Shale: What Can Northern Ireland Learn from
New York and Pennsylvania?
A. R. Ingraffea
Dwight C. Baum Professor Emeritus
Cornell University
and
PSE Healthy Energy, Inc.
Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
February 20, 2015
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Takeaway Messages
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Clarify your objective
Obtain, study, disseminate the latest science
Chronicle and quantify impacts
Assess the resources potential
Use your allies
Demand open access to information and data
from your regulatory authority
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Clarify Your Objective
• It should not be to “Ban Fracking” in Northern Ireland: Please,
allow me to explain!
• It might be difficult for you to do today: Allow me to tell you
stories from New York
• Please recognize that you might decide on a global objective,
but many “sub-issues” will be identified. How you deal with
them and their proponents will make for interesting group
dynamics!
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Why Our Movement Has the Wrong Name
• This is all about extraction of hydrocarbons from SHALE.
• All extraction methods from shale are inherently inefficient,
and require spatially and temporally intense, large-scale
development with significant ancillary infrastructure.
• Fracking is only one of many necessary elements of
development.
• All elements bear much higher risk of impacts to human health,
local environment, and climate change.
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Bradford County, PA, April, 2013
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Courtesy Bob Donnan
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Compressor Stations In PA
Early Design: 2010
Super-Station : 2013
Photos Courtesy of Bob Donnan
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Obtain, Study, Disseminate Latest Science
• PSE STUDY CITATION DATABASE on Shale Gas & Tight Oil Development
http://www.psehealthyenergy.org/site/view/1180#sthash.AeCRpj5W.dpuf
• Toward an understanding of the environmental and public health impacts of
shale gas development: an analysis of the peer reviewed scientific literature,
2009-2014
http://psehealthyenergy.org/site/view/1233#sthash.bsdchK5y.dpuf
• A Public Health Review of High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing for Shale Gas
Development
http://www.health.ny.gov/press/reports/docs/high_volume_hydraulic_fractu
ring.pdf
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The Science Is Late but Growing Rapidly
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The Science Compelling and NOT
Inconclusive
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Chronicle and Quantify Impacts
• COMPENDIUM OF SCIENTIFIC, MEDICAL, AND MEDIA FINDINGS
DEMONSTRATING RISKS AND HARMS OF FRACKING
(UNCONVENTIONAL GAS AND OIL EXTRACTION)
http://concernedhealthny.org/wpcontent/uploads/2014/07/CHP
NY-Fracking-Compendium.pdf
• Earthworks Oil and Gas Library
http://www.earthworksaction.org/library
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Example From Earthworks
http://www.earthworksaction.org/files/publications/BlackoutReportFINAL.pdf
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Example from New York
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Assess the Shale Resource Potential
• Two, independent studies done in New York State: both
conclude actual resource much less than industry/state
predictions
• Jerry Acton:
http://www.nofrackingway.us/2013/11/04/new-york-shalegas-potential-jerry-actons-model/
• Arthur Berman:
http://www.nofrackingway.us/2014/04/21/new-york-shalegets-another-major-downgrade/
• National-scale studies also now available. Suggest you
employ David Hughes of PCI/PSE to help you:
http://www.postcarbon.org/drilling-deeper/
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Use Your Allies
• Earthworks: http://www.earthworksaction.org/
• Earthjustice: http://earthjustice.org/
• PSE Healthy Energy: http://www.psehealthyenergy.org/
• Celebrities: They are free megaphones! How many
twitter followers do you have?
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Demand Open Access to Information and
Data from Your Regulatory Authority
It took 5 years to get Pennsylvania to this online entry point for oil/gas activities:
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/oil_and_gas_reports/20297
To this spreadsheet inventory of all wells:
http://www.depreportingservices.state.pa.us/ReportServer/Pages/ReportViewer.aspx?/O
il_Gas/Operator_Permitted_Well_Inventory
And to this spreadsheet inventory of all violation/compliance data:
http://www.depreportingservices.state.pa.us/ReportServer/Pages/ReportViewer.aspx?/Oil
_Gas/OG_Compliance
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Demand Open Access to Information and
Data from Your Regulatory Authority
The following list identifies cases where DEP determined that a private water
supply was impacted by oil and gas activities. The oil and gas activities
referenced in the list below include operations associated with both
conventional and unconventional drilling activities that either resulted in a water
diminution event or an increase in constituents above background conditions.
This list is intended to identify historic water supply impacts and does not
necessarily represent ongoing impacts
It took a court order to get this
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“Auditor General DePasquale Says Rapid Shale
Gas Development Outpaced DEP’s Ability to
Oversee Industry, Protect Water Quality.”
DEP unprepared in 2009; now understaffed, underfunded and
inconsistent”
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DEP uses a 25-year-old policy on the frequency of inspections, which has
a “loop hole,” that only requires DEP to conduct inspections as it has the
financial and human resources to do so.
Auditors also found that DEP does not post to its website all statutorily
required inspection information. When the data was tested for accuracy,
the auditors found errors of more than 25 percent in key data fields, and
that as many as 76 percent of inspectors’ comments were omitted from
the online inspection reporting.
“Until DEP updates its out-of-date inspection policies, to include mandated
inspections at specific critical drilling stages and during the life of the well,
it will be nearly impossible to measure DEP’s performance in conducting
this very basic responsibility to protect the environment.”
http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Department/Press/DEPShaleGas.html, accessed 7/22/14
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The PA DEP’s Spin on the
Auditor General’s Report
“Auditor General Performance Report Validates DEP’s Work Regarding
Unconventional Gas Drilling Activities
DEP has already implemented many of the AG’s recommendations
HARRISBURG -- The Auditor General’s Office today released the Special
Audit of DEP’s Performance in Monitoring Potential Impact to Water Quality
from Shale Gas Development for the period 2009 through 2012, finding no
instances where DEP failed to protect public health, safety or the
environment with respect to unconventional gas drilling activities.”
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/newsroom/14287?id=20580&typeid=1
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Takeaway Messages
•
•
•
•
•
•
Clarify your objective
Obtain, study, disseminate the latest science
Chronicle and quantify impacts
Assess the resources potential
Use your allies
Demand open access to information and data
from your regulatory authority
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Thank You for the Honor of
Being with You Today
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