Fracking Fluids Poison a National Forest: New Study Details Changes in Soil Chemistry and Devastation of Trees and Plants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 6, 2011
CONTACT: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
http://www.peer.org/
http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1498
Kirsten Stade
Fracking Fluids Poison a National Forest
New Study Details Changes in Soil Chemistry and Devastation of Trees and Plants
WASHINGTON - July 6 - A new study has found that wastewater from natural gas hydrofracturing in a West Virginia national forest quickly wiped out all ground plants, killed more than half of the trees and caused radical changes in soil chemistry. These results argue for much tighter control over disposal of these "fracking fluids," contends Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
The new study by Mary Beth Adams, a U.S. Forest Service researcher, appears in the July-August issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Environmental Quality. She looked at the effects of land application of fracking fluids on a quarter-acre section of the Fernow Experimental Forest within the Monongahela National Forest. More than 75,000 gallons of fracking fluids, which are injected deep underground to free shale gas and then return to the surface, were applied to the assigned plot over a two day period during June 2008. The following effects were reported in the study:
* Within two days all ground plants were dead;
* Within 10 days, leaves of trees began to turn brown. Within two years more than half of the approximately 150 trees were dead; and
* "Surface soil concentrations of sodium and chloride increased 50-fold as a result of the land application of hydrofracturing fluids…" These elevated levels eventually declined as chemical leached off-site. The exact chemical composition of these fluids is not known because the chemical formula is classified as confidential proprietary information.
"The explosion of shale gas drilling in the East has the potential to turn large stretches of public lands into lifeless moonscapes," stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, noting that land disposal of fracking fluids is common and in the case of the Fernow was done pursuant to a state permit. "This study suggests that these fluids should be treated as toxic waste."
For the past twenty-five years, the Forest Service has not applied any environmental restrictions on private extraction efforts, even in wilderness areas. As a result, forests, like the Monongahela, which sits astride the huge Marcellus Shale gas formation, have struggled with many adverse impacts of widespread drilling. By contrast, the nearby George Washington National Forest (NF) has recently proposed to ban horizontal drilling, a practice associated with hydrofracking, due to concern about both the ecosystem damage and also the huge amount of water required for the fracking process. Two subcommittees of the House of Representatives will hold a joint hearing this Friday to examine the George Washington NF's singular pro-conservation stance.
"Unfortunately, the Forest Service has drilled its head deeply into the sand on oil and gas operations harming forest assets," Ruch added, noting the National Wildlife Refuges also lack regulations to minimize drilling impacts. "The Forest Service needs to develop a broader approach than asking each forest supervisor to cast a lone profile in courage or cowardice."
###
See abstract of the fracking study https://www.agronomy.org/publications/j ... /40/4/1340
Look at drilling problems plaguing the Monongahela NF http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1167
View lack of Forest Service oil & gas regulation on Eastern forests http://peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1162
See proposed ban on horizontal drilling in the George Washington National Forest http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOC ... 297828.pdf
Compare National Wildlife Refuge drilling policy vacuum http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1473
###
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) is a national alliance of local state and federal resource professionals. PEER's environmental work is solely directed by the needs of its members. As a consequence, we have the distinct honor of serving resource professionals who daily cast profiles in courage in cubicles across the country.
--
Fracking Fluids Poison a National Forest
Discussions related to the issues of forest preservation and environmental conservation
Fracking Fluids Poison a National Forest
Post by edfrank » Thu Jul 07, 2011 9:22 am
"I love science and it pains me to think that so many are terrified of the subject or feel that choosing science means you cannot also choose compassion, or the arts, or be awe by nature. Science is not meant to cure us of mystery, but to reinvent and revigorate it." by Robert M. Sapolsky
- James Parton
- Posts: 1576
- Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:47 pm
Re: Fracking Fluids Poison a National Forest
Post by James Parton » Thu Jul 07, 2011 10:07 am
This practice should be banned and the fracking fluids classified as " toxic waste "!
James E Parton
Ovate Course Graduate - Druid Student
Bardic Mentor
New Order of Druids
http://www.druidcircle.org/nod/index.ph ... Itemid=145
Ovate Course Graduate - Druid Student
Bardic Mentor
New Order of Druids
http://www.druidcircle.org/nod/index.ph ... Itemid=145
- jamesrobertsmith
- Posts: 906
- Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 5:32 am
Re: Fracking Fluids Poison a National Forest
Post by jamesrobertsmith » Thu Jul 07, 2011 11:49 am
Violence seems to be the only language that environmental rapists understand.
