Fwd: [pocahontaspeace] [Fwd: FW: Office of Oil and Gas Program Review Meeting]

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Carla Beaudet

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Jul 20, 2010, 3:37:21 PM7/20/10
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----- Original message -----
From: "Mark & Marilyn Clark" <mcl...@frontiernet.net>
Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:42:46 -0400
Subject: [pocahontaspeace] [Fwd: FW: Office of Oil and Gas Program Review Meeting]
 
 



-------- Original Message --------

Subject: FW: Office of Oil and Gas Program Review Meeting
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:35:27 -0400
From: Beth Little <blittle@citynet.net>
To: <blittle@citynet.net>


The DEP Office of Oil and Gas has convened meetings of "stakeholders" to receive input on how their rules governing gas drilling should be changed to deal with the increased impacts of Marcellus shale drilling.  So far the meetings (I think there have been two) were attended by a couple of environmental leaders, 70 or more industry representatives and NO concerned citizens from the general public. 
 
Although these meetings are not public hearings where it would be appropriate to turn out hundreds of supporters, it would be beneficial to have a strong showing of people prepared to make comments to balance the input of the gas industry, which is mostly that they don't need any more regulation.  It would be particularly good to have folks who will say they are from watershed organizations or other citizen groups and they support (pick a rule from the list at the end of the message, and if you are seriously thinking of going and want more info about any of the items, send me a message). 
 
And please pass this on...
 
 
The next Office of Oil and Gas Program Review meeting will be held Wednesday, July 28, 2010 from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM (GMT-05:00) in the Cooper's Rock Training Room at DEP Headquarters in Charleston.
 
If you plan to attend or would like to make a presentation, you should contact Kristin Boggs at DEP Kristin.A.Boggs@wv.gov or James Martin, Chief of Oil and Gas James.A.Martin@wv.gov by email by July 21, a week ahead of time, so they can have a "head" count of who is attending and modify the agenda if there is time for your presentation.
 
 
 
List of desired improvements to WV OIl and Gas regulation:
 

I.  Improvements in WV-DEP rule (35-CSR-4).

            A.  Require leaking wells to be repaired, or ordered closed.

            B.  Require fencing of pits.

            C.  Require landowner notification and approval of reclamation alterations, as well as start of operations (with more reasonable lead time).

 

 

II.  New Legislation

1.  TDS Standards (250 ppm) state wide (this is actually being dealt with in the Water and Waste Management Div, but it doesn’t hurt to mention it).

2.  Improved funding for DEP – higher permit fees in order to hire more inspectors and higher bonds to cover accidents and abandonments

3.  Eliminate Blanket Bond process (Currently $50,000 per company, which is inadequate to plug wells ($8-10,000 each) after their useful life.

4.  Road repair bonds or similar requirements to maintain public roads damaged by heavy trucks carrying drill rigs and frac water, and some kind of traffic safety control during times school buses are on the road..

5.  Require wastewater disposal tracking (cradle-to-grave water permits with documentation; i.e. records of where water came from and where it went).

6.  Limits on withdrawals during low-flow periods, (e.g., flows less than 60 % of annual average flow).  (this is also being dealt with in the Water and Waste Management Div, but it doesn’t hurt to mention it).

7.  Public disclosure of fracing chemicals used in Underground Injection.

8.  Additional studies required for permits in karst geology.

9.  Amend W.Va. Code 22-6-6(d) to require a sediment control plan for well plugging and site remediation operations (currently exempted).

10.  Require pits to be lined, operators to maintain the integrity of liners, and pits and liner materials to be disposed of at approved facilities, rather than buried on-site.

11.  Require the operator to test all wells and springs used for domestic purposes, within 1000 feet of a well prior to drilling and record tests with DEP permit.  Tests should include major ions, methane, NORMs, and fracing constituents.

12.  Prohibit disposal of brine, including coal bed methane brines in underground mines.

13.  Prohibit disposal of brines or frac water in publicly-owned waste water treatment facilities (unless they are specifically designed to treat such waters),

14.  Reform process for hiring inspectors to reduce industry influence.  Eliminate the current industry majority and require conflict-of-interest provisions for Oil and Gas Inspectors Board.

15.  Additional funding mechanisms for inspections and enforcement (currently WV-DEP has 16 inspectors for 40,000 wells, with 900-3000 new well permits per year.)

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  Carla Beaudet
  speak...@fastmail.fm
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