Federal Agency Cancels Water Delivery to Pa. Town

[Earth_First]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency abruptly changed its mind Saturday about delivering fresh water to residents of a northeastern Pennsylvania village where residential wells were found to be tainted by a natural gas drilling operation.

Only 24 hours after promising them water, EPA officials informed residents of Dimock that a tanker truck wouldn't be coming after all. The about-face left residents furious, confused and let down —and, once again, scrambling for water for bathing, washing dishes and flushing toilets.

Agency officials would not explain why they reneged on their promise, or say whether water would be delivered at some point.

"We are actively filling information gaps and determining next steps in Dimock. We have made no decision at this time to provide water," EPA spokeswoman Betsaida Alcantara said in an email to The Associated Press.

[Earth_First]

1. My question is this:

Is this part of public relations tactic that would have otherwise recognized the implied culpability that HVHF is an unsound method of natural gas production?

If the federal government, which has thusfar taken a supportive role on the method all of a sudden sets precedence in that the process *may* affect *some* freshwater wells, it opens up an tremendous amount of doubt on the part of HVHF that the EPA is unwilling to recognize.

So rather than take a potentially devestating stance on the subject, they'd rather this...

Pathetic!

People's lives are at stake here!

[MadHound]

2. Sadly, I think that you are probably close to the mark on this one

Can't have a government that supports fracking getting its nose rubbed in the mess that fracking leaves behind.

Probably what will happen is a lawsuit, or set of lawsuits, that will be dragged out for years before a non-disclosed settlement will be reached.

[Marnie]

3. In the 1982 drought

Wichita Falls, Texas, pop 100K, laid a pipe line along the side of the 10 stretch of highway, working in temps reaching 118 degrees, to the small town of Archer City, because its reservoir was running dry.
The PVC pipe was donated as was all the labor. From the time of Archer City's cry for help to the time they were getting lake water from WF to their purification facility was about a week.

Dimock may not have a near neighbor with clean water, but I bet if Pennsylvanians wanted to they could come up with a short term fix to the problem their neighbors are having in very short order.