Have we a problem with our water quality and resources in Ireland? We certainly do and not just in Dublin, counties all over the country are having or have had serious issues with supply and quality of water. When it comes to fracking, water is one of the resources and aspects of this industry that alone is reason enough to never to allow fracking to proceed on the island of Ireland. An anti-fracking group in Colorado has released a series of ads blasting claims made by the oil and gas industry in the state as four communities prepare to vote on bans or moratoriums on drilling and fracking in their regions. Released by Frack Free Colorado and called Frack Check, the videos offer counterpoints to the industrys drilling safety claims. In one video (watch above), Weston Wilson, an EPA whistleblower who worked at the Environmental Protection Agency for 37 years, talks about the threat of groundwater contamination due to fracking. He cites a leaked EPA powerpoint slideshow from August, one that Wilson says reveals a clear link between fracking and groundwater contamination in Pennsylvania. The presentation concludes that the methane and other gasses released during drilling caused significant damage to the water quality there, Wilson says in the video. Charges from that leaked document shows that wells being fracked for gas create pathways that allow gas to migrate to shallow aquifers. Wilson also points to a Duke University study that found drinking water wells near fracking sites have 17-times more methane than those wells that are farther away. This EPA report backs up other studies like the one done by Duke University that found drinking water wells near fracking sites have 17 times more methane than those wells that are farther away. Its now clear that EPA had prior knowledge that fracking does cause contamination of groundwater and contaminate the air we breathe, Wilson concludes. In the second video (below), Anthony Ingraffea, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Cornell University who has also served as a oil and gas industry consultant for more than 25 years, talks about how much fracking has changed over the years - full story and video here -
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 18:27:04 +0000