Ave atque vale, and aquifers vale as well.
So this was in my Facebook feed:
California Aquifers Poisoned by Fracking While State’s Water Shortage Becomes Grim
In July, during the height of the drought, state regulators halted operations at 11 injection wells used to dispose of wastewater used in hydraulic fracturing. The state found that the wastewater might have contaminated aquifers used for drinking water and farm irrigation. The Environmental Protection agency had ordered the state to send them a report regarding the situation within 60 days.
Last week, in compliance with the EPA demand, the California State Water Resources Board sent the agency a letter confirming that at least nine of the sites closed down by the state were indeed dumping contaminated water into aquifers protected by the Safe Drinking Water Act and California regulations.
A copy of the letter was obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity. The letter reveals that some three billion gallons of toxic wastewater was illegally released when injected into wells and spread into aquifers in the central part of the state. The State Water Resources board also stated that water samples taken from eight water supply resources close to the injection sites have excessive levels of toxins and carcinogens, including thallium, a chemical found in rat poison, and arsenic, a known carcinogen which can also wreak havoc on the endocrine and immune systems of humans and animals.
“Arsenic and thallium are extremely dangerous chemicals,” said Timothy Krantz, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Redlands. “The fact that high concentrations are showing up in multiple water wells close to wastewater injection sites raises major concerns about the health and safety of nearby residents.”
State regulators believe that up to 19 other fracking wastewater injection wells could have contaminated aquifers. To date, the Water Resources Board has only tested the eight wells indicated in its letter.
But, you know, that’s Alternet. I like Alternet, but it’s left-wing, sometimes alt-health, and not always reliable (as if the traditional media is); it’s not my first choice of sites when I want to convince people of something — even of something as apparently factual as the existence of this letter. So I looked for more information: Google News search, last month, {California | Aquifers | Fracking}.
Massive Dumping of Fracking Wastewater into Aquifers Shows Big Oil’s Power in California
OK, good story — but it’s from the San Diego Free Press. It’s slogan is “Grassroots News and Progressive Views.” People may dismiss it out of hand. What’s next?
California aquifers contaminated with billions of gallons of fracking wastewater
That’s Russia Today. RT does some excellent reporting on the deficiencies of the United States — just as the U.S. media does excellent reporting on the deficiencies of Russia — but it does seem compromised to me and I don’t entirely trust it. I can’t expect that others will do so more.
You Thought California’s Drought Couldn’t Get Any Worse? Enter Fracking.
That’s from Mother Jones. I consider it to be quite a good news source, but … well, I have no illusions about what non-lefties would think.
Frackers are dumping toxic waste into California’s groundwater
Grist. I don’t read them much. I don’t expect people who don’t share my politics to credit what they say, though I don’t see why they shouldn’t.
All of these stories appear since October 7, by the way, when a site called (*sigh*) “DeSmogBlog” seems to have broken the story with the massive journalistic effort of … publishing a press release from the Center for Biological Diversity. (D’ohhh! Could been us!) Is that letter true? If it isn’t, then isn’t that a story worth telling? Surely someone should have checked, right? Poisoned water — big deal, right?
I continued looking. Clean Technica, Care2.com, Earth Times, Al Jazzera, Truth-Out — all perfectly reasonable stories from perfectly reasonable sources that I don’t expect most people reading this blog, let alone in the broader and less smart and sensible world, would necessarily afford the credibility of the Los Angeles Times or, uh, the Register or KABC or KOCE or KPCC or what have you.
Where is the establishment media? Don’t their readers and viewers and listeners drink water?
IS THIS SIMPLY “NOT NEWS”?
Maybe I was looking in the wrong place. The Center for Biological Diversity, that’s what I’ll look up!
I don’t recognize the people on their Board of Directors (but then, not being that deep into environmental activist groups, I wouldn’t expect to, either.) They have a nice story — battling the National Forest Service in New Mexico — but that doesn’t mean that they get automatic credibility. Maybe the whole thing is a prank! (If so, someone sure is putting a lot of effort into it.) CIA front organization? Cleverly disguised cocaine smuggling cartel? Space aliens coming for our thallium?
Let’s see what the traditional media has to say about them!
Almost half a million hits! I’ll just read you a list of the sources writing about them:
Wikipedia
National Journal
EndangeredSpeciesCondoms
Bloomberg
Takeextinctionoffyourplate.com
SheepSociety.com
Commondreams.org
undueinfluence.com
One NPR story (!)
tucsonweekly.com
wrongkindofgreen.org
Oh, and then a bunch of stories from the EPA and such discussing their lawsuits to protect Endangered Species.
