From the Damascus Township Methane Baseline
This is the Dimock data dump as the PA DEP people called it. We started asking for info on some of the gas wells in Dimock just after the Jan 1, 2009 blow up of Norma Fiorentino’s water well. In answer to DCS’ requests – multiple phone calls made by one of our members we were told that a “data dump” was being gathered and we could have it to look at or for copying – we chose to pay for and have it all copied and sent it to EarthJustice to scan. It seems that it was prepared as a result of a Right to Know Request (see pages 23 and 24 of Communication with Public.pdf) filed by one April Knizner of Delmont, PA. Also in Delmont, PA is Penneco – gas/oil co with leases and drilling interests. Since obtaining these papers and posting them we and others have been stone-walled or severely disappointed that papers expected to be in files have not been there, but if you read these you will find many interesting items. Newspaper stories written at the time with statements by DEP spokespeople seemed to say that many qualities were being tested for, but on careful reading and in actual fact only two places were tested for a number of items. If you look at the tests and the logs you see that the DEP only tested 2 places for all these and about half of the homes for some – about half of the almost 40 places were only tested for methane (and ethane, ethylene, and propane) which is done as a single test with a hand held meter in the field. NOTE that these meters are not subject to a verified or certified standard zero-ing (like a commercially used scale would be). SEE Internal DEP Discussion.pdf for discussion of “marcellus brand” AND water tests – for the particulars of what was tested for – especially when compared to the carefully worded press releases that made it sound like the DEP was testing each location for the full list. Dimock is in the Susquehanna River Valley in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.
Emails, Correspondence, Test Results, etc. – 2006 to 2009
- Dimock Test Results.Summer 2008 email.pdf – Water test results for wells in Dimock Township, summer, 2008.
- Weber Pit Explosion 1-1-09.pdf – Emails regarding water well explosion, January, 2009.
- Well Records 2.pdf – Gas well records, Susquehanna County, 2006 to 2008.
- Approx. Location of Sample Sites.pdf – Email and map regarding Carter Road gas migration investigation, January, 2009.
- Background Geological Data.pdf
- Cabot Correspondance with DEP.pdf – Mostly regarding residential water wells allegedly contaminated by Cabot drilling activities, 2008 to 2009.
- Communication with Public.pdf – Emails and other communications, mostly regarding complaints about residential water contamination due to Cabot drilling activities, 2009.
- DEP Correspondance with Cabot.pdf – Notice of Violation and letter to Cabot regarding gas migration, January to Feburary, 2009.
- Diesel Fuel Spill 1-30-09.pdf – Emails regarding Cabot fuel spill in Dimock Township, January, 2009.
- Internal DEP Discussion.pdf – Internal emails regarding gas migration in Dimock Township include information about Cabot’s desire to protect the “brand name of Marcellus”, January to February, 2009.
- Isotopic Data Sheets for Some Well Tests.pdf – For Dimock Township wells, February, 2009.
- Misc Testing Logs.pdf – Gas migration investigation, Dimock Township, 2008 to 2009.
- PA DEP Notice of Vioaltion.02-0-27-09.pdf – Notice of Violation to Cabot, Feburary, 2009.
- PA State Water Plan Principles.pdf – State Water Plan (2009) priorities include: “Protect important headwater habitats and recharge areas of the Upper/Middle Susquehanna River Basin”.
