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College's Earth Club presents acclaimed documentary film 'GASLAND'

By Billie Owens

Here's a news release from Genesee Community College:

Hailed as "...one of the most effective and expressive environmental films of recent years" by Variety magazine, the documentary film "GASLAND," will be presented by the Genesee Community College Earth Club at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27 and at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 28.

"GASLAND" is a 2010 documentary film written and directed by Josh Fox. It focuses on communities in the United States impacted by natural gas drilling and, specifically, a stimulation method known as "hydraulic fracturing."

The film will be shown in T102 and is free and open to the public.

Hydraulic fracturing (also called "frac jobs" or "fracking") is a process that results in the creation of fractures in rocks. The most important industrial use is in stimulating oil and gas wells, where hydraulic fracturing has been used for several years.

The fracturing is done from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations to increase the rate and ultimate recovery of oil and natural gas.

Hydraulic fractures may be natural or man-made and are extended by internal fluid pressure which opens the fracture and causes it to extend through the rock. Natural hydraulic fractures include volcanic dikes, sills and fracturing by ice as in frost weathering.

Man-made fluid-driven fractures are formed at depth in a borehole and extend into targeted formations. The fracture width is typically maintained after the injection by introducing a proppant into the injected fluid. Proppant is a material, such as grains of sand, ceramic, or other particulates that prevent the fractures from closing when the injection is stopped.

Considerable controversy surrounds the current implementation of hydraulic fracturing technology in the United States. Environmental safety and health concerns have emerged and are being debated at the state and national levels.

"GASLAND" follows filmmaker Josh Fox when he is asked to lease his land for drilling, as he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination.

He encounters a Pennsylvania town and reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of this documentary.

For more information please visit www.gaslandthemovie.com <http://www.gaslandthemovie.com>.

"New York State recently passed a temporary moratorium on the hydro-fracking process while the EPA completes its study, so this is very important and contemporary topic to our community," said Donna Rae Sutherland, advisor to the GCC Earth Club.

"The Earth Club students wanted to show the movie at two different times and days to ensure any local resident or community college student had a chance to watch the film, which is currently impacting Pennsylvania communities just over the state line and promises to be a topic of significant debate in the Southern Tier."

For further information please contact Sutherland at 343-0055, ext. 6616, or e-mail <http://dsutherland@genesee.edu>.

C. M. Barons

I suppose if one values potable water less than oil and natural gas, the argument might be relevant. This is not a quest to preserve snail darter habitat.

The logic test of "Gasland" visavis "An Inconvenient Truth" fails on two levels: A January Pew Poll found, "...A majority of the public (59%) favors setting limits on carbon dioxide emissions and making companies pay for their emissions, even if that may mean higher energy prices." Which suggests most Americans concur with the theme of Gore's film. Moreover, "Gasland" deals with the fouling of drinking water- not climate change. The only coincidence being, die-hard supporters of industrial autonomy will line up behind the caution-less.

Although we in the northeast have lower risk of water shortage, high-risk states like Colorado foretell an extremely pessimistic view of the near future. http://climateprogress.org/2010/07/21/global-warming-water-shortage-dro…

Two alarming shortages loom that will create international crises: water and food. It is not an ideal era to be destroying cropland or potable water for the sake of short term benefits of fractional drilling.

Groundwater pollution cases:
Merced, CA- Leaking gas station fuel tanks,
'MTBE groundwater contamination has occurred across the country and similar lawsuits have followed.

'But in recent years, instead of fighting the merits of the cases, said Diaz, oil companies have instead attempted to attack the law firms that often specialize in such cases for public agencies, often on a contingency basis.

'It's sort of a dirty little secret that what they want to do is make the cities or other agencies pay cash to bring lawsuits against them," said Diaz.

'Defendants in the RDA case involving other sites across the city include ExxonMobil, Shell, ConocoPhillips, Chevron and Texaco.

'In Merced's R Street case, the defendants are ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Kinder Morgan.

Read more: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/11/17/1656996/exxonmobil-fights-merce…

Maryland- Fort Detrick has on its grounds a section known as Area B, which was used for decades as a landfill. But this landfill wasn’t loaded with every day, run of the mill garbage. It contained a few decades worth of detritus from the United States biological weapons program, and once that sort of thing was officially outlawed it became the headquarters of the Army’s medical research division. And while medical research is perfectly legal, the sort of waste that accumulates from such research is often not the sort that you can just toss into a hefty bag and have hauled away.

