Great Anti Frack Organization Meeting Today in North Branch

FRACKING is a World Wide CONCERN

On my way home today, made a significant detour over to North Branch, NY for a Volunteer Organizational meeting hosted by Catskill Citizens.  First, please visit their website.  Secondly, consider donating to their cause, as these folks are working VERY HARD to reach out to the community, educate the public to just what FRACKING is, and to persuade our politicians in Albany to do the right thing.  

My biggest regret today is that I did not have my camera along with me, so have to plan a second trip to the area in and around North Branch...if you want to see just what is at risk as the (un)Natural Gas industry plans a FRACKING ASSAULT on our lands, you could not ask for a better example than the drive along 17B out of Monticello toward North Branch.  Beautiful lush farm land, steams and rivers shaded by majestic trees, fly fishermen knee deep in rushing waters, a trout on the line.  Saw one American Bald Eagle, and so many hawks that I lost count of them.  It is truly God's Country, and the Natural Gas industry wants to despoil it extracting Natural Gas to sell to China...YES, IT IS TRUE...as example, Chesapeake Energy has been selling LARGE SHARES of it's own holdings in the Marcellus Shale to overseas investors interesting in shipping it overseas, the largest deals being made with Chinese State Owned CNOOC.

Just here in lower New York State, we need to awaken and educate some EIGHT MILLION CITIZENS to the risks of Fracking, educate them on just what it is they stand to lose...both in natural beauty, and more importantly in clean fresh SAFE DRINKING WATER....to do that, organizations like that need your support, and your donations...just the yard signs that THEY HAND OUT FOR FREE are four dollars each, and trust me, the Natural Gas industry is giving away their own signs that read, "Friend of Natural Gas"...so it is imperative that organizations like Catskill Citizens have the ability to get their own signs out in peoples yards, imperiative that they have the resources to put a No Fracking button into the hands of every citizen they can find willing to wear one.  Hopefully, those reading this blog will get involved in whatever way each of you can.

Which brings me to ONE LAST REQUEST in this article.  I have been charged with a task...start compiling a list of Wolves in Sheep's clothing Environmental Groups, or Pro Natural Gas organizations that are a FRONT for the Natural Gas Industry, are wholly, or mostly FUNDED BY THE INDUSTRY...if we are to fight their PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN, we have to identify their FALSE FRONT ORGANIZATIONS.  So, if any of you know of organizations being FUNDED BY THE NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY, please email me their Organizational Name, and if you have it a link to their website.  You can send the information to:  fracktoidnews@yahoo.com All email will be kept confidential, but every organization identified and verified as being funded by the Natural Gas Industry will be A) put on a widely distributed list, and B) featured in our newest blog project, "FRACKTURDS".

Sharing From Toxic Targeting...Also, Don't Forget April 11, 2011 Albany Event

A friend of mine passed along some information from the folks at Toxic Targeting which includes some key information and government contacts that I feel compelled to share for all the folks here in NY, and specifically for those of us living here in Sullivan County.  Additionally, want to pass along some information for any one who thinks they would like to attend the Rally in Albany on the 11th, which is basically now one week away.

Call and email Governor Andrew Cuomo, EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck, DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.  Ask them to support:

Expanding the scope of the draft SGEIS to include additional concerns, notably how to manage gas drilling wastewater;

Establishing Citizens and Technical Advisory Committees to help DEC revise the draft SGEIS;

Providing at least 30 days public comment to identify additional issues to be included in the draft SGEIS scope;

Requiring individual EIS reviews for horizontal hydrofracturing permits, "GA effluent limitations" for hydrofracturing, deep well injection and wastewater treatment as well as updating DEC's 1992 GEIS.

CONTACT INFORMATION for these people: 

Please bcc: fractoidnews@yahoo.com

• Governor Andrew Cuomo
  http://www.governor.ny.gov/contact/GovernorContactForm.php
  518-474-8390
• EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck
  enck.judith@epa.gov
  212-637-5000 (o)
• DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens
  518-402-8545 (o) 

        joemartens@gw.dec.state.ny.us

          Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
          City Hall
          New York, NY 10007
          PHONE 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC)
          FAX (212) 312-0700
          E-MAIL: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

Albany Frack Rally...Your Attendance is REALLY IMPORTANT

(Special Thanks to Catskill Mountainkeeper for this INFO)

Monday, April 11th

Join us in Albany for a large Rally & Lobby Day to stop unsafe gas drilling. The rally will start on the Capital Lawn at 10:30 AM and be followed by visits with legislators throughout the afternoon.  This is the day to get you and everyone you can to Albany and show with sheer numbers and diversity that all of New York; upstate, downstate, environmentalist, capitalist, scientist, mother, farmer, father, teacher, and student do not want this pushed ahead at the expense of our communities, our health, our water and our air!!!!
To register for the lobby day portion click here: www.citizenscampaign.org/hfrac

Catskill Mountainkeeper has secured two buses to transport people to the rally on April 11th.  For more information and to register for the buses click the appropriate links below:

Bus from Callicoon               Bus from Oneonta

There are also buses coming from other locations. 

