions about scientific validity.

We could not conduct an open peer review, with full participation by the public, if our draft report could not see the light of day. Nor would burying the report be fair to the citizens of Wyoming , who deserve to know what EPA has concluded about the safety of their drinking water.

We likewise reject the assertion that we have ignored questions about the study raised by the state of Wyoming . In fact, we fully shared our study protocols with the state before beginning each phase of work. Then, we took the unusual step of delaying the release of the draft report by a month to allow a full technical review by the state and other parties. We held two full-day meetings with the state’s experts to answer... Continue reading...