I don’t know if the story that they kicked off is true — but I’d be very surprised if it isn’t. If it’s not true, then it deserves to be exposed! But if it is true, then it deserves a spot in the news — not just the fringe lefty news, but the newsy-news-news. And the lack of interest that the traditional media shows in covering this story — POISON! DRINKING!! WATER!!! — given the crap and crud that they do cover just amazes me.
When people look back years from now and ask “why wasn’t the public more engaged when it mattered?”, please try to remember to point them to stories like this one, that show that they weren’t engaged largely because they weren’t told. And that they aren’t told because they don’t want to be engaged really isn’t much of an excuse.
This post is published in memory of one-time alt-media titan the San Francisco Bay Guardian, which blinked out of existence this weeks after 48 years, and which I think would have published news about this topic as well.
This is your Weekend Open Thread. Talk about that, or anything else you’d like, within reasonable bounds of decency and decorum.
(And if you haven’t yet registered to vote, Monday is your last day to do it.)
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Funny, the ones that show up for me are all about the benefits of living a good, clean life. Clear your cookies, sir.
We do keep getting fuckin NO on 45 and we’re all YESSSS on 45. Same as when we were all NO DON”T VOTE FOR LINDA LINDHOLM and Google was all Vote for Linda Lindholm.
Oh, I come back to the page and the ads are about becoming a substance abuse counselor and installing solar panels. I cleared nothing. Somebody played with an algorithm in the mean time. They’re reading. They’re reading every word….. (cue whiny space alien music)
Now I get “Invest in oil futures” and a Spanish-language ad for Halloween candy. Sounds about right.
my guess:
yes, the story is true, and no, it’s not that big of a deal.
A quick way to evaluate water quality stories: unit of measure. If they use “acre-feet”, it’s probably neutral or pro-industry, if gallons are used, it’s being sensational.
Water usage is usually measured in acre-feet: the amount of water it takes to cover a one acre field in a foot of water. Most food crops require a couple of acre-feet of water each year per acre. Likewise, also, very crudely, an acre-foot can keep two suburban households (and their lawn) going for about year. The most important reservoir in the California Water Project, Lake Oroville, has a capacity of 3.5 million acre-feet.
But here’s the fun part: an acre-foot is over 300,000 gallons. So quantities of water that will seem slight to a water manager can be made to seem really large in a news story.
so, back to your question:
The CBD letter puts the amount of water at “almost three billion gallons.”
A nice, dramatic number. But what’s that in a useful unit? That’s about 10,000 acre-feet — a non-trivial amount, but hardly a threat to California’s overall water budget.
But notice: we know about this because there were already monitoring wells in place that, obviously, were being monitoring.
This seems to be a situation where the State may have been doing it’s job: keeping tabs on an industrial process, and shutting it down when something didn’t seem right.
Two more notes. The CBD letter said “elevated”, not “dangerous” levels of those toxic metals. In an ideal world, the California Water Board jumped on this problem before it became a PROBLEM.
Lastly, you don’t need to wait for BIG OIL to poison your drinking water to enjoy the “benefits” of thallium: just drink a lot of Pelligrino bottled sparkling water!
I think that you’re missing the point.
Your point is along the lines of “someone broke into a house while the owners were on vacation, but it’s no big deal because all they took were some clothing and small electronics worth less than $1000.”
The damage done may be as little as you assert, but there’s a fundamental question to address: “What the hell made them think that it was OK to break into the house in the first place?”
As I mention below to Ryan, my understanding is that companies engaged in fracking do not have to disclose what they inject into wells. I find that disturbing in itself — but it’s MORE disturbing if it then ends up in our aquifers. And my concern is not only with thallium, but with substances that we don’t even necessarily know to look for. Again, it goes back to secrecy.
I don’t think that companies have the right to inject waste water that they have reason to expect may have toxic substances into our groundwater without explicit authorization. That this may not have been all that much water, in the grand scheme of things, doesn’t eliminate the objection.
And, of course, the larger point of the story is: “why hasn’t this story made its way into the traditional media regardless of your observations? It surely is not because journalists have as much relevant understanding as you and Ryan regarding the dangers that may be posed by fracking. They routinely make a hell of a lot bigger deal about much less.
Sounds like a good reason to get started on building those desal plants.
i really do not know what the fuss is about
we went to costco the other day and there were
boxes and boxes of fiji water
what shortage
Yeah well wait until the fiji blight kicks in.
fiji blight opened coachella in ’02
Just to be clear, waste water injection is not exclusive to fracking. It’s done as a routine part of traditional oil and gas production. In fact, we’ve been doing it routinely for a very long time.
Oil and gas wells also produce water. In many cases, more water (already contaminated by nature) is produced than oil. The numbers you seen tossed around above have absolutely nothing to do with “fracking”. It’s just water produced from an oil well– like any of the other tens of thousands of wells in the area. That water either gets treated and disposed of at the surface or treated and reinjected back underground. In the vast majority of cases, reinjecting it is the safest and most environmentally friendly option.
