Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
According to a recent news report, the head toxicologist for the Texas Commisssion on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is "shocked" at the high levels of benzene being detected in the Barnett Shale area. What may be even more shocking in this report: not...
Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
Previously I reported that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which insures home mortgages, has stated that "Operating and abandoned oil and gas wells pose potential hazards to housing" and won't insure mortgages for homes that are closer than 300 feet from an active or planned...
Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
A new report from a New York company details 270 oil and gas spills in New York State over the past 30 years. According to the company, Toxics Targeting, these uncontrolled releases caused fires, explosions, massive pollution releases, contaminated drinking water...
Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
In our report Drilling Down, we mentioned that naturally occurring radioactive materials are among the hazardous substances released into the environment as a result of oil and gas operations. Argonne National Laboratory has a website with extensive information on the...
Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
I have previously posted about multiple water contamination incidents in Pennsylvania attributed to natural gas operations. Recent news reports describe two additional cases of groundwater contamination in Pennsylvania suspected to be caused by natural gas operations. In Washington County, a recent...
Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
Today, National Public Radio's Morning Edition aired a story on the health impacts to Texans living near natural gas operations in the Barnett shale region. This powerful story focused on the impacts of compressor stations, including air contamination and low frequency noise. Compressor stations...
Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
It's been reported that the Texas Council on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is, for the first time, testing the air quality in the Barnett Shale region. Initial results include high levels of benzene. This is the fourth air study in the Barnett shale area this year that...
Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
I recently attended a workshop in western Colorado dedicated to Best Management Practices (BMPs) for oil and gas production. BMPs are the best approaches that are available and achievable--the most effective and practicable means of preventing or reducing undesirable results....
Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
In general I keep my blogging to incidents that best epitomize the environmental threats posed by oil and gas production and the lack of sufficient regulations to protect human health, clean air and drinking water. After all, I only have so much time...
Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is home to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). FHA insures home mortgages to help Americans buy homes. When considering whether a property is eligible for an FHA-insured loan, HUD requires that...
Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
I've written previously about two Texas studies issued this year that found harmful air contamination related to oil and gas operations. One study found that natural gas drilling in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolian area is generating considerable emissions of air toxic compounds...
Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
DISH, Texas* is a small town of less than 200 residents in north Texas. Drilling for natural gas in the Barnett Shale area is taking place all around DISH. Although DISH is less than two square miles and primarily a...
Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
There were three significant spills of hydraulic fracturing fluid at the same natural gas well pad in Dimock over the past week. These spills, totaling over 8,000 gallons, polluted wetlands and a creek, killing fish. They violated four state laws....
Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
For all the drama queens out there, thanks to John Hart Studios, at www.johnhartstudios.com ...
Posted by Amy Mall in Health and the Environment
The Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, known as the FRAC Act, is an important piece of legislation that would repeal the exemption in the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) for an oil and gas technique called hydraulic fracturing. I wrote about...