Apparently quite a few barrels of some of this medical waste and other hazardous materials were punctured over the years, and the end result was the discovery of contamination of some of the local groundwater wells in 1992. The “cleanup” of all this actually took about eighteen years and the final capping of the landfills were done in July of this year.

http://www.mdinjurydisabilitylaw.com/2010/09/articles/personal-injury/g…

Vermont-
As stated in The Associated Press article, “Vt nuke leaks renew debate over aging plants” dated Feb. 01, 2010 by Dave Gram, “Radioactive tritium, a carcinogen discovered in potentially dangerous levels in groundwater at the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, has now tainted at least 27 of the nation’s 104 nuclear reactors – raising concerns about how it is escaping from the aging nuclear plants.”

Read more at Suite101: Safety of Aging Nuclear Power Plants: Groundwater Contamination is Environmental Concern of Nuclear Plants http://www.suite101.com/content/safety-of-aging-nuclear-power-plants-a2…

Idaho/Wisconsin- Take a look at a new New York Times video, “The Danger of Livestock Waste,” produced by Brent McDonald. The many manure lagoons and field spraying in the state have led to the contamination of Idaho aquifers and private wells, causing high levels of nitrates, which have forced some families to buy bottled water. Another article, by reporter Charles Duhigg, in yesterday’s NYT “Toxic Waters” series, “Health Ills Abound as Farm Runoff Fouls Wells,” looks at the problems caused by a 41,000 dairy cow operation in Brown County, Wisconsin. Duhigg points out that more than 100 wells there have been polluted by agricultural runoff in recent months, causing residents to suffer from chronic diarrhea, stomach illnesses and severe ear infections.

http://www.livablefutureblog.com/2009/09/nyt-series-focuses-on-idaho-wi…

Southwest- http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/amall/incidents_where_hydraulic_frac…

Wyoming- An investigation by ProPublica, which visited Sublette County and six other contamination sites, found that water contamination in drilling areas around the country is far more prevalent than the EPA asserts. Our investigation also found that the 2004 EPA study was not as conclusive as it claimed to be. A close review shows that the body of the study contains damaging information that wasn't mentioned in the conclusion. In fact, the study foreshadowed many of the problems now being reported across the country.

The contamination in Sublette County is significant because it is the first to be documented by a federal agency, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. But more than 1,000 other cases of contamination have been documented by courts and state and local governments in Colorado, New Mexico, Alabama, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In one case, a house exploded after hydraulic fracturing created underground passageways and methane seeped into the residential water supply. In other cases, the contamination occurred not from actual drilling below ground, but on the surface, where accidental spills and leaky tanks, trucks and waste pits allowed benzene and other chemicals to leach into streams, springs and water wells

http://www.propublica.org/article/buried-secrets-is-natural-gas-drillin…

MTBE- According to a May 2002 report by the U. S. General Accounting Office (GAO), a majority of states have reported finding MTBE at contaminated underground storage tank sites. GAO says that while the full extent of MTBE contamination is unknown, most states have reported finding it in groundwater, and some states have detected it in drinking water. According to the report, half the states reported finding MTBE even at underground gasoline storage tanks for which there was no documented gasoline leak. About half the states also reported finding MTBE that they could not attribute to a leaking underground tank.

Some states also found that MTBE had reached their drinking water supplies. The report noted that this problem may be more widespread than reported, because only 24 states routinely analyze drinking water sources for MTBE. According to GAO, California, Kansas and Maine have had some of the most extensive MTBE problems. Santa Monica, Calif. had to close seven wells, supplying half the city’s water, because of MTBE pollution. (EPA has not regulated MTBE, but has advised people not to drink water with MTBE concentrations greater than 20 to 40 parts per billion).

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2003/olrdata/env/rpt/2003-R-0911.htm

Queens- A federal jury in New York returned a $104.7 million verdict on Monday against Exxon Mobile in a groundwater contamination lawsuit brought by New York City over the use of the gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE).
The verdict follows an 11-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The amount is $150 million shy of what the city sought in the lawsuit, which was brought in 2004 against Exxon for contamination of drinking water in five wells in the borough of Queens.

The wells were allegedly contaminated with the gasoline additive MTBE, an oxygenate used to make gasoline burn cleaner and reduce the release of pollutants. The use of MTBE is restricted or banned in 25 states due to its propensity to leak from underground storage tanks (USTs) used by gas stations, automotive shops, and other locations where fuel might be stored. MTBE-contaminated water tastes and smells similar to gasoline, making it unpalatable.

http://www.aboutlawsuits.com/exxon-groundwater-contamination-lawsuit-65…

Florida- In the last month, reports of groundwater contamination in the Azalea neighborhood have been directly linked to the Raytheon Corp.'s plant located at 1501 72nd St. North in St. Petersburg. The groundwater contaminants include vinyl chloride, 1,4-dioxane, and trichloroethylene, all of which are considered carcinogenic. The news about the groundwater contamination spread throughout the neighborhood after media reports about the toxic plume surfaced. While the Azalea residents didn't know about this toxic plume, the contamination issue has been around for the last 17 years and was first discovered during construction of the Pinellas Trail. At that time, the plant was owned by E Systems which merged with Raytheon in 1995. At the time of the merger, Raytheon knew about the toxic plume and failed to advise residents that the plume was contaminating their groundwater.

http://pinellas.injuryboard.com/toxic-substances/raytheon39s-groundwate…

Garfield, NJ- EPA, in coordination with the Federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) evaluated the samples taken from properties within Garfield and the health risks associated with hexavalent chromium contamination.

