[imc-rochester] New Video: Cumulative Environmental Effects of Gas Drilling, Laporte, Pa 1-14-11

Cris McConkey cmcc at lightlink.com
Mon Jan 31 05:29:20 PST 2011


Click here 
<http://shaleshockmedia.org/pages/Cumulative-Effects-of-Gas-Drilling.html> 
for web page view of this announcement.


    The Cumulative
    Environmental Effects
    of Gas Drilling

*VIDEO ON DEMAND
Video & Audio Downloads
shaleshockmedia.org <http://shaleshockmedia.org/>***
	Shaleshockmedia logo <http://shaleshockmedia.org/>


	A Forum on the *Cumulative Effects of Gas Drilling*, recorded January 
14, 2011, Laporte High School Auditorium, Laporte, PA.

/Sponsored by Protect Eagles Mere Association and Responsible Drilling 
Alliance, this was a much anticipated event as *Engelder* and 
*Ingraffea* had previously been academic collaborators but now stand on 
opposite sides of the fracking controversy./

This program will be cablecast on Ithaca and Binghamton public access 
television, schedule T.B.A.. Click here 
<http://shaleshockmedia.org/public-access-media-request-form/> if you'd 
like a cablecast in your area.

/**/
*You can schedule downloads of ShaleShockMedia (separate video and audio 
podcasts) with Miro.  See website for details.* 	
Camera: Cris McConkey; Bill Huston; Ralph Kisberg.  Editor: Cris McConkey. 	
Barb Jarmoska 
<http://shaleshockmedia.org/2011/01/30/1-intro-cumulative-environmental-effects-of-gas-drilling/> 
	*Part 1: Introduction.*  Barb Jarmoska, Responsible Drilling Alliance.  
John Trallo, moderator.

streaming video 
<http://shaleshockmedia.org/2011/01/30/1-intro-cumulative-environmental-effects-of-gas-drilling/>(SD) 
	5 min : 24 sec
download video 
<http://blip.tv/file/get/Shaleshock-1introCumulativeEnvironmentalEffectsOfGasDrilling897.m4v>(38.2 
MB) 	download audio 
<http://blip.tv/file/get/Shaleshock-1introCumulativeEnvironmentalEffectsOfGasDrilling388.mp3>(2.6 
MB)

Terry Engelder 
<http://shaleshockmedia.org/2011/01/30/2-engelder-cumulative-environmental-effects-of-gas-drilling/> 
	*Part 2: Dr. Terry Engelder, *Professor of Geosciences and Fracture 
Mechanics at Penn State University. /"There is only one way to do it, 
and that's the right way."

/
streaming video 
<http://shaleshockmedia.org/2011/01/30/2-engelder-cumulative-environmental-effects-of-gas-drilling/>(SD) 
	62 min : 34 sec
download video 
<http://blip.tv/file/get/Shaleshock-2EngelderCumulativeEnvironmentalEffectsOfGasDrilling902.m4v>(307 
MB) 	download audio 
<http://blip.tv/file/get/Shaleshock-2EngelderCumulativeEnvironmentalEffectsOfGasDrilling295.mp3>(37.7 
MB)

//
Tony Ingraffea 
<http://shaleshockmedia.org/2011/01/30/3-tony-ingraffea-sautnersjosh-fox-cumulative-environmental-effects-of-gas-drilling/> 
	*Part 3: Dr. Anthony Ingraffea,* Professor of Civil and Environmental 
Engineering at Cornell University./"A corporate business plan is not a 
national energy strategy."/  Followed by *Craig & Julie Sautner* of 
Dimock, Pa., and *Josh Fox.
*
streaming video 
<http://shaleshockmedia.org/2011/01/30/3-tony-ingraffea-sautnersjosh-fox-cumulative-environmental-effects-of-gas-drilling/>(SD) 
	52 min : 19 sec
download video 
<http://blip.tv/file/get/Shaleshock-3TonyIngraffeaSautnersJoshFoxCumulativeEnvironmentalEffect977.m4v>(307 
MB) 	download audio 
<http://blip.tv/file/get/Shaleshock-3TonyIngraffeaSautnersJoshFoxCumulativeEnvironmentalEffect407.mp3>(30.1 
MB)