For a bus from Brooklyn contact Eric Weltman from Food & Water Watch at (718) 943-9085 or eweltman@fwwatch.org.  From Cooperstown, please contact Kim Jastremski kimjast@yahoo.com.

For more information and to register for buses from Syracuse, Endicott or Ithaca, click here.

Please join us and pass this information along to your friends and neighbors.  The more people that show up for this event, the greater the impact we will have on our government officials.  We need them to know how passionately we feel about this issue.

The following organizations are sponsoring the Rally & Lobby Day on April 11th:
Sponsoring organizations (list in formation): Back to Democracy, Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition, Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Committee to Preserve the Finger Lakes, Concerned Citizens of Tioga County, Damascus Citizens, Delaware Action Group, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition, Earthworks Oil & Gas Accountability Project, Environment New York, Environmental Advocates of New York, Food & Water Watch, Frack Action, Friends of Vestal, Gas Drilling Awareness for Cortland County, Gray Panthers, NYC Network, Highland Concerned Citizens, Keuka Citizens Against Hydrofracking, Landowners Against Natural-gas Drilling, Lumberland Concerned Citizens, Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation, New York Residents Against Drilling, New Yorkers for Sustainable Energy Solutions, NOFA – New York, NYH20, Otisco Lake Preservation Association, Otsego County Conservation Association, Schoharie Valley Watch, ShaleshockCNY, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, Sullivan Area Citizens for Responsible Energy Development (SACRED), Sustainable Otsego, Sustainable Tioga, Tusten Concerned Citizens and United for Action

 

Some General Information, and NY State Fracking Chemicals List

So, just what kinds of chemicals are involved in Fracking...below is the NY State list (or at least that part of it that has made its way into the public domain) as well as a small list of terms that you might want to familiarize yourselves with.  

The (un)Natural Gas industry would have us believe that these chemicals are harmless...IE, they have been quoted as saying things like, "They are common things you would find in your household detergents".  OK...so we take the first item on the list Benzisothiazolin-2-one...and we find the following warning:

The acute health risks from exposure to N-butyl-1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one are potentially significant due primarily to its corrosive nature to the skin. However, the precautionary and first aid statements on the product label, as well as label directions requiring personal protective equipment (PPE) and other protective measures adequately mitigate the potential health risks to persons who may come in contact with the pesticide. 

Gee...the acute health risks from exposure are POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT due primarily to its corrosive nature to the skin.  First, how many citizens around fracking sights have complained of SKIN RASHES?  Secondly, how many of these citizens are being provided the protective equipment (PPE) and are cautioned to take the protective measures necessary to MITIGATE this potential health risk? 

OK, lets pick another one from the list...say, 1,4 Dioxane.  Mind you, the (un)Natural Gas industry is throwing wells up in Suburban areas, wanting to put up thousands of wells here in New York in some of our most pristine lands, in NY's biggest water shed, but the EPA and these companies assure us that Dioxane is SAFE...is it?  You be the judge...

1,4 Fioxane- Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure to high levels of 1,4-dioxane has caused vertigo, drowsiness, headache, anorexia and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs in humans.  It may also irritate the skin.  Damage to the liver and kidneys has been observed in rats chronically (long-term) exposed in their drinking water. 

Perhaps you should go look at some of the citizens complaints that speak of the negative health effects they are experiencing living near a Natural Gas well that is employing Hydro-Fracking techniques to increase gas capture.  You will find many of them mimic the symptoms that are mentioned above, yet the industry says, "Prove it is our CHEMICALS!" We'll be exploring more of these chemicals in the days and weeks to come as we get more familiar with the issue.

