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State Journal
WVU Project Would Recycle Frack Water
State Journal
Researchers are trying to figure out how to lessen the environmental impact of Marcellus Shale drilling by reusing water. By Pam Kasey Those, in an awkward ...
A Frack Job ExplainedState Journal

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Groups Brainstorm Oil and Gas Rules for W.Va.
WVNS
West Virginia's Department of Environmental Protection is trying to come up with rules covering horizontal drilling in the Marcellus Shale. ...

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CBC.ca
New rules urged for NB hydro-fracking mining
CBC.ca
Bradley Walters, a Mount Allison University professor, says the New Brunswick government should prohibit further hydro-fracking ...

Marcellus boom makes W.Va. man multimillionaire
KSWO
(AP) - The rush to tap the Marcellus shale natural gas field has made one West Virginia landowner a millionaire - 22 times over. Ed Broome, who owns an oil ...

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Ridiculous claim
Tribune Review
He writes: "The Marcellus shale, a gift of nature, belongs to all of us, not a very few." That claim defies credulity. Is Rosenberger prepared to make the ...

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Philadelphia Citypaper (blog)
Rendell says agreement unlikely on Marcellus Shale tax
Philadelphia Inquirer
His tax proposal mirrors one imposed on drillers by West Virginia, another Marcellus Shale state. Crompton, the aide to Scarnati, said GOP lawmakers believe ...
Marcellus Shale production data exceeds expectationsScranton Times-Tribune
Marcellus Shale severance tax coudl fund public educationPatriot-News
Rural Pennsylvania town fights big gasReuters
istockAnalyst.com (press release) -NorthcentralPa.com -BusinessWeek
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Fed sees modest economic improvement in region
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
The prospect of natural gas reserves -- and lucrative contracts -- in the Marcellus Shale region garnered a shout-out in the report. ...

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Rendell pays visit, pitches for drilling tax
The Times Herald
He said the discovery and extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus shale foundation — whose largest portion is beneath Pennsylvania — is a vital, ...
Pa. Gov. Calls On More Funding For ProgramWFMZ Allentown

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Mackesey will help stop pollution
Ithaca Journal
... be vacated by incumbent George Winner, urges extreme caution when it comes to allowing slickwater horizontal hydrofracking to be legalized in New York. ...

Cecil Twp Ordinance Addresses Drilling Complaints
KDKA
Washington County has more Marcellus Shale wells than anywhere in the state. The county has 304 wells drilled followed by Greene County with 209. ...

WBNG-TV
Voicing Fracking Concerns
WBNG-TV
An anti-hydrofracking rally in Delhi brought out big crowds. It was held in Courthouse Square, across the street from the County Building. ...

Hinchey announces run for 10th term
Press & Sun-Bulletin
Marcellus Shale. Any drilling for natural gas or oil, especially in New York's Marcellus Shale, must be done in a safe and proper way, Hinchey said. ...

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Clean Water Institute to co-host program on Marcellus Shale gas issues
NorthcentralPa.com
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Executive Director John Arway will lead a discussion on the Marcellus Shale development during an event hosted by ...

As Hinchey launches campaign, Phillips makes a challenge
Press & Sun-Bulletin
Marcellus Shale. Any drilling for natural gas or oil, especially in New York's Marcellus Shale, must be done in a safe and proper way, Hinchey said. ...

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Main Line
Rural Pennsylvania town fights big gas
Reuters
... piece of the Marcellus Shale, a massive natural gas deposit believed to contain enough of the fuel to satisfy total US natural gas demand for 20 years. ...
Rendell: No drilling moratoriumPhiladelphia Inquirer
PA Senate GOP Writes Marcellus Shale Tax BillThe Fulton County News
Pa. gov wants gas industry to help shale townsBusinessWeek
Pittsburgh Post Gazette -Pocono Record -Steel Business Briefing (subscription)
all 113 news articles »

Main Line
PA Senate GOP Writes Marcellus Shale Tax Bill
The Fulton County News
... proposals for a new tax on the extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation and limitations on municipal zoning that affects drilling. ...
Rendell: No drilling moratoriumPhiladelphia Inquirer
Pa. gov wants gas industry to help shale townsBusinessWeek
Tax shale gas and greedy CEOsPittsburgh Post Gazette
Reuters -The Daily Collegian Online -Huffington Post (blog)
all 90 news articles »

Phillips spars with Hinchey as both candidates launch campaigns
Press & Sun-Bulletin
Marcellus Shale. Any drilling for natural gas or oil, especially in New York's Marcellus Shale, must be done in a safe and proper way, Hinchey said. ...

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Beige Bk - Cleveland - Economy Showed Slight Improvement
IMarketnews.com
A big push is on to lease large tracts of farmland in eastern Ohio counties for the Marcellus Shale play. Farmers are being offered well-above average ...

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Recent national news segment on hydraulic fracturing swings and misses on technology’s 60-year old record of safety, effectiveness, transparency

The rich history of natural gas production in America, made possible today thanks to the safe and responsible use of hydraulic fracturing, isn’t a story that lends itself all that well to a three-minute sound-bite segment on the evening news. But CBS’s Armen Keteyian, previously a sideline reporter for CBS’s Sunday coverage of the NFL, decided to give it a shot over the weekend.

Of course, time-constraints notwithstanding, there are plenty of good stories out there about the jobs, revenue and opportunities being created by the phenomenon of shale in general, and the smart use of fracturing technology in particular. Here’s a good one – and one that’s quickly told as well. Unfortunately, though, hopeful stories about jobs saved and livelihoods made better thanks to the development of clean-burning, domestic natural gas isn’t sufficiently newsworthy for CBS. So Keteyian decided to take the piece in a decidedly different direction – facts, context and basic research be damned.