Q&A 
<http://shaleshockmedia.org/2010/12/18/just-say-no-using-local-land-use-control-to-prohibit-industrialization-helen-slottje/> 
	
*Part 4: Q&A

*
streaming video 
<http://shaleshockmedia.org/2011/01/30/4-qa-cumulative-environmental-effects-of-gas-drilling/>(SD) 
	54 min : 32 sec
download video 
<http://blip.tv/file/get/Shaleshock-4QnACumulativeEnvironmentalEffectsOfGasDrilling418.m4v>(299 
MB) 	download audio 
<http://blip.tv/file/get/Shaleshock-4QnACumulativeEnvironmentalEffectsOfGasDrilling410.mp3> 
(29.9 MB)

*

*/** /

	

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    Ingraffea-Engelder event summary
    ***by Emily Rizzo***

The Cumulative Environmental Effects of Gas Drilling
Prof. Terry Engelder of Penn State and Prof. Anthony Ingraffea of 
Cornell - Jan. 14th, 2011 at Laporte High School, John Trallo, moderator.

Sponsored by Protect Eagles Mere Association and Responsible Drilling 
Alliance, this was a much anticipated event as Engelder and Ingraffea 
had previously been academic collaborators but now stand on opposite 
sides of the fracking controversy.

First Barb Jarmoska of Responsible Drilling Alliance asked people to 
please sign their on-line petition at sosinpa.org <http://sosinpa.org/> 
requesting Corbett and Pa. legislators to issue a moratorium on any 
further leasing of State Forest land for gas drilling.

Engelder opened with a diagram of the Natural Gas Circle from landowner 
to end user then referred to himself as the Representative of 
Environmental Rewards with Ingraffea as  the Representative of  
Environmental Risks.  He cited his motto of "Do It Right" which means 
that the gas industry must pay close attention to details.  He warned, 
however, that drilling in the Marcellus Shale is a learning process and 
that mistakes will be made.

Engelder then posted his "Gusher of Hogwash" meter and gave examples of 
what he considered hogwash from both sides of the natural gas controversy.

He then discussed methane loading of the atmosphere as a big unknown.  
He believes that the gas industry will find and fix methane leaks but 
that it is a learning process.

Citing, Huber and Mills book "The Bottomless Well: The Twilight of Fuel, 
the Virtue of Waste, and Why We Will Never Run Out of Energy,"  Engelder 
said that energy seems to be a fundamental input that determines both 
employment and productivity.  If fracked gas, which represents 20% of 
American energy, were to be turned off, then the GDP would drop by $2.5 
trillion, one in five workers would lose their jobs and everyone's 
income would drop by 20%. Engelder said that American sustainability 
involves a robust economy built on energy security and shale gas offsets 
other declining US supplies to meet increased consumptive demand and 
lowers import needs.

Engelder then discussed Dimock as a learning experience and said that 
industry could not learn if it was not allowed to practice; also, the 
industry can't come in without leaving scars.  He quoted President 
Kennedy on sacrifice and that the Dimock residents have made the 
sacrifice to benefit the rest of us.

He then explained how the first attempt at fracking was in 1971 using a 
nuclear device at the Wagon Wheel Nuclear Simulation Project in 
Wyoming.  It failed because the gas released was radioactive. He then 
took us through a history of oil and gas exploration in Pennsylvania 
with multiple wells back in 1968 and even in the 1950's in Bradford 
there were 104 well pads per one square mile section.  That the 
Marcellus Shale concentrates it's well pads all in one place for each 
section he considers a major advantage.

He then began a detailed explanation of what happened at the Meeks 
blowout in Wyoming which was featured in "Gasland."  He explained that 
it was in very shallow wells at less than half the depth of the 
Marcellus; the Meeks blowout occurred at 240 feet and was improperly 
cemented.  The EPA has now set up a test site at the Meeks Well to study 
whether frack fluid can enter ground water. When Engelder said that the 
Meeks well contaminants were coming from the surface, he was interrupted 
by a heckler and then refused to proceed.

