Gas drilling suspected in air pollution study

[saw em off]

Let me start by admitting a bias up front. I work in the Oil&Gas business and have for years. I did some reading of the links admin posted (thanks by the way) and noticed that the report was done for Environmental Defense Fund. I always want to follow the money to see if the science can be trusted or if it may be jaded (ie the acedemics that recently were caught via hacked emails jading the science of global warming). Here is a published report documenting some very interesting information on EDF. Read it if you chose and make your own decisions on the validity of the report that is saying that Denton County is a problem area but just thought that you may find it interesting to see who commissioned the report in the first place. This was written prior to the Bush-Kerry election cycle.

http://www.capitalresearch.org/pubs/pdf/FW0804.pdf

[admin]

WFAA-TV takes credit for first publicizing Barnett Shale air study results.

[admin]

Quality of air in shale field gets attention

[admin]

Here is some good news from the TCEQ re: an air study conducted to our south:


OIL&GAS AIR TESTS IN FT. WORTH FIND “NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN”

TCEQ Will Continue Air Testing, Monitoring in Barnett Shale

An intensive three-day TCEQ air monitoring effort in Ft. Worth the week of December 14 surveyed more than a hundred natural gas production facilities within the city limits for potentially dangerous air emissions, and found no pollutants at levels that would be a cause for concern.

“In fact, the majority of the testing during that trip found no detection of volatile organic compounds at all,” said the TCEQ’s John Sadlier, deputy director of the Office of Compliance and Enforcement. “At the sites where our monitoring staff detected odors, or our instruments detected the possible presence of VOCs, we collected more sensitive air canister samples. When analyzed, these samples showed either non-detection or levels of VOCs below levels which would cause any short-term or long-term health concerns.” Benzene was among the 22 VOCs (volatile organic compounds) tested for.

“This study was undertaken in response to concerns from citizens in the North Texas area,” said TCEQ Executive Director Mark Vickery. “Our agency is committed to protecting the health of the people of Texas. While we did not document any dangerous ambient air pollution during this study in Ft. Worth, we will continue to perform additional studies and monitoring in the area of the Barnett Shale.”

Three teams of experienced monitoring staff fanned out over Ft. Worth from December 15 - 17, equipped with infrared cameras that detect VOC emissions invisible to the naked eye, hand-held sniffers called toxic vapor analyzers, and air sampling canisters that were used to take samples when any of the instruments detected potential emissions or the staff detected strong odors.

The teams surveyed 126 natural gas production sites that ranged from drilling and fracturing processing sites to disposal sites to compressor facilities. The sites surveyed were selected by a combination of factors, including facility types, proximity of the site to residences, and size of the facility. All samples were collected off site, using standard monitoring protocols taking into account wind direction and other atmospheric conditions.

The TCEQ will continue to respond to citizen complaints concerning oil and gas facilities and has modified internal guidance to provide quicker response times to complaints. Large scale, more in-depth air quality studies covering a much larger area of the Barnett Shale formation have been conducted, and results are expected in mid-January. The results of the study will be posted on the TCEQ’s Barnett Shale website, http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/implementation/barnettshale, which also contains additional information on air quality in the area.

[Pipeline]

Well, no benzene or toxins of any kind? No measurable VOC's? 126 sites tested and no problems. So "the sky is not falling" as some local whacko blogs and Denton Record Chronical "yellow journalists" have been insisting? Imagine that. Go figure. I guess we are not all going to die or get sick after all. Stick that in your pipe, Lon Burnam. Drill, Baby, Drill! But please, no injection wells. Dump that with the radioactive waste in West Texas.

[admin]

Since this is such a hot topic, I added a new poll to the front page of CTG.com: Are you concerned about possible environmental or public health effects of gas drilling in Southern Denton County?: www.crosstimbersgazette.com

[Pipeline]

Admin,

12 of the 20 posts are yours in this thread. 4 or 5 are mine. Doesn't seem to be that hot a topic to warrant a "poll". Don't let TXSharon get inside your head. Your previous post said air quality studies performed by experienced personnel with the TCEQ came back negative. So the dog still chases it's tail. I do hold various local mineral interests under lease, so I do have a bias, but, the issue still remains that "nuts" gotta gripe about something. Mr. Tillman, instead of travelling to Austin, just needs to grab a pipe wrench and tighten some fittings.

[admin]

Doesn't seem to be that hot a topic to warrant a "poll". Don't let TXSharon get inside your head. Your previous post said air quality studies performed by experienced personnel with the TCEQ came back negative. So the dog still chases it's tail. I do hold various local mineral interests under lease, so I do have a bias, but, the issue still remains that "nuts" gotta gripe about something. Mr. Tillman, instead of travelling to Austin, just needs to grab a pipe wrench and tighten some fittings.

LOL. Well, I have no dog in this hunt. But my personal observation from talking to folks around town is this issue sure isn't going away anytime soon!

