Fracking Archives - Inside Climate News

A Rural Pennsylvania Community Goes to Commonwealth Court, Trying to Stop a New Disposal Well for Toxic Fracking Wastewater

By Jake Bolster — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 22:51:51 +0000

The facility, in Plum Borough outside Pittsburgh, would be the state’s 15th “injection” well. Pennsylvania’s gas industry has never had a comprehensive plan for disposing of vast quantities of highly polluting produced water.

By Jake Bolster

Attorneys representing Plum Borough and an environmental group opposed to fracking said in arguments on Tuesday before Commonwealth Court in Pittsburgh that a proposed second “injection” well for disposing of toxic fracking wastewater would violate the borough’s zoning code.

At a ‘Climate Convergence,’ Pennsylvania Environmental Activists Urge Gov. Shapiro and State Lawmakers to Do More to Curb Emissions

By Jon Hurdle — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 08:55:00 +0000

Democratic state Sen. Katie Muth, one of only a few lawmakers in attendance, said strong action isn’t likely, given the state’s “bipartisan love affair with gas and oil.” But two Republicans have introduced legislation banning injection wells for toxic wastewater from fracking.

By Jon Hurdle

HARRISBURG, Pa.—Barbara Brandom fought back tears as she contemplated the destruction of nature and a lost environment she fears her grandchildren will never experience as a result of climate change.

A Drop in Emissions, and a Jobs Bonanza? Critics Question Benefits of a Proposed Hydrogen Hub for the Appalachian Region

By Jon Hurdle — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 10:00:00 +0000

The potential gains for Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio have not been clearly spelled out, and the science is being challenged, as the Department of Energy prepares to announce the builders of six to 10 federally funded hubs across the country.

By Jon Hurdle

PITTSBURGH—As the federal government nears a decision on which of the nation’s proposed “hydrogen hubs” will share up to $8 billion in startup money, critics of the idea in the Appalachian region are asserting that the program would do little to curb greenhouse gas emissions or create jobs, while increasing electricity prices for consumers and businesses.

EPA Approves Permit for Controversial Fracking Disposal Well in Pennsylvania

By Jake Bolster — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 09:15:00 +0000

The well, in Plum Borough near Pittsburgh, is a repurposed conventional well, which locals fear is at higher risk for leaks and material failures that could contaminate local drinking water.

By Jake Bolster

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week approved a permit for a toxic fracking wastewater disposal well named Sedat 4A, a highly controversial project in Plum Borough, Pennsylvania, rejecting residents’ concerns that leaks from the well could migrate and pollute other wells and groundwater.

‘It’s Just Too Close’: Pennsylvanians Who Live Near Fracking Suffer as Governments Fail to Buffer Homes

By Quinn Glabicki, PublicSource — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

A Pennsylvania bill that would limit fracking near homes and schools was shelved this summer right before a scheduled committee vote. In a small town in shale country, accounts of misery and discord show the stakes.

By Quinn Glabicki, PublicSource

This article was originally published by PublicSource, a nonprofit newsroom serving the Pittsburgh region. Sign up for its free weekly newsletters here.

A Fracker in Pennsylvania Wants to Take 1.5 Million Gallons a Day From a Small, Biodiverse Creek. Should the State Approve a Permit?

By Jake Bolster — Sun, 17 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

PennEnergy says such withdrawals are “safe and responsible” and “highly regulated.” Environmental activists counter that the company’s application used old data and doesn’t do enough to protect imperiled species.

By Jake Bolster

Sometimes, when evaluating a river, size matters. If you need to supply 40 million people in seven states with drinking water, you would hope for a body of water that resembles the Colorado River—classified as an order seven watershed for its size and biological diversity. The Amazon river, the world’s largest, is an order 12 watershed.

Q&A: The EPA Dropped a Civil Rights Probe in Louisiana After the State’s AG Countered With a Reverse Discrimination Suit

Interview by Steve Curwood, "Living on Earth" — Sat, 16 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Who’s responsible for backing off—the EPA, President Joe Biden or Attorney General Merrick Garland?

Interview by Steve Curwood, "Living on Earth"

From our collaborating partner “Living on Earth,” public radio’s environmental news magazine, an interview by Host Steve Curwood with Monique Harden, director of law and policy at the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice.

Ohio Injection Wells Suspended Over ‘Imminent Danger’ to Drinking Water

By Dani Kington, Athens County Independent — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Environmental groups have called for a suspension of all Class II wells injecting into the Ohio shale for over a decade, describing the shale as “holier than a Swiss cheese.”

By Dani Kington, Athens County Independent

This story originally appeared in the Athens County Independent. It is reprinted with permission.

New Pennsylvania Legislation Aims to Classify ‘Produced Water’ From Fracking as Hazardous Waste

By Jake Bolster — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 09:45:00 +0000

The bills would also require gas drillers to test the toxicity of the wastewater, mine tailings and runoff from landfills. Waste from fracking in the state contains radioactive radium isotopes.

By Jake Bolster

Katie Muth knew it would be a long shot. This January, the Pennsylvania state senator reintroduced three pieces of legislation aimed at closing loopholes in the laws governing how the oil and gas industry disposes of its solid and liquid waste.

Appalachian Economy Sees Few Gains From Natural Gas Development, Report Says

By Jon Hurdle — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000

More stagnation is predicted as gas production peaks and world demand drops.

By Jon Hurdle

Natural gas production in the Appalachian region of the United States has failed to produce promised increases in jobs and income since the fracking boom began there in the late 2000s, with economic stagnation likely to persist now that output of the fuel has passed its peak, according to a report issued on Tuesday.