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Radionuclides in Fracking Wastewater: Managing a Toxic Blend

Wed, 2014-02-19 22:46 — Kathy Gilbeaux

A lined impoundment receives waste at a fracking site in Dimock, Pennsylvania.  J. Henry Fair

Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP)
ehp.niehs.nih.gov - Valerie J. Brown - February 1, 2014

Naturally occurring radionuclides are widely distributed in the earth’s crust, so it’s no surprise that mineral and hydrocarbon extraction processes, conventional and unconventional alike, often produce some radioactive waste.1 Radioactive drilling waste is a form of TENORM (short for “technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material”)—that is, naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) that has been concentrated or otherwise made more available for human exposure through anthropogenic means.2 Both the rapidity and the extent of the U.S. natural gas drilling boom have brought heightened scrutiny to the issues of radioactive exposure and waste management.

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Fracking is Depleting Water Supplies in America's Driest Areas, Report Shows

Mon, 2014-02-10 18:12 — Kathy Gilbeaux

      

Source: Ceres

From Texas to California, drilling for oil and gas is using billions of gallons of water in the country's most drought-prone areas

CLICK HERE - RESEARCH REPORT - Hydraulic Fracturing & Water Stress: Water Demand by the Numbers
(85 page .PDF report)

theguardian.com - by Suzanne Goldenberg - February 5, 2014

America's oil and gas rush is depleting water supplies in the driest and most drought-prone areas of the country, from Texas to California, new research has found.

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North Carolina Coal Ash Spill Renews Push For Long-Delayed Federal Regulations

Mon, 2014-02-10 13:00 — Kathy Gilbeaux

huffingtonpost.com - by Kate Sheppard - February 5, 2014

WASHINGTON – Between 50,000 and 82,000 tons of coal ash flowed into North Carolina's Dan River on Sunday, prompting renewed calls for long-delayed federal rules on the disposal of coal waste.

The ash and water mixture spilled when a stormwater pipe broke at Duke Energy's Dan River Steam Station, a plant that is no longer in operation in Rockingham County, N.C.

The slurry from coal ash can contain potentially toxic elements like arsenic, mercury and lead.

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Chemical-Related Hospital Admissions In West Virginia Have Doubled Since Water Deemed Safe

Fri, 2014-01-24 21:33 — Kathy Gilbeaux

      

CREDIT: Foo ***@***.***

thinkprogress.org - by Emily Atkin - January 19, 2014

It took nearly five days after a major chemical spill in West Virginia for residents to receive the go-ahead to start using their water again.

Nearly 7,500 gallons of crude MCHM — a little-known chemical used to wash coal — had leaked into the Elk River on Jan. 9, perplexing state officials on how exactly to get the chemical out of the water and what exactly it would do to people if they used it. It was Jan. 13, a Monday, when the first bans were lifted.

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Climate Change Could Put One-Fifth Of World’s Population In Severe Water Shortage

Fri, 2014-01-03 21:33 — Kathy Gilbeaux

      

CREDIT: shutterstock

CLICK HERE - STUDY - Multimodel assessment of water scarcity under climate change

CLICK HERE - SUPPORTING INFORMATION - Multimodel assessment of water scarcity under climate change

thinkprogress.org - by Ari Phillips - January 3, 2014

A new study by a diverse group of researchers from twelve countries found that of the human impacts stemming from climate change, the threat it poses to global water supplies may be the most severe.

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Devastating Drought Continues to Plague California

Sun, 2013-12-29 22:29 — Kathy Gilbeaux

                   

California’s Central Valley—prime agricultural land—is being hit the hardest by the state-wide drought which could cause catastrophic losses to crops and food supply.

As California enters its third consecutive dry winter, with no sign of moisture on the horizon, fears are growing over increased wildfire activity, agricultural losses and additional stress placed on already strained water supplies.

ecowatch.com - by Kiley Kroh - December 27, 2013

The city of Los Angeles has received only 3.6 inches of rain this year—far below its average of 14.91 inches, USA Today reported. And San Francisco is experiencing its driest year since record keeping began in 1849. As of November, the city had only received 3.95 inches of rain since the year began.

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EPA Report on Fracking in Texas Raises New Concerns

Tue, 2013-12-24 18:22 — Kathy Gilbeaux

An inspector general's report says the EPA was justified in investigating claims of water contamination near a fracking site in Texas.

latimes.com - By Neela Banjeree - December 24, 2013

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency was justified in intervening to examine possible risks of gas drilling to Texas drinking water, the agency's internal watchdog reported Tuesday.

But environmentalists say the report raises fresh concerns about the EPA's 2012 decision to halt its investigation into possible well-water contamination in Parker County, Texas.

The EPA inspector general's report is the latest analysis to spotlight the regulator's handling of high-profile cases of alleged drinking-water contamination near natural gas drilling sites.

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Supreme Court Preserves Victory Over Oil/Gas Development in Utah

Sun, 2013-10-20 23:58 — admin

earthjustice.org - October 18, 2013 - Doug Pflugh

It is rewarding to successfully wrap-up a case. This can be especially true when our work protects special places, preserving them for future generations. It is a pleasure to be able to point at a map and say, “Those are the places that were saved.”

The U.S. Supreme Court took action last week that did just that—endorsing an earlier conservation victory and ending the long fight over proposed oil and gas development on the doorstep of beloved public lands in the west ...

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Food and Water Watch is challenging fracking

Sun, 2013-10-20 21:38 — admin

You can join Food and Water Watch and other concerned citizens challenging fracking.

www.foodandwaterwatch.org

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Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Accident: Ongoing Lessons for New York (and elsewhere)

Sun, 2013-10-20 11:34 — Gina Angiola
This panel discussion,Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Accident: Ongoing Lessons for New York, is an extremely informative review of the devastating nuclear event in Japan, the continuing challenges there, and the implications for our own nuclear energy facilities in the U.S. Start the video around 5 minutes in, as there is dead-time at the beginning. The total length is roughly three hours.

The panel includes the former Japanese Prime Minister, Naoto Kan; Ralph Nader, political activist, author, attorney and lecturer; Dr. Gregory Jaczko; former NRC Commissioner, Peter Bradford; and nuclear engineer, Arnie Gundersen. The panel specifically addresses concerns regarding the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant now operating with an expired license in Buchanan, New York.

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