Honestly, do you REALLY believe anything that the government or its paid hacks and lackeys says? I mean just days ago we had NSA's honcho James Clapper admitting he lied in Senate hearings back in March when he told Senators NSA didn't collect millions of records. Then yesterday, before the vote to curtail NSA phone snooping via the (Justin) Amash amendment, he claimed if it passed the NSA's abilities would be severely curtailed. Can you say hogswill? Oh, and let's not forget the biggest load of horse shit of all: that one lone guy named Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated John F. Kennedy 50 years ago. If you believe that one, you likely also believe in the reality of human virgins that give birth - as a Mensa Bulletin contributor put it some 15 years ago.
Now, we know the same applies to fracking and the reason is simple: the gov't has been bought out by the corporations, in this case the oil companies and their for- hire PR firms like Hill and Knowlton. Thus, we ought not be surprised when supposedly "legitimate" government studies are trotted out, not only to support the myth that fracking doesn't contaminate ground water, but to attack those who seek to expose the truth like Josh Fox.
Enter the propaganda churned out 3 days ago in a Denver Post editorial where they claim:
"Given the controversy over oil and gas drilling in Colorado and its impact on the environment, it's worth highlighting a new federal study that looked at one of the biggest bones of contention: the potential for groundwater contamination through hydraulic fracturing. The study's preliminary verdict is decidely good news.
What The Associated Press is calling a "landmark federal study" by the Department of Energy monitored fracking fluids for a year that were injected deep underground in wells in western Pennsylvania. By tagging the fracking fluid with "unique markers," federal scientists could locate them if they migrated into groundwater.
They didn't. "
Oh, but did these 'federal scientistis" - most likely subsidized by the oil and gas industry- really try? Oh, in addition, how many former gas -oil industry lobbyists are now ensconced at the DOE? Maybe 100? 200? The Post determined to sow baloney, goes on:
"Indeed, no trace of the fluid was detected in a monitoring zone that was still a mile below drinking water.
The study, by the National Energy Technology Laboratory, is apparently the first time a private company and federal scientists have teamed up in this fashion — which is a bit surprising. "
Actually, it's not "surprising" at all if the feds are in bed with the private corporations, and their lobbyists etc. have coopted them as slaves in the service of the corporations against the people. Happens all the time.
But anyway, let's get to the claims made by the editorial. In contradiction to the Post's rosy bull pockey, as I noted in the previous blog (on Gasland II) the Department of Pennsylvania Environmental Protection stats back up findings of well cement failure in the industry's OWN records! These showed 1,609 wells were drilled in 2010 and there were 97 well failures, or a 6% failure rate. Of the 1,972 wells drilled in 2011, 140 failed, for a 7.1% failure rate. Of the 1, 346 wells drilled in 2012, there were 120 failures, or an 8.9% rate. Who are you going to believe on this, the paid PR liars for the gas fuckers....errrr....frackers, or your lying eyes?
If indeed the wells failed, then by definition it means that effluent, including methane, found a pathway to the Pennsylvania aquifers. (At the end of Gasland II, this is actually confirmed with EPA testing of the Dimock, PA wells, which found methane at ridiculous levels, as well as benzene and a host of other barely pronounceable chemicals.). Of course, the EPA findings were later muzzled, and they evidently subsequently told the Dimock residents their "water is fine" - at the same time issuing a sub rosa warning, "not to drink it". What do you make of it, friends? I say we are all fucked, because clearly the gov't is bought out, lock, stock and barrel.
But the point is that it discloses the Post editorial is drivel. This is reinforced by the Schlumberger research data I showed, i.e. that well cement failure occurs at alarming rates - as depicted in one of their graphs showing 'fraction of wells affected by cement failure' vs. the well age in years. After only 12 years forty percent of wells had failed (meaning again methane entering ground water) and after thirty years, fifty percent had failed. That means if 1.5 million new wells are added in the US of A in the next 10 years, as projected, 750,000 will leak after thirty years. If 180,000 are added to PA, that means 90,000 will leak after 30 years.
Another gov't dodge, which at least the Post exposes for us:
"The Environmental Protection Agency did tentatively — and controversially — link water contamination to fracking at a site in Wyoming. Yet just last month, the agency abandoned further study there, reinforcing doubt about the value of its early findings."
This again is horse shit. My last blog post, again for reference, provided what was found at that site in Pavilion, WY:
- Methane in 10 of 28 water wells at "near saturation" level of 19 mg/L, with "similar isotropic signature to production gas"
- Presence of synthetic organic compounds including glycols, alcohols and 2-butoxyethanol.
- Other petroleum -related detections including - benzene at 50 times the safe drinking water level, as well as phenols, tri-methylbenzenes and diesel and gasoline based organics on a "fairly widespread basis"
These were presented by an EPA official to the assembled residents of the town, and prepared on official documents. So now, what? The Post is going to call the EPA earlier study a fraud? That those results were mythical? More accurately, they were 100% spot on correct, and subsequent cowards or politically coopted Neoliberal, pro-corporate weasels "abandoned further study" - which still doesn't mean the earlier one was wrong
What it does mean is we have a pack of liars and reprobates who are trying to brainwash and mind fuck all of us. And we had better be aware of it, whether it's the baloney about Oswald killing JFK, or the environmental baloney that fracking doesn't contaminate our water.
Then the Post has the nerve and gall to write:
"Whether the news will make a difference is another question. Josh Fox, director of "Gasland" and "Gasland Part II," tells visitors to his website that "water contamination due to fracking" is a "very serious" problem."
And indeed it is, and Josh Fox delivered the visual and documentary evidence to prove it.
One thing the Post editorial is at least good for, is toilet paper if you're on a camping trip and forgot to bring any along.
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Footnote:
Jeezus peace, this bullshit has spread like the toxin toluene in ground water! It's not just the Post, it's being carried by every major journal and newspaper across the country! Google: 'National Energy Technology Laboratory fracking study' and you will see what I mean. My thoughts? This is absolutely a prepared or likely pre-prepared response to Fox's 'Gasland II'.
Josh, we need you now to work on 'Gasland III' to expose these lying motherfuckers!
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