Major fracking spill happening now in Pennsylvania

[one...two...tree 2,762]

We have the makings of an environmental disaster in northern Pennsylvania at the moment. According to local Pennsylvania television station WNEP, a natural-gas well blew out in the middle of the night while crews were engaged in "fracking" activities:

Bradford County's director of public safety said a Chesapeake well went out of control late Tuesday night. That means the well blew near the surface, spilling thousands and thousands of gallons of frack fluid over containment walls, through fields, personal property and farms, even where cattle continue to graze.

DEP is taking ground water and stream samples to determine the extent of the spill.

Officials said fluids from the well have, in fact, contaminated Towanda Creek which feeds into the Susquehanna River.

No injuries have been reported, but officials have evacuated the surrounding area as a precaution. A "major operation" is under way to kill the well and stop the flow, which, as of 1:50 p.m. ET, was still uncontrolled.

DeSmogBlog, which flagged the news, observed the irony that this spill occurs on the BP Gulf spill's first anniversary. As with the Gulf, do we really think this sort of thing will never happen again in Pennsylvania? We are, after all, talking about a state where the governor has put industry firmly in charge of regulating itself. For all the big fans of fracking out there, is putting our agricultural lands and water supply at risk really the best path to a low-carbon future? I'm going to answer "no" on that one.

http://www.grist.org/natural-gas/2011-04-20-major-fracking-spill-happening-now-in-pennsylvania

[Obama 2012 1,714]

you really get a hard on posting this hack #######, don't you?

[Ban Hammer 13,489]

i wonder what the frack happened up there.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

i wonder what the frack happened up there.

And I still wonder why we're not fracking the frack out of Kansas.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

you really get a hard on posting this hack #######, don't you?

And you never miss an opportunity to let everyone know how you feel about sperm being the best skin lotion...

[Ban Hammer 13,489]

And I still wonder why we're not fracking the frack out of Kansas.

how's that oil on florida beaches doing? getting a good tan?

[Zero Sum 305]

The Philly Fox station is also reporting on this, proving its not a hack job.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

how's that oil on florida beaches doing? getting a good tan?

What oil?

Now frack Kansas!

[Ban Hammer 13,489]

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

The ground water in N.E. PA has been completely screwed over the past few years for the fact PA has like zero environmental laws to cover their #######. PA still hasn't taken any steps to prevent disasters like this one. County and state have dropped the ball in favor of money.

[lostinblue 1,989]

http://discussions.wnep.com/20/wnep/wnep-brad-leroy-gas-drillingemergency20110420/10

comments from a local...KeithKitchen at 3:44 AM April 21, 2011

i dont see what all the fuss is about. i was up there and yes there is stuff coming out but it is all contained in a containment. yes some fluids did get out but noyhing that will affect us and most of it comes from the ground anyways. if it wasnt for these gas companys alot of us would be on welfare trying to raise our familys. so the gas industry has helped this area out alot. yes accidents do happen because we are humans. we werent made to be perfect. but thats why we take precautions every day to prevent something like this from happening. we take these risk and so do the owners when they let us on their land to do this gas drilling. if you aint happy with all this then like the one guy said turn off your meters because your being hypicrates.

[jundp 191]

you really get a hard on posting this hack #######, don't you?

Sometimes I think you don't actually read the posts you comment on...

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://discussions.wnep.com/20/wnep/wnep-brad-leroy-gas-drillingemergency20110420/10

comments from a local...KeithKitchen at 3:44 AM April 21, 2011

i dont see what all the fuss is about. i was up there and yes there is stuff coming out but it is all contained in a containment. yes some fluids did get out but noyhing that will affect us and most of it comes from the ground anyways. if it wasnt for these gas companys alot of us would be on welfare trying to raise our familys. so the gas industry has helped this area out alot. yes accidents do happen because we are humans. we werent made to be perfect. but thats why we take precautions every day to prevent something like this from happening. we take these risk and so do the owners when they let us on their land to do this gas drilling. if you aint happy with all this then like the one guy said turn off your meters because your being hypicrates.

Gotta love that "Keith Kitchen". Someone should give that guy a glass of arsenic to drink and then see what he has to say. Those company's could care less about safety. Profit always comes first. Accidents are not tolerable in that line of business. If a weld breaks then it's due to someone not doing their job like they should. Here in Alaska our environmental rules in regards to drilling are more hardcore than the Feds, and for good reason. After the gold mines pulled out in the early part of the 20th century there were entire streams and lakes that were uninhabitable, drinking water was screwed, and the laws were vague at best. PA is paying now, and going to be paying big time later on for not knuckling down on these company's and they will have nobody to blame but themselves for not putting stricter laws on the books to cover Joe Public.

Drilling safely is not anti business, it's pro humanity.

[jundp 191]

Drilling safely is not anti business, it's pro humanity.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Sometimes I think you don't actually read the posts you comment on...

the article is a hack piece of #######. It's not a news article, it's a hit-piece before any/all facts are present.

Pay attention and try to keep up.