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Posts Tagged ‘Range Resources’

Railroad Commission examiners say Range Resources not responsible for well contamination

Posted in Air Quality, tagged , , , on March 8, 2011 |

Texas Barnett Shale gas drilling rig

Texas Barnett Shale gas drilling rig -Wikipedia

According to hearing examiners for the Texas Railroad Commission, Range Resources was not responsible for contaminating two residential drinking water wells in Parker County.

The Fort Worth company was accused by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in December of allowing methane and other substances from its Barnett Shale hydraulic fracking operations into the wells.  But the hearing examiners findings are saying that the more likely sources of the contamination was the much shallower Strawn geological formation, which also contains natural gas deposits.

The full Railroad Commission will act on the hearing examiners’ findings at its March 22 public hearing.  If you would like to watch the hearing click here to access the streaming video live, or watched the archived video a few days later.

Public concern has been high and it is unknown yet, how the citizens of Parker, Hood and surrounding counties are responding to these findings.

To see the hearing examiners’ findings and supporting material, click here.

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SB772 would require “tracer” compound in fracking fluids

Posted in Air Quality, tagged , , , , , on February 21, 2011 |

Senator Wendy Davis (D-Fort Worth) filed Senate Bill 772, which, if passed, would require companies using hydraulic fracturing to mine natural gas in Texas to include a unique tracer compound enabling regulators to determine which party is or is not responsible in the event that the fluids find their way into drinking water supplies.

Sen. Davis compared the tracing compound to “DNA” for gas drilling companies. She said the measure would protect both landowners and the operators in the state’s growing shale plays and resolve questions regarding groundwater contamination allegations.

If an effective tracer compound had been used by Range Resources, it might have gone a long way toward settling a dispute between the Fort Worth company and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over two contaminated wells in Parker County containing methane, benzene and other compounds found in natural gas fracking operations.

To see a copy of Davis’ bill, click here.

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