NEWSROOM

Nov 28, 2008 Natural Gas Company's Want Ithaca To Treat Water From Drilling ABC TV Channel 36 Emma Wright City enviromental engineers want to know what is in the water. But natural gas companies say the chemicals they use are a "trade secret" Enviromental officials say millions of gallons of water can't flow through the plant pipes and into Cayuga Lake without extensive testing.   [Full Story] Nov 27, 2008 Gas-drilling company seeks water permit Times Herald-Record Adam Bosch HANCOCK — A natural gas drilling company has applied to withdraw millions of gallons of water from a branch of the Delaware River, a clear indication that gas drilling is creeping toward Sullivan County.  [Full Story] Nov 25, 2008 Bureau of Land Management pulls auction parcels on oil-and-gas drilling near national parks AP By PAUL FOY SALT LAKE CITY (AP) _ Drilling leases on and near the border of Utah's scenic national parks have been pulled from an auction block. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced its decision late Tuesday after negotiations with National Park Service officials who objected to noise, lights and air pollution near Arches National Park, Dinosaur National Monument and Canyonlands National Park, all in Utah.   [Full Story] Nov 25, 2008 Gas venting out of control at GarCo well GJSentinel.com DENNIS WEBB Some Silt-area residents notified they may have to evacuate homes   [Full Story] Nov 25, 2008 NYC Wants Consultants to Probe Effect of Gas Drilling on Drinking Water ProPublica Abrahm Lustgarten, Today New York City and state politicians called for (PDF) the state Department of Environmental Conservation to hire an outside consultant to evaluate the impact gas drilling could have on the city's watershed, and to hold public hearings in New York City and in the watershed region.   [Full Story] Nov 24, 2008 Drilling ‘hurdles’ serve purpose The Times Tribune editorial There is little doubt that state regulators were not quite ready for the natural gas gold rush that has enveloped a broad swath of Pennsylvania, from its northeast to southwest corners. But as the Department of Environmental Protection attempts to accommodate requests for drilling permits, environmental protection must remain a greater priority than haste.  [Full Story] Nov 23, 2008 Gas bubble: Slumping economy drains excitement over Marcellus Shale The Tribune-Democrat SUSAN EVANS The bubble has burst – at least temporarily – for those hoping to prosper from gas wells expected to be drilled in the Marcellus Shale formation deep underground. A struggling national economy is dampening drillers’ zeal and in some cases their ability to pay for leases. In turn, most drillers have pulled their agents out of Cambria and Somerset counties, some even out of Pennsylvania entirely. Others say that when gas prices decline, so does the enthusiasm for drilling as deeply as required by the Marcellus Shale. Still others warn that even if the economy improves, state regulations are too restrictive for them to make a profit, especially if oil and gas prices continue to drop.   [Full Story] Nov 22, 2008 Oil and gas biz booming in Pennsylvania AP By RICK STOUFFER PITTSBURGH - The number of new oil and natural gas wells drilled in Pennsylvania tripled between 2000 and 2007, with the state's 79,000 active wells making it third-highest among all states, according to a study released earlier this month.  [Full Story] Nov 21, 2008 Groups sue over well drilling near forests Pittsburgh Post-Gazette A coalition of environmental and recreation groups and federal forest employees has filed suit in U.S. District Court in Erie alleging the U.S. Forest Service approved several oil and gas drilling projects that will damage sensitive animal habitat without doing required environmental reviews.   [Full Story] Nov 21, 2008 Ad-hoc group will settle county mineral-rights dispute Press & Sun-Bulletin By Nancy Dooling Ad-hoc group will settle county mineral-rights dispute  [Full Story] Nov 20, 2008 New Mexico Battles Feds to Stop Gas Drilling Near an Aquifer ProPublica Abrahm Lustgarten, New Mexico officials say a gas drilling proposal on federal lands threatens a pristine aquifer that could someday provide drinking water to 15 million households, but the state's protests have met with resistance from the federal office administering the project.   [Full Story] Nov 20, 2008 GarCo gas drilling contaminating water supply, geology expert says The Daily Sentinel Dennis Webb SILT, CO — A geological consultant says increased methane in domestic wells near natural gas development in Garfield County is part of a much larger problem of drilling-related water contamination that’s just starting to come to light. “The tip of the iceberg is emerging,” Geoffrey Thyne told residents at a meeting in Silt on Thursday night. Thyne, a geology professor consulting for Garfield County, said he thinks evidence is piling up in Colorado and elsewhere in regard to water contamination related to oil and gas development.   [Full Story] Nov 20, 2008 Sullivan County prepares gas drilling scoping points The River Reporter Fritz Mayer MONTICELLO, NY — The meetings currently being held across the state are critical in determining the future of deep well gas exploration in that portion of the Marcellus Shale located in New York State.   [Full Story] Nov 20, 2008 More than 100 sign Broome’s DEC petition Press & Sun-Bulletin By Nancy Dooling More than 100 people have signed Broome County’s natural gas petition to the state Department of Environmental Conservation calling for proper environmental oversight and for the permitting process to be promptly established.  [Full Story] Nov 19, 2008 Hinchey Pushing Bill to Protect Drinking Water from Natural Gas Development Office of Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) Binghamton, NY -- Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today vowed to aggressively press for the passage of a bill he coauthored that would close a legislative loophole which exempts hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas exploration and drilling from regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). While New York State law currently provides regulatory oversight for this process, such oversight varies considerably from state to state. The bill, H.R. 7231, would reinstate basic federal standards for hydraulic fracturing under the SDWA and enable the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to protect drinking water supplies in states with little or no regulations.   [Full Story] Nov 17, 2008 DEC to discuss impact of drilling on environment at meeting today Public can comment at meeting Press & Sun Bulletin Tom Wilber For many, protecting water resources above and below ground tops the list of concerns for an industry with a notorious thirst for fresh water and voluminous capacity to produce waste. The horizontal style of drilling favored to tap the Marcellus requires several million gallons of fresh water for each well and produces like amounts of waste, ranging from brine to heavy metals, industrial sludge and unnamed chemical additives.   [Full Story] Nov 16, 2008 Natural gas rush stirs environmental concerns AP By Mary Esch Advanced drilling techniques that blast millions of gallons of water into 400-million-year-old shale formations a mile underground are opening up unconventional gas fields touted as a key to the nation's energy future.  [Full Story] Nov 15, 2008 Natural gas rush stirs environmental concerns The Associated Press MARY ESCH Geologists call the Marcellus a "super giant" gas field. Penn State geoscientist Terry Engelder believes it could supply the natural gas needs of the United States for 14 years. But as word spread over the past year that a 54,000-square-mile shale field from southern New York to West Virginia promised to yield a trillion dollars worth of gas, making millionaires of local landowners, environmental alarms were sounded.   [Full Story] Nov 14, 2008 The EPA's Stalin era Salon.com Rebecca Clarren "It's absolutely shocking what's going on," say insiders. Secretive changes have diluted science and jeopardized public health. Will Obama overcome Bush's toxic legacy?   [Full Story] Nov 13, 2008 Team 4: Pa. Streams Drained Dry By Drillers WTAE-TV 4 Western Pa. Streams Emptied By Natural Gas Drilling   [Full Story] Nov 13, 2008 Agencies address drilling The River Reporter Sandy Long DRBC sees first application for 999,999 gallons of water; DEC talks tougher regulations   [Full Story] Nov 11, 2008 Does Natural-Gas Drilling Endanger Water Supplies? Business Week Abrahm Lustgarten A debate is heating up over whether the fracturing technique used in natural-gas drilling could result in chemicals contaminating drinking water  [Full Story] Nov 11, 2008 Chesapeake, StatoilHydro announce joint venture Yahoo Finance StatoilHydro will pay $3.375 billion for a 32.5 percent interest in Chesapeake's assets in the so-called Marcellus Shale geologic formation -- about 1.8 million net acres -- in the Appalachian region. Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake would retain the remaining 67.5 percent interest in the assets.   [Full Story] Nov 10, 2008 DRBC gets 1st gas well application The Wayne Independent Peter Becker DRBC received the application in late October; and is studying the best way to handle this. Fred Peckham, who is the Alternate Delegate to the UDC for the Town of Hancock, said that Chesapeake has been in touch with Hancock Town government, about Chesapeake’s intentions to drill four wells near the Millennium Pipeline.   [Full Story] Nov 9, 2008 First gas-drilling sites around the Southern Tier show promise, problems Press & Sun Bulletin Tom Wilber The natural gas industry taking root in Susquehanna County is already meeting expectations for eye-popping economic returns and potential environmental headaches.  [Full Story] Nov 5, 2008 BLM opens land to drilling; details murky The Salt Lake Tribune Patty Henetz The Bush administration announced Tuesday that it will open up nearly 360,000 more acres of Utah public lands to oil and gas drilling. But the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's supposed list failed to detail those 241 proposed oil and gas parcels - some of which are thought to be near national parks and monuments. Instead, the BLM included only a muddled statement issued at the end of the workday by the agency's Salt Lake City office, whose officials skedaddled without offering any explanations. Meanwhile, the Government Accountability Office released a report Tuesday questioning why the BLM continues to offer so many leases when so few ever are developed.   [Full Story] Nov 1, 2008 Mud eruption 'caused by drilling' BBC News James Morgan The eruption of the Lusi mud volcano in Indonesia was caused by drilling for oil and gas, a meeting of 74 leading geologists has concluded. Lusi erupted in May 2006 and continues to spew out boiling mud, displacing around 30,000 people in East Java.   [Full Story] Oct 30, 2008 Residents' role pushed in Tier gas drilling The Press & Sun Bulletin Connie McKinney and Tom Wilber Residents need to reach out to local and state governments and make sure that natural gas drilling companies take steps to protect the land, water and health of landowners and neighbors, an environmental attorney said Wednesday.   [Full Story] Oct 30, 2008 DEP on drilling: Inadequate staffing, protecting wells, treating wastewater The River Reporter Sandy Long The secretary said that DEP under current staffing will be unable to handle the influx of new permits that are expected as development of the Marcellus Shale expands, and that existing permitting and inspection workload is making it difficult for office staff to keep up with permit reviews.   [Full Story] Oct 29, 2008 Environmentalist Look to Strengthen Gas Drilling Regulations WBNG News "We've been looking at New York's regulations compared to other states and we don't see the level of detail in the New York regulations that we see in other states."   [Full Story] Oct 26, 2008 New drilling method creates water problem Star-Gazette Jeff Murray & G. Jeffrey Aaron Landowners and others who have spent the last eight or 10 years trying to educate themselves on the ups and downs of natural gas drilling now face all new concepts and new terminology to learn -- phrases such as "hydrofracing" and "closed loop drilling."  [Full Story] Oct 24, 2008 DEP hopes a flush cleans Mon water Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Don Hopey The DEP has ordered sewage treatment facilities in the Monongahela River watershed to all but stop accepting gas well drilling wastewater that it says contains high levels of TDS and may be contributing significantly to the problem. "Our best estimate is that 30 to 40 percent of the dissolved solids exceeding the 500 milligram per liter limit is coming from oil and gas wastewater," said DEP Secretary John Hanger.   [Full Story] Oct 22, 2008 The answer to the drilling industry's water needs could flow from the region's sewage treatment plants. Press & Sun Bulletin Tom Wilber Officials are considering the possibility of selling treated effluent to companies seeking natural gas in the Marcellus Shale.  [Full Story] Oct 19, 2008 Gas rush visions run gamut from prosperity to disaster Press & Sun Bulletin Tom Wilber This is a tale of two visions.  [Full Story] Oct 18, 2008 Drilling on hold in town The Daily Star Tom Grace The town of New Lisbon has adopted a six-month moratorium on drilling for natural gas, Supervisor Robert Taylor said Friday.  [Full Story] Oct 17, 2008 Wyoming: Drill Baby, USA CNNMoney.com Steve Hargreaves and Amy Ambatielos America's energy quest brings welcome and unexpected change to life on the still-wild frontier.   [Full Story] Oct 17, 2008 Small Town, Big Changes CNNMoney.com Steve Hargreaves, Want more domestic energy? Take a look at how big oil and gas companies are transforming lives in a small cow-town.   [Full Story] Oct 16, 2008 DEC to shield water in gas boom Times Union Brian Nearing Anticipating an energy boom, the state Department of Environmental Conservation wants more authority over water to control a controversial natural gas drilling technique called hydrofracking.  [Full Story] Oct 15, 2008 Water Trumps Energy New York Times Editorial Deep beneath the Earth's surface from New York to West Virginia sits the Marcellus Shale, an enormous geological deposit of natural gas. Natural gas is one of the cleanest fuels available — if you can extract it without ruining the water around it.  [Full Story] Oct 14, 2008 Leasing in shale areas being cut back The Times-Tribune "The industry as whole spent too much on land," Subash Chandra, an analyst with Jefferies & Company Inc. of New York, said. "Generally speaking, the speculative land bubble is over."   [Full Story] Oct 14, 2008 Gas leasing slowing, though new leases still show up Sullivan County Democrat Dan Hust More gas drilling leases have been filed with the Sullivan County Clerk’s Office, though in this area, nary a single well drilling permit has been requested of the state. That may be because Chesapeake, Cabot, XTO and Range Resources – all interested in this area of the gas-rich Marcellus Shale – are taking more cautious approaches to what formerly was a rampant lease acquisition.   [Full Story] Oct 14, 2008 Gas drilling is a challenge for the DEC Times Herald-Record Editorial On the surface, the preliminary outline for the state's review of natural gas drilling in the Catskills is reassuring. It mentions all the major concerns, including wastewater storage and disposal, the possibility of radioactive contamination and the impact of water-intensive drilling on water supplies, including rivers, streams and wetlands.  [Full Story] Oct 13, 2008 Delaware opposes gas-drilling ban The Daily Star Patricia Breakey he Delaware County Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday to oppose an effort to tighten natural-gas drilling rules within the New York City watershed.  [Full Story] Oct 12, 2008 New gas riches found north of Broome Press & Sun Bulletin Tom Wilber An international energy company plans to develop wells in Broome County after striking a major natural gas field to the north.  [Full Story] Oct 12, 2008 Gas well emissions drawing scrutiny Star-Telegram Mike Lee In the daylight, the storage tank looks innocuous. It’s the same sort of tank that can be found next to any oil or gas well in the West, and there are hundreds like it in Fort Worth.  [Full Story] Oct 8, 2008 Chesapeake rescinds natural gas lease offers The Susquehanna Independent Weekender Josh Mrozinski A consulting firm has informed Northeast Pennsylvania landowners Chesapeake Appalachia has revoked and rescinded offers for natural gas leases.   [Full Story] Oct 8, 2008 Controversial gas terminal in S. Jersey is shelved The Philadelphia Inquirer INQUIRER STAFF AND WIRES Energy giant BP has suspended plans to build a $700 million liquefied natural gas terminal along the Delaware River in southern New Jersey. "We've been looking at the global market conditions surrounding LNG, and the timing for a terminal just isn't right, so we've put it on hold for at least two years," BP spokesman Tom Mueller said today.   [Full Story] Oct 8, 2008 DRBC tells Sullivan officials they are watching gas drilling Mid-Hudson News A Delaware River Basin Commission engineer says the two states that share the Upper Delaware River are reasonably up to speed with Marcellus Shale exploration  [Full Story] Oct 7, 2008 NY releases plan to assess impact of gas drilling The Evening Sun (Chenango County) The state Department of Environmental Conservation has released its proposed plan to review the environmental impact of natural gas drilling in the Southern Tier. The 45-page document released Monday is the first step in developing supplemental guidelines for issuing permits for gas wells using new horizontal drilling technology.   [Full Story] Oct 6, 2008 State to publish document on gas-drilling review process Press & Sun-Bulletin Tom Wilber The public will get its first look at how the state plans to proceed with a review of the environmental impact of natural gas drilling with the release of an outline scheduled for today.   [Full Story] Oct 3, 2008 Highland is making history with gas drilling in New York Sullivan County Democrat Dan Hust Last year, Tina Palecek had no idea she would need to become an expert on natural gas drilling.   [Full Story] Sep 30, 2008 Judge backs local control in gas drilling PHILLYBURBS.COM AMANDA CREGAN A Bucks County judge ruled against Arbor Resources and Pasadena Oil and Gas Wyoming, both of Traverse City, Mich., and Hook ’Em Energy Partners of Austin, Texas. Judge Clyde Waite sided with the township’s authority to enforce local ordinances to regulate natural gas and oil drilling in the township.  [Full Story] Sep 28, 2008 Landowners at crossroads with sudden prosperity Press & Sun Bulletin Tom Wilber Before the natural gas under his land made him a multi-millionaire, Dewey Decker worried about paying his taxes. Now he's worried about ... paying his taxes.  [Full Story] Sep 25, 2008 Drilling disasters The River Reporter Sandy Long Hydrogen sulfide pockets, explosions, gas flares and the undisclosed chemicals contained in the fluids used to fracture gas wells pose unique threats to workers, emergency responders, hospital emergency personnel and those who live near natural gas wells.   [Full Story] Sep 24, 2008 Tests ordered on Delaware River Basin The Philiadelphia Intelligencer By HILARY BENTMAN Officials will spend $25,000 to have parts of the Delaware River Basin tested before gas drilling begins in Upper Bucks, a move they say is needed to provide comparison data should drilling contaminate the waterways   [Full Story] Sep 24, 2008 State OKs protection of wildlife from drills The Denver Post Mark Jaffe The Oil and Gas Conservation Commission adopts rules a green group calls "a model" for the U.S.   [Full Story] Sep 22, 2008 Chesapeake Energy Corporation Provides Operational and Financial Update Morningstar Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE: CHK) today announced plans to reduce its drilling capital expenditure (capex) budget during the second half of 2008 through year-end 2010 by approximately $3.2 billion, or 17%, in response to an approximate 50% decrease in natural gas prices since June 30, 2008 and concerns about the possibility of an emerging U.S. natural gas surplus in advance of increased demand from the U.S. transportation sector.   [Full Story] Sep 22, 2008 Chesapeake Energy cuts budget, lowers outlook in response to natural gas price drop Ft. Worth Business Press BY JOHN-LAURENT TRONCHE Chesapeake Energy Corp. plans to cut 17 drilling rigs by the end of the year and reduce its drilling budget by 17 percent, or $3.2 billion, over the next two years in response to a 50 percent decrease in natural gas prices, according to a press release.   [Full Story] Sep 22, 2008 Natural gas rush will come at expense of NYC's water The New York Daily News James Gennaro, Councilman As a result of a new law recently passed by the state Legislature that will greatly facilitate natural gas drilling upstate, energy companies are paying landowners princely sums for leases allowing them to drill for gas almost 2 miles underground using an environmentally problematic technique called "hydraulic fracturing."   [Full Story] Sep 21, 2008 Tier gets $23B gas-drilling preview Press & Sun Bulletin Tom Wilber Southern Tier residents trying to anticipate the impact of large-scale natural gas production don't have to look far.  [Full Story] Sep 19, 2008 Sullivan gas drilling expected to begin in 2009 Times Herald-Record Adam Bosch A gas company vying for land in Sullivan County told local officials it expects to start drilling by the end of 2009  [Full Story] Sep 17, 2008 Setting the Record Straight on the Pit Rule The Daily Times (Farmington, New Mexico) By Joanna Prukop Evidence presented at a recent hearing held by the Oil Conservation Commission, or OCC, clearly and definitively demonstrated that a significant number of serious groundwater contamination cases have resulted from the use of pits by the oil and gas industry.   [Full Story] Sep 17, 2008 DRBC to find out: What's in frack fluid? The River Reporter By SANDY LONG They came seeking a stance on regional natural gas drilling from the Upper Delaware Council. Instead, local citizens and members of the Damascus Citizens for Sustainability learned that the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), a federal-interstate compact government agency, is in the process of formulating new regulations to increase protection of the basin's water resources.  [Full Story] Sep 17, 2008 Insurance, mortgages and gas The River Reporter by Fritz Mayer If you sign a gas lease, will you lose your homeowner’s insurance? It’s hard to get a definitive answer to that question, but the answer seems to be no.   [Full Story] Sep 17, 2008 Controversial path to possible glut of natural gas The Christian Science Monitor Mark Clayton Shale gas reserves have a powerful economic lure. Companies, states, and landowners could all reap a windfall in the tens of billions. Some also predict lower heating costs for residential gas users as production increases. Now, scores of natural gas companies are fanning out from Fort Worth, Texas, where hydraulic fracturing of shale has been done for at least five years, to lease shale lands in 19 states, including Pennsylvania and New York. But some warn that by expanding “hydraulic fracturing” of shale, America strikes a Faustian bargain: It gains new energy reserves, but it consumes and quite possibly pollutes critical water resources.   [Full Story] Sep 16, 2008 AG's office warns of gas-lease pressure tactics Press & Sun-Bulletin By Tom Wilber Growing concern about tactics from gas prospectors has led to new warnings to Southern Tier residents from the state attorney general.  [Full Story] Sep 16, 2008 Catskill Confidential: Gas-drilling firm might sell holdings, report says The Times Herald Record BY Adam Bosch One of the gas-drilling companies that has pushed hardest to secure leases in Sullivan County might be selling its local holdings.  [Full Story] Sep 14, 2008 Officials to address impact of gas rush Press & Sun-Bulletin By Tom Wilber After taking a crash course in Fort Worth, Texas, Broome County officials are working to develop a set of ground rules that will pre-empt problems associated with the natural gas rush locally.  [Full Story] Sep 11, 2008 Limit gas drilling in Catskills, NYC says Times Herald-Record BY Adam Bosch Opponents of natural gas drilling in the Catskills have gained powerful allies in New York City. More than 100 people packed a legislative hearing room inside City Hall on Wednesday to hear testimony on gas drilling and its potential impacts on New York City's water supply. City Council members are advocating a ban of natural gas drilling in the watershed of New York's reservoirs, which includes Sullivan and Ulster counties. It's unclear how much land a watershed ban would take off the drilling map.  [Full Story] Sep 11, 2008 Fort Worth man sues Chesapeake Energy over noise from Barnett Shale drilling The Dallas Morning News By MARICE RICHTER A Fort Worth resident has sued Chesapeake Energy Corp. over excessive noise from compressor stations used as part of the natural gas drilling process near his upscale home.   [Full Story] Sep 10, 2008 Court weighs whether towns can stop gas wells The Morning Call By Dan Nephin A lawyer for a suburban Pittsburgh municipality trying to keep gas wells out of a residential neighborhood told the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Tuesday that towns must be allowed to regulate the location of drills.  [Full Story] Sep 10, 2008 ATTORNEY GENERAL CUOMO CAUTIONS CONSUMERS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL PITFALLS OF OIL & GAS LEASES Cuomo urges landowners to know their rights when dealing with gas exploration companies in order to avoid strong-arm tactics and ensure they get the best financial deal Office of The Attorney General Attorney General Cuomo today warned landowners of potential perils and strong-arm tactics when dealing with oil and gas exploration companies. His office released new materials and guidelines to protect consumers and ensure they get the best deal for their land should they choose to become involved in an oil or gas exploration lease.  [Full Story] Sep 10, 2008 Peeling the Barnett Shale Onion Scary questions have already emerged from beneath the drilling-boom bucks – and who knows what’s next? Fort Worth Weekly by Peter Gorman When a natural gas pipeline blew outside the little Central Texas town of Stairtown on Aug. 28, fire officials more than 10 miles from the blast site said they could feel the explosion. And hair went up on thousands of necks in Fort Worth, more than 200 miles away.  [Full Story] Sep 10, 2008 Fort Worth man sues Chesapeake Energy over noise from Barnett Shale drilling The Dallas Morning News By MARICE RICHTER A Fort Worth resident has sued Chesapeake Energy Corp. over excessive noise from compressor stations used as part of the natural gas drilling process near his upscale home. Jim Ashford, a resident of the gated Riverbend Estates community in east Fort Worth, said he has suffered months of mental anguish and lost sleep due to the compressor stations.   [Full Story] Sep 6, 2008 State gas rush moves questioned Land rights turned over at fixed price Press & Sun-Bulletin By Tom Wilber State officials are signing over mineral rights of public land to energy companies for a fixed minimum price. Not surprisingly, that has given rise to questions about whose interest is being served: The public's or the industry's?  [Full Story] Sep 4, 2008 Schumer seeks help for landowners Gannett News Service By Ray Finger MONTOUR FALLS — U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is looking into federal funding to provide experts who can advise Southern Tier landowners about contracts for natural gas exploration and drilling rights.  [Full Story] Sep 3, 2008 NYC Council to Hold Hearing on Gas Drilling Near City Water Supply ProPublica by Allison Battey New York City officials who last month called for a ban on natural gas drilling near the city's upstate reservoirs have taken the next step in what they argue is a fight to protect the city's drinking water from contamination. Yesterday, City Council Environmental Protection Committee Chairman James Gennaro announced (PDF) that his committee will hold an emergency public hearing next week to discuss the safety of the drilling and hear public concerns.  [Full Story] Aug 31, 2008 Lawyers to scrutinize gas leases Some Tier deals may be questionable Press & Sun-Bulletin By Tom Wilber The difference between a bad deal and an illegal deal may be subtle, but it is crucial for Southern Tier residents who regret signing over their mineral rights to gas companies  [Full Story] Aug 28, 2008 EMS Adopts New Rules For Frac Fluids Earthworks by Derek Farr Sublette County Emergency Medical Services is adopting new guidelines concerning gas-field workers exposed to potentially harmful drilling fluids. The EMS action occurred during the Rural Health Care Board meeting Wednesday, Aug. 20.  [Full Story] Aug 27, 2008 Gas drillers face ocean-size problem Susquehanna Independent Weekender By Laura Legere, Times-Shamrock Writer Tim Budney scoffed at the fliers spread across the table in front of him The pieces of paper, arrayed for an audience of natural gas drillers at a recent Harrisburg meeting, boasted of one wastewater treatment facility's daily capacity to treat hundreds of thousands of gallons of the dirty water produced during gas exploration in the Marcellus Shale. Budney was unimpressed.   [Full Story] Aug 27, 2008 Sewer plant could treat drilling waste The Weekly Almanac by Mary Baldwin, Managing Editor The disposal of wastewater from area gas drilling operations may someday provide additional revenue for a new sewer plant in Honesdale. "It's out there. It's a possibility," Ed Pietroski, of Entech Engineering, told members of the Central Wayne Regional Authority on Monday night.  [Full Story] Aug 26, 2008 Gas drilling companies might have tough time meeting DEP regulations -- Part 2 Times Shamrock BY DAVID FALCHEK This is the second of a two-part series With Pennsylvania poised to be pin poked by natural gas drilling rigs armed with the latest innovation and technology, some are reviewing the state’s regulations and wondering whether they are enough to protect groundwater and surface water.  [Full Story] Aug 26, 2008 Gas rush spurs talks on lease complaints Some landowners feel short-changed Press & Sun-Bulletin By Tom Wilber Property owners who regret leasing land to energy companies on the cheap are scheduled to meet with attorneys to evaluate chances of a do-over.   [Full Story] Aug 25, 2008 Natural gas drillers facing Ocean-size problem - millions of gallons of wastewater The Times Tribune BY LAURA LEGERE Tim Budney scoffed at the fliers spread across the table in front of him. The pieces of paper, arrayed for an audience of natural gas drillers at a recent Harrisburg meeting, boasted of one wastewater treatment facility’s daily capacity to treat hundreds of thousands of gallons of the dirty water produced during gas exploration in the Marcellus Shale.  [Full Story] Aug 25, 2008 Commission requires gas drillers to obtain approval for water use The Evening Sun by Jessica Lewis CHENANGO COUNTY – The Susquehanna River Basin Commission announced last week that as of Oct. 15, natural gas companies will be required to obtain prior approval before using water for drilling purposes. The Susquehanna River Basin covers territories in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The agency was set up to “enhance public welfare through comprehensive planning, water supply allocation, and management of the water resources of the Susquehanna River Basin,” according to its mission statement.   [Full Story] Aug 25, 2008 Dealing with the dirty water Times Shamrock BY LAURA LEGERE This is the first of a two-day series. Tim Budney scoffed at the flyers spread across the table in front of him. The pieces of paper, arrayed for an audience of natural gas drillers at a recent Harrisburg meeting, boasted of one wastewater treatment facility’s daily capacity to treat hundreds of thousands of gallons of the dirty water produced during gas exploration in the Marcellus Shale.   [Full Story] Aug 24, 2008 Gas lines pit people vs. profit in Texas Press & Sun-Bulletin By Tom Wilber Residents and planners trying to anticipate the impact of the natural gas rush on the Southern Tier should consider this: Energy companies have drilled 1,176 wells inside the city limits of Fort Worth, Texas, where they are pursuing a similar gas resource called the Barnett Shale Formation. Energy companies have drilled 1,176 wells inside the city limits of Fort Worth, Texas, where they are pursuing a similar gas resource called the Barnett Shale Formation.  [Full Story] Aug 22, 2008 Grassroots group focused on drilling Sullivan County Democrat By Dan Hust With just a few bucks but a lot of passion, Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy has morphed from a tiny organization based in Callicoon Center to a 750-strong non-profit advocacy group called on by major media to comment on the Marcellus Shale natural gas play.  [Full Story] Aug 22, 2008 Speakers urge landowners to protect their rights in leases Sullivan County Democrat By Dan Hust LAKE HUNTINGTON — County Legislator David Sager, who represents much of the area in Sullivan County likely to see natural gas drilling, said he views the whole issue as a Rubik’s Cube. It was an appropriate way to kick off Tuesday’s forum at Sullivan West High School in Lake Huntington, where approximately 400 people got an in-depth education on the enormous complexity of leasing land for gas drilling.  [Full Story] Aug 20, 2008 A Toxic Spew? Officials worry about impact of 'fracking' of oil and gas. Newsweek By Jim Moscou Cathy Behr says she won't forget the smell that nearly killed her. An emergency-room nurse in Durango, Colo.'s Mercy Regional Medical Center, Behr was working the April 17 day shift when Clinton Marshall arrived complaining of nausea and headaches. An employee at an energy-services company, Weatherford International, Marshall, according to Behr, said that he was caught in a "fracturing-fluid" spill. [Fracturing chemicals are routinely used on oil and gas wells where they are pumped deep into the ground to crack rock seams and increase production.] The chemical stench coming off Marshall's boots was buckling, says Behr. Mercy officials took no chances. They evacuated and locked down the ER, and its staff was instructed to don protective masks and gowns. But by the time those precautions were enacted, Behr had been nursing Marshall for 10 minutes--unprotected. "I honestly thought the response was a little overkill, but good practice," says Behr, 54, a 20-year veteran at Mercy.  [Full Story] Aug 19, 2008 Protecting our resources a priority Times Union By RON URBAN The Catskills and the southern tier of New York state are quickly becoming the epicenter for energy exploration in the East. In the biggest push for energy development there since World War II, oil and gas companies are swooping into upstate towns, sending "landmen" on a door-to-door campaign, buying the rights to drill for natural gas on private land.  [Full Story] Aug 19, 2008 Symposium tonight to focus on gas leasing Sullivan County Democrat By Dan Hust LAKE HUNTINGTON — As gas drilling leases begin multiplying in western Sullivan County, local officials are turning their attention to the intricacies of such agreements.  [Full Story] Aug 15, 2008 Three-state commission to impose rules on drilling Times Union By BRIAN NEARING HARRISBURGH -- A three-state panel that oversees the Susquehanna River from Cooperstown to the Chesapeake Bay is going to control how its water is used in a controversial drilling technique for natural gas.   [Full Story] Aug 14, 2008 Gas-drilling firm to use rail facility in Owego Press & Sun-Bulletin By Tom Wilber OWEGO -- Material needed to develop natural gas wells in the region will be warehoused at a renovated rail facility in Owego and trucked by caravan to drilling sites throughout the countryside.  [Full Story] Aug 14, 2008 Moratorium on drilling is needed The Daily Star Editorial Since area property owners have signed thousands of leases with natural gas drillers, we believe a moratorium on such drilling should be adopted by state or county government to allow time for environmental regulations to be updated.  [Full Story] Aug 13, 2008 Gas drilling raises water issues Press & Sun-Bulletin By Tom Wilber Water regulators expect energy companies tapping the Marcellus Shale Formation to drill more than 1,500 wells per year throughout the region, collectively drawing as much water as a nuclear reactor.  [Full Story] Aug 13, 2008 County leaders surprised by gas well head 'explosion' in Preston The Evening Sun By: Melissa deCordova NORWICH – Members of the Chenango County Planning Board were surprised to learn Tuesday that what was described as an “explosion” had occurred at a natural gas well in Preston last month.  [Full Story] Aug 12, 2008 Bloomberg Wary of Natural Gas Drilling Near Water Supply WNYC by Ilya Marritz NEW YORK, NY August 12, 2008 —Mayor Michael Bloomberg is voicing concerns about possible natural gas drilling near upstate water reservoirs.  [Full Story] Aug 11, 2008 Natural-Gas Firms Seek Outlet for Growing Supplies The Wall Street Journal By BEN CASSELMAN As major oil companies search for more oil to meet growing global demand, U.S. natural-gas companies face the opposite problem: what to do with all the gas they soon will be producing.  [Full Story] Aug 11, 2008 Gas payments unclear The Daily Star By Tom Grace About four years ago, Charles and Diane Doty agreed to let Nornew Inc., a large firm headquartered in Houston, Texas, drill for natural gas on their farm in Preston in Chenango County.  [Full Story] Aug 11, 2008 Wanted: gas-drilling regulators, Hiring freeze raises concerns Press & Sun-Bulletin By Tom Wilber More regulators will likely be needed to oversee a tidal surge of drilling activity and related environmental issues expected to accompany the development of the Marcellus Shale, according to state officials. Where they will come from, however, remains a mystery.  [Full Story] Aug 10, 2008 Gas-drilling risks get local focus Press & Sun-Bulletin By Tom Wilber Thousands of Southern Tier landowners negotiating with energy companies are taking environmental problems of natural gas drilling into their own hands, rather than counting on state regulators.  [Full Story] Aug 10, 2008 Gibbs Hill homeowners lose water supply after fracking The Ridgeway Record By Heidi Zemach Steve Hilyer retired for bed at 3 a.m., Wednesday July 30. But before doing so, he took a drink of water. His water came from a natural artesian spring system that ran from his springhouse on the steep hill on the property above his Gibbs Hill home. The week before, he had begun hearing the oil workers contracted by Seneca Resources Inc, fracking new gas wells on that same hill every morning from 4-8 a.m. Two months earlier, Scott Pruder, a Seneca Resources contractor and landsman had come to the door and informed him that the company was going to drill another well on the hill. He wanted to learn the location of Hilyer’s spring system. Hilyer showed the contractor the spring on his map, and warned him that the 750 foot-800 foot well proposed was too close to the spring, and that it would likely destroy his spring if placed there.  [Full Story] Aug 9, 2008 Putting Water Ahead of Natural Gas The New York Times By Peter Applebome It wasn’t quite Barack Obama in Berlin, just a city councilman from Queens standing behind a makeshift lectern on the sidewalk outside his office and trying to talk to four reporters, most of them from small news outlets, over the sound of buses wheezing along Union Turnpike. But if Councilman James F. Gennaro’s press conference Friday with two environmental leaders barely moved the needle on the summer news meter, it almost certainly was a window onto the biggest environmental issue almost no one in New York City is paying attention to.  [Full Story] Aug 8, 2008 What is the Crandall Farm Blowout? Daily Reporter By Kathryn Ross WELLSVILLE - In 1940, before the United States was swept into World War II, many of the young men found work or treasure, in some cases, in the oil and gas fields in the southern hills of Allegany County. The area was in what has historically become known as the second oil boom, when the oil left in the ground following the first oil boom at the turn of the century was being retrieved through the use of pressurized water.  [Full Story] Aug 7, 2008 NYC wants state to protect water from gas drillers Times Herald-Record By Alexa James NEW YORK — New York City officials have expressed serious concerns about potential contamination of the city's drinking water supply — fed by six reservoirs in the Catskills — if drilling for natural gas moves forward.  [Full Story] Aug 7, 2008 Drilling moratorium urged The Daily Star By Tom Grace COOPERSTOWN _ A crowd of county residents worried about the consequences of natural-gas drilling dominated the first two hours of Wednesday's meeting of the Otsego County Board of Representatives.  [Full Story] Aug 7, 2008 450 show at forum for gas drilling The Daily Star By Denise Richardson ONEONTA _ The risks of drilling for natural gas and the regulations governing development were presented at a meeting in Oneonta on Wednesday night.   [Full Story] Aug 6, 2008 NYC demands drilling ban ProPublica, Special to the Times Union By ABRAHM LUSTGARTEN New York City officials have demanded a ban on natural gas drilling near its Catskills reservoirs because they fear the drilling could contaminate the city's drinking water.  [Full Story] Aug 5, 2008 Urban Gas Drilling Causes Backlash In Boomtown NPR by John Burnett The Barnett Shale, a natural gas-bearing formation underneath 21 counties in north Texas, is a wildcatter's dream: Wherever energy companies poke a hole, there's gas. Now they're scrambling to drill anywhere there's vacant land — at country clubs, parking lots, city parks, school grounds and airports.  [Full Story] Aug 4, 2008 Gas-drilling water raises concerns, Treatment plants won't be able to handle volume, type of waste, experts say. Gannett News Service By Tom Wilber Try pouring 10 gallons of industrial waste into a 10-ounce cup, and there you have the disposal problem regulators face with the natural gas industry settling into the Twin Tiers.  [Full Story] Aug 3, 2008 Gas companies can defy landowners The Times Herald Record BY Adam Bosch An existing state law would allow drilling companies to harvest natural gas from land even where property owners don't want to participate.  [Full Story] Aug 2, 2008 Drilling for natural gas in upstate N.Y.: Is the DEC up to the task? The Daily Star By Erik Miller With concern about the environmental impacts from natural-gas drilling in Otsego County comes even greater worry about the competency of the state Department of Environmental Conservation _ the agency charged with oversight of drilling operations.   [Full Story] Aug 1, 2008 Where will water for gas drilling come from,and who will dispose of it? The Evening Sun By: Melissa deCordova NORWICH – The municipal water treatment plant in the Village of Sherburne has accepted an undisclosed amount of waste water from local natural gas drilling operations since the spring, and the City of Norwich accepted 20,000 gallons for the first time last week.  [Full Story] Aug 1, 2008 More than 1,500 sign gas leases The Daily Star By Tom Grace COOPERSTOWN _ The gas rush continues. More than 1,500 property owners in Otsego, Delaware and Chenango counties have agreed to let firms prospect for natural gas on their land, even as calls come from some quarters for a moratorium on drilling.   [Full Story] Jul 27, 2008 West Texas rancher tells cautionary tale of pipe leaks Star-Telegram By MIKE LEE RANGER — The groundwater on part of Jay Marcom’s ranch does something that most water won’t do: It catches fire. A leaky natural gas pipeline near a compressor station polluted the ground water with benzene, xylene and toluene — all linked to cancer in humans. Test wells and barrels of excavated dirt from the site cover an area about half the size of a football field. The dirt on the surface smells like motor oil, and water dipped from the test well smells like gasoline.  [Full Story] Jul 25, 2008 Shale-Gas Producers Face Regulatory Obstacles In Appalachia Smart Money By Christine Buurma NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Energy companies are flocking to Appalachia in droves, snapping up acreage and drilling test wells in search of natural-gas deposits buried deep in ancient rock formations. But as concerns about the environmental impact of such drilling activity grow, gas producers could face mounting costs as they attempt to navigate tightening regulations.   [Full Story] Jul 22, 2008 New York’s Gas Rush Poses Environmental Threat ProPublica by Abrahm Lustgarten On May 29 New York state's top environmental officials assured state lawmakers that plans to drill for natural gas near the watershed that supplies New York City's drinking water posed little danger.   [Full Story] Read more news articles in our Newsroom Archive.