If there are issues with contamination from a potable water source, the most likely culprit is a casing design or defect issue at an injection site. Should that ever happen? No. Of course not.
Does it have anything at all to do with “fracking”? Nope. Not in the slightest.
Don’t buy the hype.
Ryan, one of the problems that I understand to be the case with fracking is that companies are not required to — and consequently do not — disclose what is in their fracking fluids. (You may reply that that is proprietary knowledge. If we’re drinking it, I don’t really care — but there must also be ways to divulge the chemicals without explaining the precise recipe.)
If you are saying that the water in question here contains no other chemicals than would routinely come from such a well in the absence of fracking, then that’s useful information. If not, then “the numbers tossed around above” DO have to do with fracking.
As I’ve said, I’m cautious about fracking — but not yet convinced that it is damaging to the environment. But the suspicions, on my part and even more so on the parts of others, derives largely from secrecy about the practice and legitimate questions about the independence of those doing the research about it. The “we’ve been doing it for decades” argument — as if the practices of the 70s are the same as those of the 10s just because they share a common name — is a particular red flag for me.
Until we know what’s going into the aquifers and what’s coming out, I see little reason that concerns should be considered illegitimate. The concerns are not that hard to allay, if what you’re saying is true; it mostly requires transparency.
I’m saying it’s not a related issue.
If you want to know what’s in several thousand gallons of water in a pool of billions of gallons of water, I’d suggest that’s not really material.
The disclosure issue is important, but not relevant to the issue of waste water disposal.
Your “breaking into the house” analogy is fallacious. A better analogy would be “the factory on the edge of town that has been regulated for decades appears to have exceeded their thresholds. Local activist got ahold of the administrative proceedings”
The central valley mega-growers do not lack for political clout, nor are they dis-interested in their water quality. They’ve been fighting with the oil companies over these issues since at least the 30s.
That’s why my friend Anthony has a job with the California water board in Fresno.
I am not absolving the folks with the injection well; they may have screwed up, and if so, they should be held accountable. That’s what lawyers and courts are for, and both sides can afford plenty. But the point is that CBD didn’t have to do any actual field work; they only had to get ahold of a piece of paper from the state — because folks like my friend Anthony are already on it.
“Fracking” has been taking place in California oil fields since the 60s. Just because a newer, more intensive version of “fracking” is involved doesn’t mean there is any real change in how the power balance of the Central Valley plays out on water issues. That doesn’t mean we should turn a blind eye to this, but it explains why little of this story isn’t particularly novel or interesting.
Best regards to your friend Anthony. I hope that he’s doing a great job.
Your “factory exceeding thresholds” example works if thresholds exist — here meaning if the factory has a right to dump a certain amount of guck into the water. Is it the case that frackers are currently allowed to dump some degree of unidentified chemicals into what will become our drinking water? (If the chemicals aren’t disclosed, by the way, I don’t see how we can have faith in our treatment.) If they’re allowed to do so and just overdid it, then your analogy is right. If they aren’t, then I stand by mine.
That aside, I don’t think that we’re that far apart on this. New changes in technology don’t necessarily change the power balance — but they may change the stakes. I think that that’s what happened here. When fracking was a limited harm, matters were less likely to come to a head than they are now.
Greg? seriously? what does San Francisco Mission Poetry have to do with the Fracking stuff? Are you O.K. over there? i am worried about you.
That’s a cover from the SF Bay Guardian, which recently closed, as is mentioned in the story’s text.
There is a connection though Mr. Illuminati denier.
The Trans America building that you feature above….
Who is the Architect?
and what is his connection to Camp Pendleton, U.C.I., U.S. Bases in Spain. Fasion island and the Fox Tower in Century City?
The Trans America building is the needle (Obelisk) of Osiris placed at the apex of a pyramid.
That is to give you a head start.
So when did water Board candidates start sending out Slate Mailers!!!
I just got a slick 8 1/2″ by 14″ glossy for a slate for IRWD ( Steve Lamer, Doug Reinhart, and Peer Swan) ply Satoru “SAT” Tamaribuchi for MWD Division 5.
I was going to vote for Peer anyway — but I don’t recall getting these in the past.
I think they’re all afraid of Greg!
Since Dave Ellis is running for the Muni Board, is my guess. That mailer is being driven almost entirely by Tamaribuchi’s needs. I doubt that the IRWD incumbents are that afraid of their challengers Boyd Schultz and Shane Jagow.