Tony Ingraffea took the floor and explained that he would limit his talk 
to allow time for questions.  He said it is a framing problem and that 
we have no right to waste the resources of our children and 
grandchildren.  "A corporate business plan is not a national energy 
strategy."

He said it is a question of scope and we should watch the number of rigs 
available for drilling in Pennsylvania: from 2009 to 2011 the number 
jumped from 40 to around 130. Currently they can drill four wells per day.

Ingraffea summed up the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale history as "Fire, 
Ready, Aim" with government unprepared for the Marcellus Shale rush. He 
said that you can't say that industry is mature and safe from day one 
and also say that it has to make mistakes to develop. He pointed out 
that industry should be doing it's testing in the laboratory  not in the 
field.

Ingraffea pointed out that in three years we are only now getting new 
regulations for waste water stream disposal. In spite of industry claims 
of recycling waste water, only two companies out of 78 are currently 
reusing 100% of fluids and overall only 10% of the waste stream is being 
recycled. As another example of lack of proper regulation, Ingraffea 
said that there are ongoing cementing problems that will never be 
perfected and yet after three years the government is only now looking 
at new regulations.

  There have been 1,500 violations of existing regulations, the rate is 
increasing and municipalities are struggling with demands on social 
services. The question is not could the industry do it right but would 
they do it right?  And should the industry do it at all?
Due to the cumulative global environmental impact, the Marcellus Shale 
is not sustainable and won't get us past our grandchildren.  Using 
Engelder's own figures, Ingraffea projected 140,000 wells in 
Pennsylvania.  No research has been done on the health impact in any 
peer reviewed journal.  Ingraffea also mentioned that of the 2,300 wells 
drilled in Pennsylvania only one third have been fracked so far.

Ingraffea stated that the industry is always scaling up to increase 
efficiency.  Currently the biggest frack site is in British Columbia 
with a one square kilometer pad.  He referred us to the Pennsylvania 
Energy Impacts Assessment,  prepared by the industry, at 
http://www.nature.org/media/pa/tnc_energy_analysis.pdf for maps showing 
projected well densities. As the number of wells increases the 
probability of accidental releases also increases which combined with 
the cumulative effects of purposeful emissions, increased production and 
burning of natural gas will lead to increased greenhouse gas. In 
conclusion, Ingraffea stated that we do not have a national energy 
policy but an expression of industrial will.

At this point in the program the Saunters of Dimock spoke about their 
personal experience living on Carter Road. Then Josh Fox was patched in 
via cell phone from New York City.

Trallo then opened up the floor for questions.

When asked about increased violations, Engelder said that was a factor 
of increased inspections.

When asked about the profitability of a gas wells, Ingraffea posted the 
following figures based on Chesapeake's proforma data: a well cost $4.5 
million  plus finding costs and, at $5 for gas, would produce $20 
million,  leaving a net profit of $10.5 million before taxes.  Engelder 
pointed out that there were large up-front expenses which were borrowed 
and that it took 8-10 years before a well makes a profit.

Ingraffea stated that we need a national energy policy and that we 
should use Marcellus gas to replace fossil fuels while we develop 
renewable fuels (n.b.: he was talking about Pennsylvania where fracking 
has been going on for two years).

When asked how Marcellus can be a bridge fuel since it has dried up 
investment in renewables,  Ingraffea responded that the over-supply has 
driven down the price of gas so it is no longer economical to use wind 
for electricity when gas is so much cheaper.

When  asked about truck safety citing the number of violations, Engelder 
responded that the industry should be converting all their vehicles to 
run on natural gas.

When asked how exporting LNG abroad was supposed to make the United 
States energy independent, Engelder said that it would help restore our 
balance of trade.

Questions had to be cut short because we were way over time. The last 
question was "why the rush?"  Engelder responded that the industry has 
invested $1 billion in land acquisition and needs to get those leases 
into production.  Ingraffea  responded that capitalism involves risk and 
why should we have to subsidize the gas industry?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In production: JANNETTE BARTH speaks about the Economics of 
Hydrofracking; Storing Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) near Watkins Glen.

**

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