[admin]

Area towns and energy companies are reacting to recent air quality concerns related to natural gas drilling in Denton County: http://www.crosstimbersgazette.com/loca ... tion-.html

[admin]

Press release from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality re: their air quality study in the Barnett Shale:


TCEQ COMPLETES STUDY OF AIR EMISSIONS IN BARNETT SHALE

Most readings well below acceptable exposure levels – two hot spots identified and corrected

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has announced the results of its study of air quality in the Barnett Shale area of North Texas. A total of 94 oil and gas monitoring sites were surveyed. At a majority of the monitoring sites, chemicals were either not detected or were detected below levels of health concern. However, two monitoring sites had relatively high levels of benzene. In addition, 19 monitoring sites registered benzene concentrations higher than the TCEQ would like to see.

The study analyzed more than a hundred volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but mainly focused on benzene, which is a human carcinogen.

Although the results are complex, it is clear that gas production facilities can, and in some cases do, emit contaminants in amounts that could be deemed unsafe for life-time (70 years) or long-term exposure. However, at only two monitoring sites were benzene levels found that would trigger immediate actions to reduce emissions.

At one monitoring site, the Targa North Texas LP Bryan Compressor Station (monitoring site 8 ), instantaneous benzene samples were collected at levels up to 1,100 parts per billion (ppb) approximately 200 yards from two residences. Although these levels are less than the lowest levels shown to cause adverse health effects in short-term human and animal studies, the levels are of potential concern due to their contribution to long-term cumulative exposure levels. The TCEQ provided the monitoring results to Targa and the company reported that repairs had been completed. In testing done the week of Jan. 18, VOC levels were below short-term effects screening levels (ESLs), and benzene was at normal background levels, about .25 ppb.

In another measurement at a Devon Energy natural gas well (monitoring site 7), a sample was collected with a benzene concentration of 15,000 ppb. Although this sample was collected at the well-head and the general public would not be expected to be exposed to these levels, it clearly demonstrates that gas operations can contribute to benzene concentrations in ambient air. The TCEQ provided the monitoring results to Devon and the company reported that repairs had been completed. Like monitoring site 8, testing done the week of Jan. 18 showed VOC levels at the well-head and at the fence line were below short-term effects screening levels, and benzene was at normal background levels, about .25 ppb.

The study also found elevated levels of other VOCs, including carbon disulfide, ethane, 1,2-dibromoethane, and isopentane, but none at levels that would be expected to cause adverse health effects. In addition, several other compounds that can cause odors were detected.

NEXT STEPS:

• The TCEQ has already instituted new complaint and investigation
guidelines for oil and gas production areas that will see citizen complaints investigated within 12 hours. Investigations can result in enforcement actions against entities responsible for excessive emissions.

• Two new long-term auto-GC monitors (these monitors perform
continuous, near-real-time VOC monitoring) will be installed at DISH and Eagle Mountain Lake to get a better understanding of long-term ambient air conditions, and to help assess the effectiveness of the TCEQ's actions, and to provide information on how to focus future efforts.

• The TCEQ will continue reconnaissance investigations in the
area, using both ground and air-based monitoring assets, and conduct a special emissions inventory of sources including an actual gas analysis from each site.

• The TCEQ will investigate sources for proper permit
authorizations and require testing of sites with continued excessive emissions.

• The TCEQ has undertaken a review of permitting rules that apply
to oil and gas operations. The review will ensure that authorizations and permits are enforceable, and protective of public health, and that they properly regulate all operations located at an oil and gas site.

• The TCEQ will continue to provide compliance assistance to small
operators, focused initially on condensate producers.

BACKGROUND OF SURVEY:
The TCEQ’s mobile monitoring organization conducted three surveys, one each in August, October, and November 2009 in Denton, Wise, Parker, Hood, Johnson and Tarrant counties. The surveys measured air emissions around a wide variety of natural gas and natural gas-related production facilities. Monitoring staff made every effort to collect emissions measurements downwind of the sources, moving around to stay in the plume where emissions would be most concentrated. Monitoring staff used hand-held VOC monitors, gas chromatographic monitors mounted in specialized TCEQ vehicles, infrared cameras that detect VOC emissions invisible to the naked eye; and instantaneous VOC canisters that take samples that are later analyzed in the laboratory with high levels of accuracy.

Another survey is scheduled for the same area during the spring.

MORE INFORMATION AND DATA:
More information and data from this study, including the toxicology department memo and the monitoring report, are posted on the TCEQ's Barnett Shale Web site at http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/goto/barnettshale.

OTHER SURVEYS:
In December, the TCEQ conducted an air monitoring survey around 126 gas production sites in the city of Fort Worth. This monitoring survey found no levels of concern for any compounds. This survey was unrelated to the larger Barnett Shale study.

Full report (PDF file): http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/publ ... tShale.pdf

[admin]

The DISH Board of Commissioners voted to suspend all new natural gas drilling operations for 90 days Monday night at a town meeting: http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/d ... 6f70a.html

[admin]

Most Barnett Shale facilities release emissions

[admin]

Could this be the latest fashion fad for people living in the Barnett Shale area?

[Common Sense Al]

Could this be the latest fashion fad for people living in the Barnett Shale area?

Wow. A new fashion that might have some use.

Now add GPS sensors and a wireless receiver/transmitter and send the location and it's toxicity levels to a computer (in real time) with website that let's everyone see the results.

[admin]

Now add GPS sensors and a wireless receiver/transmitter and send the location and it's toxicity levels to a computer (in real time) with website that let's everyone see the results.

Kind of like this guy does: http://www.crosstimbersgazette.com/loca ... check.html