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There are 100 years of natural
gas supply under the Marcellus Shale
Rumor Source:
President Obama’s 2012
State of the Union Address
False
The 100-year prediction included gas from shale wells, offshore wells and Alaska’s North Slope. But many energy experts question these types of projections because they include substantial amounts of natural gas that many scientists and engineers say may never be tapped. The EIA released a report that said the Marcellus region contained 141 trillion cubic feet of gas that’s a 66 percent drop from the 410 trillion cubic feet estimate offered in the agency’s last report. Under the agency’s new estimates, the Marcellus shale, which was previously thought to hold enough gas to meet the entire nation’s demand for 17 years at current consumption rates, contains instead a 6 year supply.
Sources:“New Report by Agency Lowers Estimates of Natural Gas in U.S.”by Ian Urbino; New York Times, 1/28/2012;
Rumor:
There has never been a
report of contamination
from Hydro Fracking
Rumor Source: All Pro-drillers
False
The Facts: The process of hydro fracking (explosions miles below the earth’s surface) is very difficult to to determine if that is the cause of contaminations. But leaks from cement casings and spills from holding tanks is well documented. Also, many complaints have been silenced because the victims have signed non-disclosure statements in order to get reparations and/or clean water.
High volume hydraulic
fracturing has been in use
for decades – this is nothing new.
Rumor Source:
Energy in Depth (EID), an IPAA
(Independent Petroleum Association
of America) funded organization
masquerading as a grassroots move-
ment promotes this rumor repeatedly.
False
The Facts: Hydraulic fracturing has been going on for decades, using relatively small quantities of water and chemicals, since the 1940s. The kind of drilling used now is High volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) developed in the late 1990s. What is different is that it uses millions of gallons of water and hundreds of chemcals- many of which may be carcinogenic.
Sources: New York State DEC dSGEIS, Chapter 5, page 39.
Howard, G.C. and C.R. Fast (editors), Hydraulic Fracturing, Monograph Vol. 2 of the Henry L. Doherty Series, Society of Petroleum Engineers New York, 1970.
Arthur, J. Daniel, P.E., ALL Consulting; et. al. “Hydraulic Fracturing Considerations for Natural Gas Wells of the Marcellus Shale.” Presented at The Ground Water Protection Council 2008 Annual Forum, Cincinnati, Ohio Sept. 21?24, 2008.
Rumor:
Natural gas has a smaller
carbon footprint than other
fossil fuels such as oil or coal.
Rumor Source:
This rumor is based on the fact
that natural gas burns cleaner
than coal or oil; however, it is
less clean once the fossil fuels
required for extraction and
processing are included.
False
The Facts: Although gas burns cleaner than coal and oil, the extraction, processing, and transport of natural gas require significant amounts of oil (diesel and gasoline). Natural gas extraction also emits large amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Methane has a global warming potential 21 times greater than carbon dioxide on a 100?year scale, and 72 times greater than carbon dioxide on a 20?year scale. A recent, ongoing Cornell analysis suggests the footprint of shale gas may be 1.2 to 2.1 fold greater than coal’s on a 20?year time frame.
Sources: Foster, Piers; Ramaswamy, Venkatachalam; et. al. "Changes in Atmospheric Constituents and in Radiative
Forcing." Working Group I Fourth Assessment Report "The Physical Science Basis". IPCC.
Howarth, Robert; “Methane and the greenhouse?gas footprint of natural gas from shale formations.” Cornell
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
"EPA Finalizes Greenhouse Gas Reporting Requirements for Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry/Reporting targets methane, a potent greenhouse gas and valuable fuel." EPA News Releases from Headquarters. EPA, Nov. 9, 2010.
Rumor:
We can depend on the DEC to
keep us safe since they have
done so in the past.
Rumor Source:
The New York Independent
Oil & Gas Association (IOGA)
as well as various citizens
have argued this repeatedly.
False
The Facts: The DEC has done an incomplete job of monitoring gas drilling and protecting safety. This is most true in the case of abandoned oil and gas wells. While there is evidence of spills and contamination related to the oil and gas industry, the DEC is significantly understaffed and unprepared to monitor and regulate these activities.
Sources: Bishop, Ron. “History of Oil and Gas Well Abandonment in New York.” Publication Pending 2012 http://www.toxicstargeting.com
Rumor
Gas from local wells could
provide cheap energy for
local use
Rumor Source:
Gastem and others have
made this claim outright
(see www.gastem.ca)
Partially true, but largely exaggerated
The Facts: Gas cannot be used directly from the well, it must first be treated to remove impurities. No one should expect gas from a local well to go directly into a local home or factory because the gas must be processed for the major pipeline no matter where it comes from. The only way that gas can be safely and securely used, is if it is treated to transition pipeline quality and backed up by transmission pipeline supplies and storage, regardless of where it is produced or used.
Ultimately, because the locally produced gas will be part of the larger transmission pipeline network, there is no guarantee that the gas price will be differentiated from any other gas in the network.
Sources: Conversation with Lou Allstadt, March 22, 2012
Rumor:
If a town bans hydrofracking
the local government can be
sued to recover the value of
lost property through a taking
claim from the lease holder.
Rumor Source:
This claim is made by lawyers
advocating for gas drilling and
their pro?gas clients.
False
The Facts: There is no legal basis for a taking claim when it is personal, rather than real, property. Furthermore, since prohibiting gas drilling prevents only one specific kind of economic gain from the land or lease, rather than all possible gain, there is no ground for a taking claim. There is no claim of a taking based on a gas lease, which is personal property rather than real property, i.e. land.
Sources: Long, Mary Jo Esq.; “Banning Hydrofracking Is Not A “Taking” of Property.” March 2012. http://otsego2000.org/news.htm
Rumor:
Hydraulic fracturing has not
been made exempt from the
Safe Drinking Water Act
because it is not regulated by
the Safe Drinking Water Act
at all.
Rumor Source:
EID, has been promoting
this rumor since 2010.
False
The Facts: The Safe Drinking Water Act has always covered the “subsurface emplacement of fluid” within the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program in order to protect underground sources of drinking water (USDWs). However, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 Sec. 322 defines underground injection to exclude “the underground injection of fluids or propping agents (other than diesel fuels) pursuant to hydraulic fracturing operations related to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities.’’
Note: The Energy Policy Act of 2005 exempted Hydraulic Fracturing from the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, the Super Fund Act and many other reporting and oversight laws.
Sources: Energy Policy Act of 2005: Subtitle Section C Production; SEC. 322 Hydraulic Fracturing.
Rumor:
Town Board members can be
held personally liable for legislation
they pass and can be sued by natural
gas lease holders or companies.
Rumor Source:
This rumor emerged early in 2010
and has resurfaced several times when
Town Boards move toward bans or
land use laws that could threaten
gas drilling.
False
The Facts: Town Board members are not personally liable. “It is well established that federal, state, regional, and local legislators are entitled to absolute immunity from civil liability for their legitimate legislative activities,” meaning that there is no personal legal risk to Town Board members.
Sources: Legislative Immunity of Local Elected Officials; Douglas Zamelis, June 30, 2011
Rumor:
No one has ever died in a
hydrofracking related accident
Rumor Source:
This appeared in the comment
line of a Daily Star article in
March 2012
False
The Facts: In 2004 methane migration in Rose Township, Pennsylvania, resulted in an explosion inside a nearby house, killing two adults and their infant grandchild.
Sources: Wilber, Tom. Under the Surface: Fracking, Fortunes, and the Fate of the Marcellus Shale. Cornell University Press, 2012.
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