One of the first reported significant environmental incidents occurred Wednesday on propety owned by Cleo and Gloria, Teel Wednesay.
According to a report published today in the Scranton Times-Tribune, several hundred gallons (actually they aren’t sure how much, earlier reports indicated 800 gallons) was spilled at a drilling site on the Teel property Wednesday. The spill was contained before it got to Meshoppen Creek.
The well is being drilled by Gassearch Services, who is a contractor for CABOT OIL & GAS CORPORATION. The spill occured about 350 feet from a wetland area. Apparently the fuel reached the wetland. The article stated that a vacuum truck and sponges were used to clean up the spill, which gave the wetland a reddish hue. The drilling company spokesperson said he could not give an estimate on when the cleanup would be completed.
Well, it had to happen sometime - probably the first REPORTED significant environmental issue. The article goes on to say the diesel fuel was on the property to power the drilling rig and there was a loose fitting or lock on the tank. While the company responded promptly, the thought here is that this is the first of many environmental issues. Lets hope they are all relatively small and are rare occurances. Somehow I doubt it. Wait until we see one of these retention ponds leak fracking fluid. Now, that should be interesting.
Something else that will be interesting - will the DEP fine the driller and all associated for the “damage to the wetlands area” as well as having a spill of that size in general. If you or I spilled that much in a wetlands, we probably would be facing bankruptcy. Oh maybe the DEP will just turn their heads from this matter. We will see. - Or maybe not…
I wonder how the people who live by and make their living in the Chesapeake Bay appreciate the drilling and almost certan pollution of water their bivalves are struggling to survive in feel about this. I wonder if they even (on a widespread basis) know about this potential.
Too many questions now. Too few answers. Many more questions to come, probably even less answers in the future - until after it is too late to react. We certainly have not been proactive have we?