Committed to ensuring that the facts are fairly presented regarding fracture stimulation technology, and its long and clear record of environmental safety, Energy In Depth prepared the following fact check on the claims (mostly old, almost all previously debunked) perpetuated throughout this segment.

CBS Claims … … Unsupported By The Facts CBS News: “[Stephanie Hallowich] watched her once pristine neighborhood become an industrial site. … ‘You can’t live like this, it’s so stressful every single day.’ Today she believes three natural gas drilling operations bordering her property turned her well water black.” FACT: In a August 12, 2009 letter, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) wrote this about Ms. Hollowich’s claims:
“After a review of the information, including primarily water analysis, we cannot affirm your conclusions.”

The “gas well in question was drilled in July 2007. The Hallowich water well was installed in October, 2007.”

DEP also underscore the fact that “Mrs. Hallowich alleges that the drilling of the gas well polluted the aquifer. As the following will demonstrate, we are lacking any direct evidence to prove this assertion.” CBS News: “What’s driving the drilling rush here
and across the country are advances in hydraulic-fracturing, or hydro-fracing.  A process whereby millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals are blasted deep underground forcing cracks in the shale, freeing natural gas for collection.” FACT: It’s true: Hydraulic fracturing is a technology used to safely stimulate energy production in unconventional natural gas plays across the nation, including the Marcellus.

But what CBS failed to note is this technology is tightly regulated, has been safely used since 1949 and deployed over 1.1 million times in America.

Fracturing fluids are made up of more than 99.5 percent water and sand, with a small percentage of additives used to prevent corrosion, kill bacteria and to reduce down-hole friction. DEP also lists these fluids on its website, which are required by federal law to be available at every well site nationwide. CBS News: “It is at the surface where problems have been reported, like blowouts, and spills into groundwater, and as shown in the HBO documentary in GasLand, ignition at the kitchen sink.” FACT: While featuring a clip from the ‘documentary’ GasLand of a Colorado man lighting his tap on fire may make for ‘good TV,’ CBS viewers and others interested in the facts should know that the example cited was not proven to have a relationship with natural gas development or hydraulic fracturing.

In fact, the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), whose mission is “to promote the responsible development of Colorado’s oil and gas natural resources,” determined  that “Dissolved methane in well water appears to be biogenic [naturally occurring] in origin. … There are no indications of oil & gas related impacts to water well.” CBS News: “John Hanger is head of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection. Since 2008 he’s doubled the number of state regulators and inspectors to oversee the gas industry.” FACT: This statement is accurate, but the lack of context provided is noteworthy.

Because of an increase in permitting fees — a move supported by the natural gas industry to ensure that taxpayers would not bear any financial burden — Sec. Hanger was able to double his regulatory and inspection staff. CBS News: “Yet nationwide, the industry is not required to disclose what potentially toxic chemicals like hydrochloric acid are used in the fracing process. A 2005 bill proposed by the Bush Administration stripped the EPA’s ability to regulate fracing, leaving it in the hands of individual states.” FACT: As mentioned, the U.S. Labor Dept., through Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), requires that all additives used at every well site nationwide – both above and below ground – be available in the form of Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

Again, PA DEP lists the entire universe of these fluids online for anyone to view.

As for the popular talking point that President Bush unilaterally stripped the EPA of its ability (that it never had) to regulate fracturing through the bipartisan 2005 energy bill:

Hydraulic fracturing has never been regulated by EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) — not in the 60-year history of the technology, the 36-year history of the law, or the 40-year history of EPA.

The bipartisan 2005 bill simply clarified Congress’ intent of SDWA’s scope.

In fact, in a 1995 letter as President Clinton’s EPA chief, Carol Browner — who currently serves as President Obama’s energy czar — wrote this:

• “EPA does not regulate – and does not believe it is legally required to regulate – the hydraulic fracturing of methane gas production wells… There is no evidence that the hydraulic fracturing at issue has resulted in any contamination or endangerment of underground sources of drinking water.”

CBS News: [John Hanger]: “I think industry is way
out of bounds for not disclosing the list of chemicals. I think industry is close to insane to have allowed that issue to become a source of suspicion.” FACT: “[Alan] Eichler [PA DEP environmental program manager] dispelled myths that the DEP does not know what additives a company uses in the hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking’ process. The companies must submit a list of chemicals and their effects to the DEP, he said, adding that a list can be found on the department’s website, www.depweb.state.pa.us; click on ‘Oil and Gas,’ then click on ‘Marcellus Shale’ for that and other information.” (Daily Courier, 9/2/10)

BONUS FACT CHECK

CBS Cites NYT Editorial In Its On-line Dispatch… … Which EID Has Straightforwardly Debunked “A provision of a law proposed by the Bush administration and passed by Congress in 2005 (dubbed by opponents the “Halliburton loophole“) stripped the EPA of its ability to regulate
“fracking” – leaving the job of regulatory enforcement in the hands of cash-strapped, undermanned state agencies.” (CBS News, 9/4/10) EID’s Lee Fuller: “Regulation of fracturing, a natural gas drilling process in use since the 1940s, has always been left to the states, not the Environmental Protection Agency. The Times endorses legislation that it says will “restore” E.P.A. authority over the process. But how can you restore something to the E.P.A. that it never had in the first place?” (New York Times, 11/11/09)

Lakeside Steel says cheaper to ship from US than Ontario
Hamilton Spectator
It will actually be cheaper or less expensive for me to ship to the Marcellus shale and Alberta from Alabama than it is from Ontario. ...
Lakeside Steel says new Alabama plant will meet need for pipe in US NortheastWestern Star

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