Tamaribuchi — which whom my client Ron Varasteh remains in litigation — is a longtime executive (a Vice-President) with the Irvine Company, although you would not know it from his campaign statement, his Facebook page (which last I checked doesn’t mention it even once), or his website (which I did just check.) My expectation is that what the slate mailer means is that the trio of incumbents too are also stealth (or maybe blatant) Irvine Company candidates — which isn’t very surprising, is it?
I will say this much for Tamaribuchi: better I’d rather see him win this seat than Execrable Dave Ellis! But the fact that they (and a third candidate, El Toro Water District member Jose Vergara) are likely to split up the rotten corporatist vote does open the door for Varasteh to gain the more progressive vote — as the only candidate in the race who opposes Poseidon. It’s an interesting race.
What group funded the mailer? I’d like to see who donated — and how many steps it takes to trace them back to the Irvine Company.
Here ya go, from the mailer
Paid for by
Friends of Peer Swan IRWD 2014 ID# 8215267
Terrazo Drive Newport Coast C 92657
LaMar for IRWD Board 2014 ID# 1327429
34 Abeto Irvine CA 92620
Reinhart for IRWD Board of Directors 2014 ID# 1287873
19 Hollinwood Irvine CA 92618
Tamaribuchi for Municipal Water District of Orange County 2014 ID# 1370369
1 Sunlight Irvine CA 92603
I can send you a scan of the entire mailer if you like.
IRWD is closely allied with the Irvine Company, having been in 1961 to help Irvine Company develop its farmland into cities. There hasn’t been an open election since the 1970s because board members always retire during their term. That way the IRWD board appoints a successor who can run as the incumbent at the next election.
That said, they are a *very* well run agency.
Just jumping in on this, havent seen yet how this conversation began, but the name Peer Swan caught my eye. Peer Swan of Irvine Water District is one of our local water heroes, a relentless and brilliant foe of Poseidon.
glad to hear that. Peer is an engineer by temperament, and a wicked smart guy.
He’s also incredibly knowledgeable about water issues. He’s not averse to spenidng $2billion to increase supply — IRWD is just finishing up a massive “pee-to-faucet” water recycling project.
So If he’s against it, you *know* the numbers don’t work.
irwd almost evaporated when newport beach annex/occupied (depending upon your perspective) newport coast. if the district did not serve two distinct customers, it would have been absorbed by irvine. irwd paid newport beach something like 25 million to maintain the right to serve the people of newport coast. newport coast got a massive reduction in its mello ruse payments and free trash collection for a couple of decades. just think what larry could have done if he had a water district and a beach
With us three ankle-biters banned off Matt’s site – me, Ryan and
CantorZenger (or make it six if you count Greg, Cynthia and BigBox) it is certainly too dull to even approach – even his anonymous trolls are complaining.Interesting though, that he continues to allow Gabriel. I guess Matt and his bosses find Gabriel’s race-suffused leftist critiques less threatening than us (mostly conservative) ankle-biters. Sorry, hermano…
At least Matt’s debating strategy doesn’t change. GSR makes a point, Matt replies with: “mock mock mock mock mock.”
Dude’s just a hammer without a nail.
You can’t debate with him because he will ultimately rely on some patriotic or religious nonsense to try to make you look like if you don’t agree you are an atheist or a commie.
Sad, really. What I can’t figure out (seriously) is why anybody thinks this chum is worth paying a plug nickel. His writing is stilted and cliché-filled. His activities – like setting teddy bears on fire – suggests a complete lack judgment. And now “savages” is simply a way to describe “comparatively primitive” people.
“ultimately rely on some patriotic or religious nonsense to try to make you look like if you don’t agree you are an atheist or a commie.”
Isn’t that like so last century?
Like those of us on the left automatically calling people racists or sexists or homophobes. (Not that it’s seldom true…)
Oh come on, Vern. That JPA comment was golden. Where’d it go?
Oh. It was based on a mistake I made (“Ryan and Cantor” instead of “Ryan and Zenger”) and I fixed that mistake.
How would we work it in now?
EVERYTHING you write is golden. Which reminds me, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO WRITE YOUR STORY TELLING THE WORLD WHAT DAN C TRIED TO DO TO YOU?
Ah, well, you know, raising a family is time consuming enough without having to defend against someone attempting to take food off their table.
Two sharp quakes in the past few minutes here in North OC. Feel like foreshocks.
3.0 and 2.8. Could be!
Short sharp shocks. Brought me back to my theater drill days.
I can’t figure out if this story of water contamination by frackers is true or not either! I’m beginning to doubt it.
The smoking gun, found on a link in the story on the BioDiversity (or whatever the organization is that broke the story in a one page press release) is a letter from the Water Board. It does not state the same facts as the articles state and discusses contamination found in seven water supply wells and does not directly implicate fracking in the contamination found.
Well…looks like the established media finally caught on
After months of campaigning! WOO!