EPA tangles with Texas over water permits

[sonias]

AAS 12/02/10
EPA tangles with Texas over water permits

HOUSTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday demanded that Texas immediately take steps to reissue Clean Water Act permits to some 80 facilities that have been operating without the necessary paperwork, a request that signaled the latest round in a long battle between the state and federal governments.

The agency issued a news release with its request late Thursday, prompting a rapid back-and-forth with Texas environmental regulators. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality quickly put out a statement saying it had been cooperating with the agency to resolve the problems, already had two proposals on the table and accused the federal agency of deciding "to jump the gun prematurely with this notice."

(snip)

The latest matter involves water discharge permits. The agency says many of the facilities in question have had their paperwork delayed "due to issues regarding the toxicity of the discharges." A "significant number" of permits have not been issued because concerns raised by the agency have not been resolved, it said.

Texas, with more oil refineries, chemical plants and coal-fired power plants than any other state, leads the nation in greenhouse gas emissions and industrial pollution. Its environmental regulatory agency is the second-largest in the world, after the agency.

Go ahead EPA please mess with Texas, if the FED doesn't step in and make Texas clean up its shit, we'll drown in it!

:kick:

[sonias]

1. Texas and EPA: Going to battle over waste water permits now?

Texas VOX 12/3/10
Texas and EPA: Going to battle over waste water permits now?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has publically demanded that Texas immediately take steps to reissue Clean Water Act permits to some 80 facilities that have been operating without the necessary paperwork.

(snip)
The EPA and Texas/TCEQ/Gov. Perry have been locked in battle for some time now that has moved from a dispute over environmental issues into an ugly all out war over state rights with Gov. Rick Perry using the dispute during the election cycle as an example of the federal government and the administration’s meddling in what he believes are state affairs.


(snip)
The EPA’s regional director, Al Armendariz, shot back, “We are taking a stand for clean water. The streams, lakes and bayous of our great state deserve to be protected from chemicals, bacteria and toxic metals. Our children and future generations should be able to swim and fish anywhere in the state without worries about pollution.”

I love Al Armendariz!

:loveya: Al! :yourock: :hug:

[sonias]

2. EPA: 2 Parker County homes at risk of explosion

Not water permits but gas fracking now. Go EPA!!!

DMN 12/8/10
EPA: 2 Parker County homes at risk of explosion
Natural gas from drilling that used the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing has contaminated a drinking-water aquifer in Parker County, putting two homes at risk of explosion and triggering a federal emergency order, the EPA said Tuesday.

The Environmental Protection Agency ordered Fort-Worth based Range Production Co. to take steps to protect the families and water supplies after the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates natural-gas drilling, failed to act, EPA Regional Administrator Al Armendariz said.

Railroad Commission officials "acknowledge that there is natural gas in the drinking-water wells," Armendariz said. "They want more data and believe that action now is premature. I believe I've got two people whose houses could explode. So we've got to move."

:bounce::bounce::bounce:

[sonias]

3. EPA Emergency Order In Parker County Could Be Beginning Of Accountability For Producers

Capitol Annex 12/8/10
EPA Emergency Order In Parker County Could Be Beginning Of Accountability For Producers In Barnett Shale

(snip)
The EPA issued an imminent and substantial endangerment order under the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act following tests which confirmed the presence of methane, benzene, and other chemicals associated with natural gas production in wells serving two residences in the southern part of Parker County, the Dallas Morning News reported for Wednesday’s editions.

The EPA’s actions come at a time when state agencies have steadfastly refused to do anything to curb serious environmental and health problems that have cropped up in the region–problems so severe that the city of DISH voted this week to file a class action against gas companies drilling in the Barnett Shale.

The Texas Railroad Commission, which has consistently held–though overruled by courts–that it didn’t have the appropriate authority to deny some of the permits required for drilling controversial injection wells based on some citizen objections, has steadfastly refused to address the environmental and public safety concerns raised surrounding gas drilling in the Barnett Shale.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, under fire for inaccurate test results and more, has also failed to take any significant action to protect the environment or Barnett Shale citizens.

:woohoo: EPA!

[sonias]

4. EPA Tussle With Texas Regulators Spreads to Gas Wells

Texas Tribune 12/7/10
EPA Tussle With Texas Regulators Spreads to Gas Wells

The tussle between Texas and federal environmental regulators is heating up in yet another arena: natural gas drilling.

The Environmental Protection Agency, invoking a special "endangerment order" under the Safe Drinking Water Act, today ordered a natural gas drilling company, Range Resources, to provide clean drinking water and other assistance to two North Texas homes whose wells, the agency said, had been contaminated with methane and benzene to the point of being at risk of an explosion.

"EPA has determined that natural gas drilling near the homes by Range Resources in Parker County, Texas, has caused or contributed to the contamination of at least two residential drinking water wells," the agency said in a release. Residents had complained to the EPA about "flammable and bubbling drinking water coming out of their tap."

