Feds Warn Pavillion, WY Residents Not To Drink Water - Benzene, Phenols, Naphtalene Among Toxins

[hatrack]

The federal government is warning residents in a small Wyoming town with extensive natural gas development not to drink their water, and to use fans and ventilation when showering or washing clothes in order to avoid the risk of an explosion.

The announcement accompanied results from a second round of testing and analysis in the town of Pavillion by Superfund investigators for the Environmental Protection Agency. Researchers found benzene, metals, naphthalene, phenols and methane in wells and in groundwater. They also confirmed the presence of other compounds that they had tentatively identified last summer and that may be linked to drilling activities.

Ed. - NO!

"Last week it became clear to us that the information that we had gathered" "was going to potentially result in a hazard -- result in a recommendation to some of you that you not continue to drink your water," Martin Hestmark, deputy assistant regional administrator for ecosystems protection and remediation with the EPA in Denver, told a crowd of about 100 gathered at a community center in Pavillion Tuesday night. "We understand the gravity of that." Representatives of the EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, which made the health recommendation, said they had not determined the cause of the contamination and said it was too early to tell whether gas drilling was to blame. In addition to contaminants related to oil and gas, the agency detected pesticides in some wells, and significant levels of nitrates in one sample -- signs that agricultural pollution could be partly to blame. The EPA's final report on Pavillion's water is expected early next year.

ProPublica first drew attention to Pavillion's water <1> in late 2008, and reported extensively <2> on the EPA's ongoing investigation there last August. EnCana, the oil and gas company that owns most of the wells near Pavillion, has agreed to contribute to the cost of supplying residents with drinking water, even though the company has not accepted responsibility for the contamination.

EDIT

http://www.propublica.org/article/feds-warn-residents-near-wyoming-gas-drilling-sites-not-to-drink-their-wate

[Altoid_Cyclist]

1. This is part of a letter that I sent to Pres. Obama the other day.

It pertains to my part of the country, but some of the points can be applied to other parts of the US as well. I realize that it was a futile effort on my part, but it made me feel better anyway. We're destroying our country one oil or gas field at a time.



"I would like to express my desire to reverse the current policies that
are allowing the destruction in the Appalachian Region. Between
Mountain Top Removal Mining and the Marcellus Shale drilling, we are
losing an incredible amount of the natural landscape. When you add in
the total destruction of many streams, rivers and lakes which will
never recover, we are witnessing an inland version of the Gulf of
Mexico disaster.

There are already towns, cities and rural citizens that must rely on
"Water Buffalo" tankers for their fresh water supply. This is
supposed to be a developed country, but you would never know it due to
the total acquiescence made to the fossil fuel cabal. The concept of "Clean Coal" and Marcellus Shale drilling done without destroying the environment is inane at best and criminal at worst. Please end the practice of being complicit with these criminals and put into place laws and regulations which will allow the preservation and restoration of our natural environment."

[bluesmail]

2. The blog you have listed is extremely interesting. eom

[Altoid_Cyclist]

3. It does contain a lot of information.

I actually met someone who lives in Hickory, PA and she says that it's even worse than it seems.

She and her husband are trying to locate another town to move to because of the health concerns and what it might do to their children. The two main roadblocks for them are that it's almost impossible to sell their house due to the drilling and her husband is a teacher and there aren't a lot of openings.

[Nihil]

4. This bit is almost unbelievable:

> The federal government is warning residents in a small Wyoming town
> with extensive natural gas development not to drink their water, and
> to use fans and ventilation when showering or washing clothes in order
> to avoid the risk of an explosion.

:wow:

If that doesn't provide a :wtf: moment to them, what will?