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Tag Archives: water contamination
New scientific study shows fracking is strongly related to infant mortality
A new scientific study published this week in the Journal of Environmental Protection shows, for the first time, a clear correlation between fracking and the death of newborn infants.
The study showed that infant deaths decreased by 2.4% across the state during the period of the fracking boom from 2007-2010. However, in the 82,558 births in the 10 most-fracked counties, there was a significant increase in mortality (238 vs. 193, a 23.3% increase). These results are statistically significant at a 95% level of confidence.
According to the authors, that means 50 babies died over three years because they happened to be born near a fracked well. Stunning.
What’s more, the greatest increases in death occurred in counties with the highest dependence on private water wells, and in the counties with the greatest number of operator violations of wastewater disposal regulations.
This is a very important study for rural Montanans in areas where fracking is likely. They depend on private wells for precious water, they live in a state that is lax in protecting landowners, and the company most likely to come in and drill is a serial polluter with a track record of violations in the very counties in Pennsylvania that were studied.
To read more, click the link. Continue reading
Two Pennsylvania families win $4.2 million water contamination judgment against Cabot Oil and Gas
In a huge victory for landowners over the oil and gas industry, two families in Dimock, Pennsylvania were awarded $4.2 million in a lawsuit over water contamination from shale gas drilling. Dimock is the town made famous for its flammable water in the film Gasland.
Houston-based Cabot Oil and Gas Corporation, the defendant in the suit, had denied that it was responsible for the contamination. They had settled a similar lawsuit in 2012 with 40 other residents on the same road, but, as is usually the case in this kind of lawsuit, the settlement had included a “non-disparagement” clause that prevents plaintiffs from speaking publicly about the case.
Click to read more about this huge landowner victory. Continue reading
New EPA report links fracking to water contamination. That’s great, but local regulation is still required
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday released a new draft report on the potential impact of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas on drinking water. The study concludes that there are “potential vulnerabilities in the water lifecycle that could impact … Continue reading
New study: drilling causes water contamination in Pennsylvania wells
An analysis of drinking water sampled from three homes in Bradford County, Pennsylvania revealed traces of a compound commonly found in Marcellus Shale drilling fluids, according to a study published on Monday. “This is the first documented and published demonstration … Continue reading
Why we can’t prove what we know is true about fracking and water contamination
Why can’t we pin down the relationship between fracking and water quality? The answer lies in government bureaucracy, industry stonewalling, the unwillingness of our elected representatives to protect us, and the rapid growth of the fracking industry. The bottom line … Continue reading
Why a car’s engine has more integrity than a shale well
One of the reasons water contamination caused by oil and gas drilling is poorly understood is that well design and construction is extremely complex. Oil and gas well engineering is intricate, and the function is different from the machinery most of us … Continue reading
Free screening of documentary film “Triple Divide” in Red Lodge this Friday, September 19
Followers of this blog will be pleased to know about a special free screening of the documentary film Triple Divide at the Cafe Regis in Red Lodge this Friday, September 19 at 6:00pm. The film’s creators, Joshua B. Pribanic and … Continue reading
Comments on ECA presentation at Carbon County Commission, 9/8/14: Part 2
This post is part of a series analyzing the ECA presentation at the Carbon County Commission this week. As I see it, the interaction between a company that is planning major industrial operations and the community in which they plan … Continue reading
Preserve the Beartooth Front 