Evaluating claims of groundwater contamination from hydraulic fracturing (click here)
(AKA "How to avoid liability regardless of it's truth.")
07/01/2013
...Stray gases
The natural presence of stray gases in drinking-water wells and in rivers and streams in some areas of the US is not a recent phenomenon, as anecdotes from long-time residents have confirmed. In addition to such references, historical US Geological Survey studies documented the presence of methane in Pennsylvania aquifers before development of the Marcellus shale.More recently, researchers have conducted large-scale studies to characterize the presence and concentrations of stray gases in drinking-water wells. A study of 1,700 water wells in Susquehanna County found dissolved methane to be ubiquitous in lowland valley groundwater wells, with detectable methane concentrations in more than 78% of these wells. This finding underscores the importance of determining the presence of stray gases in the area of interest before drawing conclusions about the origin of gases in a drinking-water well....
Have wells and water supplies tested for any and all characteristics BEFORE the lousy companies start their drilling. Have it documented. It is not cheap and the federal EPA doesn't get involved until after the fact. If at all possible have the water pre-tested. Quite frankly, it should be a requirement placed on the drilling companies before they start. Landowners should not have the burden of paying for pre-drilling testing.
This table is so very precious. Basically, the landowner conducted all the pollution with household substances. Aren't they amazing? Any excuse will do. No integrity. NO honesty. Why do I hold the opinion of this industry that I do? One guess. Let's put it this way, the industry has no scruples.And not only do landowners pollute their own water, they underhandedly manipulate the water so that the turbidity looks like pollution. These landowners are criminal in their treatment of these wonderfully magnificent companies
There is a saying that strongly applies here, "It takes one to know one." Any 'outlier' means that the results are UNUSUAL. That simply indicates the testing has to be conducted again to find out if the same result occurs.
Even the US EPA are a bunch of criminals, did you know that?
Lab analysis
For metals, both filtered and unfiltered water samples are typically analyzed. EPA adopted this approach to analyzing water samples collected from residential wells in Dimock, Pa. An analytical list generally includes volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs), total and dissolved metals, ethylene glycol, acidity, alkalinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), chloride, pH, diesel and gasoline-range organics (DRO and GRO), MBAS, and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). Coliform bacteria analysis may be important to determine it the sampled water well is affected by a nearby septic tank, runoff, or any other bacterial source.The above are all STANDARD testing for water. The standards used by the US EPA are established law. They cannot be manipulated.
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) (click here)
SDWA was originally passed by Congress in 1974 to protect public health by regulating the nation's public drinking water supply. The law was amended in 1986 and 1996 and requires many actions to protect drinking water and its sources: rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and ground water wells. (SDWA does not regulate private wells which serve fewer than 25 individuals.) For more information see:
The only concern with some property owners is the aspect of the law in which private well are not regulated. HOWEVER. The standards within the SDWA apply to private wells, too. Drinking water is drinking water. People are people. The reason the regulations is limited to wells serving over 25 individuals is cost to the state and federal government. But, the standards apply to all US drinking water. The water should always be tested by an independent and/or state authority before drilling begins. Duplicity is always a good idea and the company should never conduct the testing ever due to possible lawsuits and conflict of interest. But, the company should bear the cost.
It is also important to coordinate with the laboratory to make sure the analytical results are reliable. For example, the draft report of EPA sampling conducted in Pavilion, Wyo., highlighted that glycols were detected in domestic wells using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GCFID; EPA Standard Method 8015).
8015 is a standard method practiced by private testing labs. This isn't a test that ONLY the EPA uses to manipulate outcomes. These tests are scrutinized in private industry as well.
At least 67 analytes (click here) can be tested by ALS - Columbia using EPA Method 8015B. Please contact us for all available analytes which can be tested by EPA Method 8015B.
Glycol analysis, however, using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectroscopy (LC/MS/MS) failed to replicate these glycol detections. These contradictory analytical results could lead to misinterpretation of the groundwater data.
Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectroscopy (LC/MS/MS) is used primarily in the pharmaceutical industry. Any industry, not just the petroleum industry, can't simply go about doing their own thing. The tests regarding public safety are tested and approved by authorities. Basic human interaction with their environment isn't going to change unless the environment changes. This is fairly rock solid stuff the EPA trusts to establish PRINCIPLED practices to protect citizens.
Metabolomics
December 2006, Volume 2, Issue 4, pp 197-219
...We demonstrate the applicability (click here) of LC combined with UV diode array or/and mass spectrometric detectors for the unambiguous identification and quantification of flavonoid conjugates isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana leaves of different genotypes and grown in different environmental conditions....
Hydraulic fracturing has come into it's current state of application in the past 12 to 15 years. Previous to that it was remotely practiced. But, methane is methane. That has been standard since the beginning of time. That goes for any other chemicals found in industrial practices. They are fairly well established. They are compounds or mixtures of elements from the periodic table. Finding them in water isn't rocket science at all.