Return to “Forest Preservation and Conservation”
Jump to
- About Us: Native Tree Society
- ↳ Organizational Information
- ↳ Native Tree Society
- ↳ Eastern Native Tree Society
- ↳ Western Native Tree Society
- ↳ Post Here First - Introduce Yourself
- Measurement
- ↳ Measurement and Dendromorphometry
- ↳ Tree Measurement Videos
- ↳ Tree Measuring Guidelines
- ↳ Dendromorphometry Toolkit
- Trip Reports and Site Descriptions
- ↳ Eastern United States, Canada, and Greenland
- ↳ Discussions of the Eastern United States and Canada
- ↳ Alabama
- ↳ Arkansas
- ↳ Connecticut
- ↳ Delaware
- ↳ Florida
- ↳ Georgia
- ↳ Greenland
- ↳ Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- ↳ Illinois
- ↳ Indiana
- ↳ Iowa
- ↳ Kentucky
- ↳ Louisiana
- ↳ Maine
- ↳ Maryland
- ↳ Massachusetts
- ↳ MA - Mohawk Trail State Forest
- ↳ Michigan
- ↳ Minnesota
- ↳ Mississippi
- ↳ Missouri
- ↳ New Brunswick
- ↳ Newfoundland & Labrador
- ↳ New Hampshire
- ↳ New Jersey
- ↳ New York
- ↳ North Carolina
- ↳ Nova Scotia
- ↳ Ohio
- ↳ Ontario
- ↳ Pennsylvania
- ↳ PA - Cook Forest SP
- ↳ PA Great Lakes Region
- ↳ North Central PA - PA Wilds
- ↳ Northeast Pennsylvania Mountains
- ↳ Phildelphia and the Countryside
- ↳ Alleghenies and Ridge and Valley Areas
- ↳ Dutch Country - South Central
- ↳ Pittsburgh and Southwestern PA
- ↳ Prince Edward Island
- ↳ Quebec
- ↳ Rhode Island
- ↳ South Carolina
- ↳ Tennessee
- ↳ Vermont
- ↳ Virginia
- ↳ Washington DC
- ↳ West Virginia
- ↳ Wisconsin
- ↳ Western United States and Canada
- ↳ Western North America - General Discussions
- ↳ Boreal Forest
- ↳ Alaska
- ↳ Alberta
- ↳ Arizona
- ↳ British Columbia
- ↳ California
- ↳ Colorado
- ↳ Hawaii
- ↳ Idaho
- ↳ Kansas
- ↳ Manitoba
- ↳ Montana
- ↳ Nebraska
- ↳ Nevada
- ↳ New Mexico
- ↳ North Dakota
- ↳ Northwest Territories
- ↳ Nunavut
- ↳ Oklahoma
- ↳ Oregon
- ↳ Saskatchewan
- ↳ South Dakota
- ↳ Texas
- ↳ Utah
- ↳ Washington
- ↳ Wyoming
- ↳ Yukon Territories
- ↳ Europe and the British Isles
- ↳ Europe and the British Isles - Overviews
- ↳ Weblinks for European Forests
- ↳ Balkans Expedition 2012 (to the region of former Yugoslavia)
- ↳ Belgium
- ↳ Bosnia & Herzegovina
- ↳ Croatia
- ↳ Estonia
- ↳ Finland
- ↳ France
- ↳ Georgia
- ↳ Great Britain
- ↳ Germany
- ↳ Hungary
- ↳ Iceland
- ↳ Ireland
- ↳ Italy
- ↳ Montenegro
- ↳ Netherlands
- ↳ Norway
- ↳ Poland
- ↳ Portugal
- ↳ Romania
- ↳ Russia
- ↳ Slovenia
- ↳ Slovakia
- ↳ Spain
- ↳ Sweden
- ↳ Ukraine
- ↳ Other Locations Around the World
- ↳ Africa
- ↳ Antarctica
- ↳ Asia
- ↳ Australia and New Zealand
- ↳ Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico Locations
- ↳ Mexico
- ↳ Central America
- ↳ Caribbean Islands
- ↳ Discussions of the Caribbean Islands
- ↳ Puerto Rico
- ↳ Bermuda
- ↳ Middle Eastern Trees and Forests
- ↳ Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia
- ↳ South America
- ↳ Southeast Asia & East Indies
- Discussion Forums
- ↳ Science Forums
- ↳ General Science Discussions
- ↳ Autopoietic Forest
- ↳ Canopy Research
- ↳ Fungi and Mycology
- ↳ Forest Ecology and Processes
- ↳ Invasive Species and Tree Diseases
- ↳ Multitrunk Trees, Woody Vines, and Other Forms
- ↳ Non-forested Ecosystems
- ↳ Old Growth and Primary Forests
- ↳ Remote Sensing, LIDAR, and GIS
- ↳ Unusual Forests
- ↳ Weather and Climate
- ↳ Trees and Forests - General Discussion Forums
- ↳ General Discussions
- ↳ NTS Members in the News
- ↳ Off-topic - Post About Anything Here
- ↳ Arborglyphs and Tree Carvings
- ↳ Arboriculture and Landscaping
- ↳ Biomass
- ↳ Bonsai Trees
