On Saturday, March 24, 2014, two vessels collided in the Houston Ship Channel spilling approximately 168,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil into Galveston Bay. The Houston Ship Channel was closed for three days as cleanup efforts began by the US Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office, NOAA, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Kirby Inland Marine Corp (responsible party), and other organizations. Continue reading
Galveston oil spill threatens wildlife
Posted in Industry news, Oil & gas, Surface water, TX
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Supreme Court of Texas hears arguments for underground trespassing case
On January 7, 2014, the Texas State Supreme Court heard arguments on a controversial case, the ramifications of which could have far reaching consequences for the state’s oil and gas industry. The issue at hand is what has become known as underground trespassing.
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Posted in Analysis, Groundwater, Hydraulic fracturing, Oil & gas
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$687 million proposed to aid drought-stricken California
President Obama addresses the seriousness of the drought as he speaks to the media with Gov. Jerry Brown (left) and farmers Joe and Maria Del Bosque in Los Banos (Merced County). Photo: Wally Skalij, Associated Press
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Posted in Analysis, Groundwater, Regulatory issues
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Mexican drug cartels: A big fracking problem
Earlier this week on Wednesday, the NAFTA summit was held in Toluca, Mexico where President Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto met to discuss a wide array of economic and political issues. Saving the monarch butterfly, the Keystone XL pipeline, immigration reform, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership were a few of the major issues in focus during the summit. A key area that was not addressed as adequately as Mexican President Pena Nieto would have liked was energy. Continue reading
Posted in Analysis, Energy, Hydraulic fracturing, Industry news, Oil & gas
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Coal related chemical spills plaguing West Virginia
West Virginia has found itself in the spotlight this year after multiple coal related spills have threatened the state’s water supply and contaminated aquatic habitats. To recap, a chemical spill occurred on January 9, 2014 in Charleston, releasing at least 10,000 gallons of toxic chemicals into the Elk River. The toxic chemicals traveled from the Elk River into the city of Charleston’s local water supply, leaving approximately 300,000 people exposed to contaminated drinking water.
Freedom Industries, the company responsible for the leak, initially reported that 7,500 gallons were released but later increased the estimate. The company originally claimed that a toxic coal cleaning chemical called MCHM (4-methylcyclohexane methanol) was released into the river, but nearly two weeks later they notified officials that a second chemical known as PPH had also leaked.
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Posted in Energy, Environmental data, EPA, Groundwater, Regulatory issues, Surface water
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California desperate for water as drought threatens millions
California has found itself in perhaps the most severe drought in the state’s history, with two-thirds of the state being designated as “extreme drought.” On January 19, 2014, state Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency and urged residents to reduce water consumption by 20 percent. Rainfall, snow pack, river, and lake levels are all short of where they should be at this time of the year. Concern is growing as millions of Californians may soon find themselves without a reliable supply of water. State water officials announced they would not be sending any state water to local agencies servicing 25 million residents and 750,000 acres of farmland unless the drought weakens. To make matters even more bleak, California’s wet season is almost over and the dry summer months are on the horizon. Continue reading
Posted in Employment, Groundwater, Industry news, Regulatory issues, Surface water
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