:kick:

[sonias]

11. EPA Action on Texas Natural Gas Driller Escalates Fight Over State Regulation

NY Times 12/08/10
EPA Action on Texas Natural Gas Driller Escalates Fight Over State Regulation

An EPA official's decision to step over state regulators and take action against a Texas gas driller is likely to turn up the heat on a long-simmering debate about whether states protect their residents against the dangers of drilling.

Dallas-based EPA Regional Director Al Armendariz issued an emergency order yesterday against Range Resources Corp., charging that its drilling in the Barnett Shale contaminated at least two water wells with methane and benzene. The order gave Range 48 hours to provide clean drinking water to affected residents and begin taking steps to resolve the problem.

Armendariz's order is not simply an action against the company, but a slap at regulators at the Texas Railroad Commission, whom he accused of not doing enough to help the people living near the drilling operations in the Fort Worth area.
(snip)

The allegations also inflame an ongoing fight between Amendariz and Texas officials including Gov. Rick Perry (R) about whether the state has done enough to regulate air pollution that has grown into a fight over states' rights.

I'm with Amendariz and I hope the full weight of federal law is imposed on these companies just trying to maximize their profits. As soon as the gas runs out - they bolt and leave their mess behind for local communities to clean up. Range Resources is just another BP cutting corners and hoping nothing bad will happen, and also not having a good plan in case it blows up the area.

:kick:

[onestepforward]

12. I'm with Amendariz too

and I'm very glad to see him so active with our huge pollution problems. I hope he will keep fighting since our state government has no intention of improving the quality of our air or water and are only interested in protecting corporate profits. Thanks for posting this story.
:hi:

[sonias]

5. TxSharon's excellent blog on drilling/fracking

This blog has been the most dedicated to exposing the whole fracking debacle

Bluedaze 12/07/10
Frackers Receive Imminent and Substantial Endangerment Order from EPA

(snip)
People in Parker County have bubbly, fizzy and flammable water; not a good combination unless you are mixing up a Fractini.

"EPA testing has confirmed that extremely high levels of methane in their water pose an imminent and substantial risk of explosion or fire. EPA has also found other contaminants including benzene, which can cause cancer, in their drinking water."

EPA used "isotopic fingerprint analysis" to determine that the gas in the water wells matched the gas from Range Resources gas well.

:kick:

[white cloud]

7. Good..... finally the proof EPA needs

We have several cities in our area putting stops to Barnett shale drilling permits because of concerns over GWC and gas venting.

Arlington
Flower Mound
Coppell
Southlake is working on theirs.

And look across the nation
New York
PA (even had some fires).
CT

EPA used "isotopic fingerprint analysis" to determine that the gas in the water wells matched the gas from Range Resources gas well.

The MWD (maneuver while drilling) driller have denied they were the cause of GWC for several years.

[sonias]

9. Caught them with their fingerprints all over the crime scene

Neither the TCEQ (Toxic) or TXRRC - both worthless agencies for average Texans- could find crap if it was smeared all over their face.

:kick:

[sonias]

6. A Big 'Fracking' Deal

Texas Observer 12/7/10
A Big 'Fracking' Deal

For years, natural gas producers in Texas and elsewhere have insisted that the controversial practice of "fracking" has never caused contamination of groundwater. But an emergency order from the EPA this afternoon may change all that.

The regional EPA is now saying that gas wells operated by Ranger Resources in Parker County have contaminated at least two nearby residential drinking water wells with "extremely high levels of methane" and cancer-causing benzene. The agency is ordering Ranger to immediately provide drinking water to the residences and conduct a full-scale investigation.

:kick:

[TEXASYANKEE]

8. Yes!

This was on the local Dallas news last night. They showed someone turn on an outdoor hose and actually light the water on fire! Unbelievable. And how sad that it took the EPA having to come in to do what was right. Where is our own Texas enforcement?? Okay, that's a rhetorical question. And this is where "private property rights" comes smack dab up to "smaller government." I'll bet those Parker County homeowners want all the Government assistance they can get right now.

[sonias]

10. Yes they do - "want all the Government assistance they can get right now"

And that's the problem - if you destroy government protection, it's not there when you need it. And it takes a disaster hitting close to home to understand that regulation and safety inspection of industry is a mighty good thing!

:hi:

[white cloud]

13. About all the help they will get from Austin is

Act of god from perry, and apology from Joe Barton is all they need.

Forget TRC After 2 bushs and perry

[white cloud]

14. Railroad Commission Hears Testimony on Contaminated Water Wells

More than 40 people crammed into the Texas Railroad Commission’s hearing today on Range Resources and two water wells in Parker County contaminated by natural gas.

Attorneys and experts from the company were there to testify that the contamination of the wells was not caused by Range Resources' natural gas wells drilled into the Barnett Shale.

The only major player missing was the Environmental Protection Agency, which is not attending the hearing.

http://www.texastribune.org/texas-state-agencies/texas-railroad-commission/ranges-experts-testify-before-railroad-commission/