Historically in Garfield, industrial facilities were located in close proximity to residential areas. These facilities included a tannery and chemical plant, and two electroplating companies. Some of these facilities used chromium in their processes, and it is suspected the ground water in the surrounding areas has become contaminated with chromium. In June 1993, chromium contaminated ground water and crystals were discovered in the basement of the Garfield Fire House #3. Since then, several other houses and business have had elevated levels of chromium in their basements due to ground water infiltration. EPA is continuing its ongoing site investigations to determine the potential sources, the extent of contamination, and levels of chromium.

http://www.epa.gov/region2/superfund/removal/garfield/

Brockport/Endicott, NY- In late 2003, a resolution was reached with 3M in the Brockport matter and, in late 2007, the matter was resolved with GE and Black & Decker. As a direct result of the lawsuit, over 17 tons of soil contaminated with PCBs, PAHs and cyanide were removed from the creek bed and flood plain of a small creek located in a residential neighborhood just north of the former industrial plants.

Litigation in the Auburn case is proceeding and a trial is expected in 2009.

An ongoing investigation
In 2003, the two firms began an investigation of a third case in Endicott, New York involving groundwater contamination and what is called “vapor intrusion” in the town of Endicott, New York. Organic Solvents, including TCE and PCE which entered the groundwater from the former IBM plant, were being released by the groundwater as toxic vapors and entering homes, businesses, churches and schools in this small upstate village. In January 2008, the two firms together with five others commenced litigation in New York State Supreme Court against IBM on vehalf of the victims of this toxic chemical exposure. Litigation in this case, Blaine v. IBM, is proceeding. The Blaine case involves 88 Endicott residents. Five more lawsuits have been filed by hundreds of other Endicott residents since January.

http://www.faraci.com/why-us/ed-masry-erin-brockovich/

Jan 28, 2011, 4:01pm Permalink
Peter O'Brien

Let me know when one of those cases has something to do with Fracking.

Also its "An INconvienient Truth". Which is so full of lies that to show it to students in England, one must use a disclaimer. Its opening scene was stolen from "The Day After Tomorrow".

Oh and its the sun that controls the temperature not CO2 which is 390 parts per million by volume of the atmosphere.

This is a quest to once again stop the US from becoming energy independent.

Jan 28, 2011, 7:07am Permalink
C. M. Barons

Energy independence.

Aside from a handful of (pioneers, oddballs, survivalists, cranks) who have gone off-grid, no one is energy independent or promoting energy independence. If the U. S. had any interest in energy independence, Nikolai Tesla would not have died an outcast in a NYC hotel.

The truth (inconvenient or otherwise) is that energy is a commodity defined by profitability. Those few who own the commodity make huge profits. They line up manufacturers to design appliances and machines that are powered by that commodity and distributors who design infrastructure to advance that commodity and stockholders who invest in that commodity to perpetuate a self-serving system that makes a few people rich while the vast majority commute, cook, heat or light by purchasing that commodity.

As long as we participate (perpetuate the profits of the energy providers), we are pawns in a market that has no interest in independence- in fact crushes the notion.

Auto makers (GM, Ford, etc.) would not even be offering hybrids and electrics if not for inroads by small manufacturers who established a market and developed the technology. The alliance of three industries (steel, oil and automakers) stonewalled appeals for energy conservation and alternative fuel for decades.

The reason the Earth doesn't freeze at night- the Earth doesn't discharge solar heat instantaneously (the principle behind geothermal) and the temperature of the Earth (below the frost line) remains fairly constant- keep in mind, also, there is a molten core.

Jan 28, 2011, 1:48pm Permalink
Billie Owens

The moon is not inhabited. Maybe scientists have discovered ice, but I doubt it. I was told a long time ago that the moon is made of cheese, at least large parts of it.

Jan 28, 2011, 6:13pm Permalink
C. M. Barons

...and the astronauts brought back only rocks. We could have dined on macaroni and formaggio della luna. (Couldn'd call it macaroni and moon cheese; Kraft would claim infringement.)

Jan 28, 2011, 6:39pm Permalink

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