Tag Archives: drilling

Likely loss of drilling fluid in limestone under rivers –FL DEP to FERC

April 2, 2015Alachua County, Brooks County, Columbia County, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Hamilton County, Hazards, Leak, Lowndes County, Suwannee County, Waterbedrock, cave, drilling, fluid, HDD, horizontal direcitgonal drilling, John S. Quarterman, karst, LiDAR, limestone, Santa Fe River, sinkhole, SpectraBusters, Suwannee River, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

Apparently the Florida Department of Environmental Protection complained to FERC that any drilling under our blackwater rivers would leak contaminants into the karst limestone that contains our drinking water Floridan Aquifer:

Update 2015-04-03: Additions now that FERC eLibrary is working, including third point below.

Sabal Trail underestimated karst features—additional, more recent data available from agencies including LiDAR, potentiometric surface maps, and cave maps.
Highest agency concern is associated with likely loss of drilling fluid associated with HDDs in limestone bedrock including at the Suwannee, Santa Fe, and Withlacoochee rivers.
Drilling fluid loss would have an environmental impact; risk and magnitude of impact on groundwater, wells and springs should be based on updated, site-specific information.

Filed with FERC 1 April 2015 as Continue reading Likely loss of drilling fluid in limestone under rivers –FL DEP to FERC →

What Sabal Trail wants to do to our rivers

February 5, 2015Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hazard, Hazards, History, Noise, Safety, Wateraquifer, Black Warrior River, Cahaba River, Chattahoochee River, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Coosa River, Dirty Dozen, drilling, Flint River, Flint Riverkeeper, Floridan Aquifer, frac-out, Georgia Water Coalition, Hazards, HDD, Horizontal Directional Drilling, John S. Quarterman, Ochlockonee River, Our Santa Fe River, Sabal Trail Transmission, Santa Fe River, sinkhole, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee River, Tallapoosa River, Tombigbee River, Withlacoochee River, WWALS, WWALS Watershed CoalitionJohn S. Quarterman

After a long string of safety incidents and later-contradicted assertions in the media, would you trust Sabal Trail to drill under your rivers in your aquifers and near your farms, schools, homes, and springs?

Here’s stage two of Sabal Trail’s three-stage horizontal directional drilling (HDD) method, according to its document How We Cross Rivers and Streams,

The second stage involves enlarging the pilot hole to a diameter that will accommodate the pipeline. The enlargement process involves the use of hydraulic cutting with drill bits and jet nozzles and hydraulic motors Continue reading What Sabal Trail wants to do to our rivers →

Ohio town fracked by well leak

May 11, 2014Environment, Ethics, Fracking, Law, Morgan County, Ohio, Safety, WaterBeverly, Center for Health, CHEJ, clear and present danger, Colorado, drilling, environment, Environment & Justice, Ethics, fix, fossil fuel, Fracking, GA DNR, Jack Shaner, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lois Gibbs, Mark Bruce, methane, Morgan County, mud, needle, ODNR, Ohio, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Environmental Council, oil, PDC Energy, Petroleum Development Corporation, property rights, regulations, rules, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Superfund, Teresa Mills, Water, wellJohn S. Quarterman

A fossil fuel needle desperately trying to get another fix hit an artery and leaked oily mud and methane into a creek near Beverly, Ohio, forcing evacuation of people nearby. Once again, state agencies had to deal with a problem caused by a private company. This collateral damage drew in yet another fracking opponent, this time one founded by an opponent of the first Superfund.

Dean Narciso wrote for the Columbus Dispatch 8 May 2014, Shale well leaks during drilling process, forcing evacuations in Morgan County,

A Morgan County shale well being drilled in preparation for fracking began leaking on Sunday, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents.

State and federal environmental emergency-response teams and the drilling company finally contained the mess yesterday, but not before it reached a nearby creek.

The leak was discovered Continue reading Ohio town fracked by well leak →

Core drill sampling

March 27, 2014Florida, Gilchrist County, Law, Safety, Suwannee County, Watercore sampling, drilling, Florida, Gilchrist County, IREPHA, John S. Quarterman, OSFR, Our Santa Fe River, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Santa Fe River, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee County, TREPA, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Seen on Our Santa Fe River 20 March 2014. -jsq

Gas Pipeline Alert:

Core drill sampling: What happened and what DID NOT happen… Last week, OSFR, residents and Christopher Byrd (IREPHA lawyer) stopped Sabal Trails from drilling for core samples for the purpose of building a drilling platform on both sides of the Santa Fe River.

OSFR began receiving phone calls and emails last week about this drilling procedure. We were absolutely certain that this was a “cart before the horse” problem. There have been no completed Continue reading Core drill sampling →

Fracking unsafe in at least four states

January 29, 2014Fracking, Hazards, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginiadrilling, Fracking, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Ohio, Pennsylvania, SpectraBusters, Texas, transparency, wells, West VirginiaJohn S. Quarterman

If it’s so safe, why is it so hard to find out how safe it is? And why did injecting toxic chemicals into ground water ever get approved? Since methane leaks out of pipelines and compressor stations, as well as wells, it’s time to stop fracking and pipelines and get on with solar and wind power.

Kevin Begos wrote for AP 5:20 p.m. EST January 5, 2014, 4 states confirm water pollution from drilling

PITTSBURGH (AP) — In at least four states that have nurtured the nation’s energy boom, hundreds of complaints have been made about well-water contamination from oil or gas drilling, and pollution was confirmed in a number of them, according to a review that casts doubt on industry suggestions that such problems rarely happen.

The Associated Press requested data on drilling-related complaints in Continue reading Fracking unsafe in at least four states →