"Chemical Constituents in Additives/Chemicals" used in Fracturing (New York State list)

(Extracted from http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/ogdsgeischap5.pdf)

CASNumber	Chemical Constituent
2634-33-5	1,2 Benzisothiazolin-2-one / 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one
95-63-6	1,2,4 trimethylbenzene
123-91-1	1,4-Dioxane
3452-07-1	1-eicosene
629-73-2	1-hexadecene
112-88-9	1-octadecene
1120-36-1	1-tetradecene
10222-01-2	2,2 Dibromo-3-nitrilopropionamide, a biocide
27776-21-2	2,2'-azobis-{2-(imidazlin-2-yl)propane}-dihydrochloride
73003-80-2	2,2-Dobromomalonamide
15214-89-8	2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulphonic acid sodium salt polymer
46830-22-2	2-acryloyloxyethyl(benzyl)dimethylammonium chloride
52-51-7	2-Bromo-2-nitro-1,3-propanediol
111-76-2	2-Butoxy ethanol
1113-55-9	2-Dibromo-3-Nitriloprionamide (2-Monobromo-3-nitriilopropionamide)
104-76-7	2-Ethyl Hexanol
67-63-0	2-Propanol / Isopropyl Alcohol / Isopropanol / Propan-2-ol
26062-79-3	2-Propen-1-aminium, N,N-dimethyl-N-2-propenyl-chloride, homopolymer
9003-03-6	2-propenoic acid, homopolymer, ammonium salt
25987-30-8	2-Propenoic acid, polymer with 2 p-propenamide, sodium salt / Copolymer of acrylamide and sodium acrylate
71050-62-9	2-Propenoic acid, polymer with sodium phosphinate (1:1)
66019-18-9	2-propenoic acid, telomer with sodium hydrogen sulfite
107-19-7	2-Propyn-1-ol / Propargyl alcohol
51229-78-8	3,5,7-Triaza-1-azoniatricyclo[3.3.1.13,7]decane, 1-(3-chloro-2-propenyl)-chloride,
115-19-5	3-methyl-1-butyn-3-ol
127087-87-0	4-Nonylphenol Polyethylene Glycol Ether Branched / Nonylphenol ethoxylated / Oxyalkylated Phenol
64-19-7	Acetic acid
68442-62-6	Acetic acid, hydroxy-, reaction products with triethanolamine
108-24-7	Acetic Anhydride
67-64-1	Acetone
79-06-1	Acrylamide

Terminology

Fracture Gradient

The pressure to fracture the formation at a particular depth divided by the depth. A fracture gradient of 18 kPa/m (0.8 psi/foot) implies that at a depth of 3 km (10,000 feet) a pressure of 54 MPa (8,000 psi) will extend a hydraulic fracture.

ISIP - Instantaneous Shut In Pressure

The pressure measured immediately after injection stops. The ISIP provides a measure of the pressure in the fracture at the wellbore by removing contributions from fluid friction.

Leakoff

Loss of fracturing fluid from the fracture channel into the surrounding permeable rock.

Fracturing fluid

The fluid used during a hydraulic fracture treatment of oil, gas or water wells. The fracturing fluid has two major functions 1) Open and extend the fracture; 2) Transport the proppant along the fracture length.

Proppant

Suspended particles in the fracturing fluid that are used to hold fractures open after a hydraulic fracturing treatment, thus producing a conductive pathway that fluids can easily flow along. Naturally occurring sand grains or artificial ceramic material are common proppants used.

Concise slang

"Fracing" (sometimes spelled "fracking") is a shortened version of fracturing.

A Do Not MISS Event...This Saturday, April 2, 2011...Glen Spey NY...FRACK The Movie

FRACK! The Movie Trailer from David Morris on Vimeo.

Not a big watcher of movies here...not that I do not enjoy them when I see them, just do not have a lot of time to enjoy such past times at this juncture in my life.  That said, this coming Saturday in Glen Spey New York, they will be premiering the movie FRACK...if you care about the environment, care about your health, care about your children and the world we will leave them, I encourage you...no, I BEG YOU to attend this event, implore you to see this film.

When: Sat, April 2, 5:30pm – 9:00pm

Where: MOUNTAINVIEW MANOR/GLEN SPEY NY

Description:

Saturday April 2, 2011 from 5:30 - 10pm

Mountain View Resort

369 High Road, Glen Spey, NY 12737

Tel. (845) 856-1105

POT LUCK DINNER 5:30 -7pm

Beer and wine water and juice /soda for sale at the bar.

FRACK movie premiere in the ballroom.

Screenings at 6pm and 8pm.

Questions and Answers 9pm

Keynote Speakers after the film include David Morris, Director of FRACK! Mark Ruffalo actor, activist and Oscar nominee for "The Kids are Alright" Wes Gillingham director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, Bruce Ferguson of Catskill Citizens, Pat Carullo of Damascus Citizens, Julie and Craig Sautner, Residents of Carter Road in Dimock, PA

This event is sponsored by: Peter Comstock /Homestead School, Calin Riffle /Heirloom Acres, Mountain View Manor, Lumberland Concerned Citizens.

Directions and link to Mountain View Resort.  Beautiful luxury overnight accommodations can be booked for out of town guests on a first come first serve basis.

PS...if anyone is heading to this event from the Mountaindale area, I would love to ride share...leave me a comment, or email me at fracktoidnews@yahoo.com