WATERSHED IS GROUND ZERO

December 12, 2009
In Exxon Deal, Signs of the New Gusher
NEW YORK TIMES: By JAD MOUAWAD and CLIFFORD KRAUSS
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/business/energy-environment/15exxon.html

December 16, 2009
Exxon Can Stop Deal if Drilling Method Is Restricted
WALL STREET JOURNAL: By RUSSELL GOLD
Provision Makes $31 Billion XTO Pact Contingent on Continued Viability of 'Fracking' Technique to Extract Gas
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703581204574600111296148326.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

October 21, 2009
CHESAPEAKE APPALACHIA, LLC
PROPOSED SURFACE WATER WITHDRAWAL PROJECT
Application Withdrawn by Applicant

Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC has notified the commission that it is rescinding its application for approval of a surface water withdrawal project to supply a maximum of 29.99 mg/30 days of water for the applicant's exploration and development of natural gas wells in the State of New York and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Surface water was proposed to be withdrawn from the West Branch of the Delaware River at a location known as the Cutrone Site in Buckingham Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania.

The proposed project would have been located in the Delaware River Watershed within the drainage area of the section of the non-tidal Delaware River known as the Upper Delaware, which is designated as Special Protection Waters.

In its October 20, 2009 letter to DRBC Chairman Mark Klotz, who represents New York Governor David Paterson on the commission, Chesapeake wrote ". . . we have decided to withdraw the application and reasssess our approach to the situation. We believe this is preferable to continuing with hearings and further public debate about the project at this time."

The commission held a public hearing on an initial draft docket (permit) at its July 15, 2009 business meeting in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and heard testimony from approximately 40 witnesses. Voluminous written comment was submitted on or before the July 15 hearing. In light of the high level of public interest in the project, the commission took no action on the docket on July 15, and on that date it extended the written comment period through July 29, 2009. Approximately 1,200 written comments (excluding petitions) were received on the draft docket by the close of the comment period. After review and consideration of these comments, the commission and staff developed a revised draft docket, which was posted on the DRBC web site on September 11, 2009.

The public hearing originally scheduled for September 23, 2009 to receive testimony on the revised draft docket was postponed at the request of Chesapeake Appalachia to allow the public and the applicant more time to consider the revised draft docket.  In its September 15 postponement request, Chesapeake said it was seeking additional time "to review and consider the changes reflected in the revised draft docket for the project" published on the commission's web site on September 11.  Chesapeake stated that it "has not had adequate time to review the changes reflected in the revised draft docket, particularly with respect to the proposed pass-by flow."





The location of strategic deployment - and the map displays the location of these permit requests - where the Upper Delaware River meets Highway 17. From this location water-tanker trucks can easily transport
water to locations across the entire Watershed Region in both New York and Pennsylvania, including the Matoushek Well Site drilled [and capped for non-complience since August] by Stone Energy Corporation.



Delaware River Basin Commission [DRBC] docket number #D-2008-34-1 has been assigned to a permit request for surface water withdrawal of one-million gallons of water per day from the East Branch of the Upper Delaware River. This permit request is for a maximum of approximately 30 mg/30 days of water for the applicant’s exploration and development of natural gas wells in the State of New York and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Surface water is proposed to be withdrawn from the East Branch of the Delaware River in Peas Eddy, Hancock Township, Delaware County, New York.

This withdrawal project is located within the drainage area to the section of the non-tidal Delaware River known as the Upper Delaware, which is designated as Special Protection Waters, and very close to the one-mile of the proposed perimeter around the New York City Watershed. Drilling activity in this location at the "scale of deployment" intended [Gas & Oil Industry language], now puts both the Upper Delaware Watershed and the New York City Watershed in grave danger of contamination.

Additionally, news has been received that a permit request by Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC has been made to the New York DEC for the drilling [and hydro-fracking] of six [6] deep gas wells also in the location of Peas Eddy, NY. This drilling activity will directly impact both the Upper Delaware Watershed [quality] and the New York City Watershed [quantity]. More information on this permit request map is below.

1. Five of these "test" wells would be horizontal, not vertical.
2. Proposed depth is between 5,647' and 7,670'
3. Currently these are the only six permit applications in the Upper Delaware Watershed.
4. Objective Formation is Marcellus with one well being a deeper formation.
5. Proposed Well Type is GW (gas wildcat).
6. These six wells are the only wells requested for all of Delaware County, NY.

It is our understanding that these actions by Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC clearly display that the corporation [which is now largely owned by the nation of Norway] is trying to "piecemeal" their activities and "obfuscate" the regulatory processes. These seperate actions make the several states' [and DRBC's] ability to address these deployment activities much more difficult.

Location of first six Gas Drilling Permit Requests to NY-DEC in the Upper Delaware Watershed


DRBC will hold a meeting on March 11, 2009. Since the Energy Act of 2005 gave the Gas & Oil Industry complete federal exemptions to all environmental regulations, the residents of the Watershed and, indeed the river itself, depend largely on DRBC to protect water resources from this significant change in use. Similarly, Section 3.40.4(B), under Ground Water Quality Objectives, states; “It is the policy of the Commission to prevent degradation of ground water quality. Thus we urgently request DRBC [comment directly to DRBC] and NY-DEC [comment directly to NY-DEC] deny any and all permit requests for gas drilling by "hydraulic-fracturing" within the Watershed Region [which includes both the Delaware & New York City Watersheds].


Please see below images of before-and-after of the San Juan Basin - would'nt this destroy the Watershed Region given the "scale of operation" intended by the gas & oil industry?