For more information on the spreading peril posed by gas fracking, go here.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Coming Soon to a Water Tap Near You?
I've been reading about this for some time now, natural gas contaminating groundwater supplies. It seems to be a common problem for people who rely on wellwater after gas companies fracture nearby shale formations to release natural gas. Not only does explosive gas start coming from the tap but also a brew of toxic chemicals used in conjunction with the fracturing process. William Marsden chronicles this problem spreading through southern Alberta in his book Stupid to the Last Drop. It's a widespread problem in the U.S. also now documented in the movie, Gasland.
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3 comments:
This should turn into an interesting battle. Here in NB we have only just recently been told of the massive gas deposits in the Sussex area. It is also rumored there is another large amount in the northern areas close to the Quebec border.
What they haven't told anyone yet is the downside. Much is already positioned to make a run at this as the pipeline and LNG plant in St. John are already in place. LNG and Irving Oil are partnered up on that deal.
The worst of it is that property owners here only have surface rights and the Provincial gov. can do as they please.
Something else was afoot here recently too, as the local liberal mafia and the Quebec liberal mafia tried to team up and make a deal for our Power utility. As part of that deal they were going to close out coal burning stations, and many were speculating on who would end up owning those. They can be converted to burn natural gas apparently.
As closure of at least 2 of the Coal burning stations is going ahead, and the last commercial coal mining area was shut down due to C0 2 concerns, once has to wonder how poisoning the ground water is better?
In the middle of all this, there are concerns that Quebec, NB and the Federal government were being unco-operative in regards to Danny Williams plans to develop the massive hydro electicity potential of Lower Churchill falls.
I'm afraid Watson, that our gubbermints aren't so concerned with the welfare of the citizens, clean energy or sustainable developments. The focus appears more on lining the right pockets.
Are the NB gas fields the shale variety? It's the rock fracturing that seems to be the real problem.
As we near Peak Oil and also draw down our natural gas reserves, we resort to more extreme extraction methods to unlock barrel-bottom resources like tar sands and shale gas. Unfortunately, we race headlong into these resources without considering the environmental consquences of extreme extraction - voila, Deepwater Horizon, voila, Athabasca.
Yes they are the shale variety. Reports say they have known about the reserves for over 20 years but are only viable now with new processes that have recently become available.
This is the type of story originally offered,
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/05/11/nb-corridor-gas-sussex-214.html
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