- ↳ Books, Articles, and Internet References
- ↳ Computers, Smart Phones, Internet Media, & Software
- ↳ Children and Teens: Nature Activities and Education
- ↳ Fall Foliage
- ↳ NTS Facebook Group and Page
- ↳ Native Tree Society Facebook Group
- ↳ Forest Preservation and Conservation
- ↳ Forest Fires
- ↳ Forest Management
- ↳ Games, Contests, Quizzes, and Humor
- ↳ History and Historical Great Trees
- ↳ Glossary
- ↳ Indigenous Peoples
- ↳ Spring Awakenings - Phenology
- ↳ Special Places
- ↳ Tree Climbing
- ↳ General Tree Climbing Discussions
- ↳ Tree Climbing Tips, Techniques, and Equipment
- ↳ Tree Climbs
- ↳ Tree Species, Families and Identification
- ↳ Urban Forests, Trees, and Landscapes
- ↳ Wildlife and Wildlife Encounters
- ↳ Art, Aesthetics, and Humanities
- ↳ Art: General Discussions and Philosophy
- ↳ Art: Literature, Poetry, and Prose
- ↳ Art: Mixed Media. Other Forms, and Unclassified
- ↳ Art: Music and Song
- ↳ Art: Painting, Drawing, and Graphics
- ↳ Art: Sculpture
- ↳ Art and Science
- ↳ Forest Aesthetics
- ↳ Forest Experiences, Epiphanies, and Philosophies
- ↳ Leverett's Lounge
- ↳ 2010 Western Trip
- ↳ Photography Techniques
- ↳ Photography
- ↳ Religion, Myths, Legends, and Sacred Stories
- ↳ General Discussions on Religion
- ↳ Christianity
- ↳ Classical Mythology
- ↳ Druidism
- ↳ Forests Spritis and the Fey
- ↳ Legends
- ↳ Sacred Stories
- ↳ Dreams
- ↳ Scientists, Artists, and Naturalists
- ↳ Sounds of Nature
- ↳ Unclassified Aesthetics Discussions
- ↳ Value of Nature: Relationships Between People and the Forest
- ↳ Videos, Movies, and Televison Featuring Forests and Trees
- ↳ Video Production
- ↳ Woodcrafts
- ↳ Dendrochronology
- ↳ Dendrochronology and Tree Ages
- NTS Publications
- ↳ Bulletin of the Eastern Native Tree Society
- ↳ Buletin of ENTS - NTS Website Link
- ↳ eNTS Magazine
- ↳ eNTS Magazine NTS Website Link
- ↳ Special Publications
- ↳ Special Publications NTS Website Link - Reports 1 through 9
- General Information
- ↳ Projects and Surveys, Database, Groups, and Links
- ↳ Current Research Project Listings
- ↳ Adirondack Park, NY
- ↳ Allegheny River Corridor
- ↳ American Chestnut Project
- ↳ Big Tree Listings
- ↳ Blue Ridge Parkway Project
- ↳ Liriodendron Height Project - Neil Pederson
- ↳ Liriodendron Project
- ↳ Live Oak Project
- ↳ Montpelier Estate, VA
- ↳ Poplar Forest Project
- ↳ Tree Measurement Video
- ↳ Other Projects
- ↳ Lake Ontario - St. Lawrence Lowlands Tree Survey
- ↳ Trees Database
- ↳ Tree Database Website
- ↳ Database Discussions on NTS Website
- ↳ Native Tree Society Groups
- ↳ Executive Committee
- ↳ Scientific Advisory Board
- ↳ Arts, Aesthetics, and New Media Group
- ↳ Canopy Research Group
- ↳ Dendrochronology and Old Growth Forest Group
- ↳ Dendromorphometry Group
- ↳ Forest Ecology and Processes Group
- ↳ Forestry and Arboriculture Group
- ↳ Internet, Database, and Web Communications Group
- ↳ LiDAR and Computer Modeling Group
- ↳ Measurement and Exploration Group
- ↳ Multinational Coordination Group
- ↳ Tree Climbing and Recreational Activities Group
- ↳ Links to Other Tree Groups
- ↳ Special Lists
- ↳ Special Lists
- ↳ Tree of the Week
- ↳ Events and Gatherings
- ↳ Events 2014
- ↳ Events 2013
- ↳ Events 2012
- ↳ Events 2011
- ↳ Events 2010
- ↳ HCC Forest Summit 6/ENTS Rendezvous 2010
- ↳ WNTS Rendezvous July 2010
- ↳ Non- Events
- ↳ Events - Older
- ↳ BBS Administration - How Everything Works
- ↳ Terms of Usage
- ↳ Bulletin of ENTS, No. 10, Vol. 1, 2015
- ↳ eNTS Magazine 2016