Benzene in the air in Texas, gas production suspected

AP/Yahoo news video about the benzene issues at DISH Texas:

http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/texas-city-sick-because-of-...

Note that benzene if MUCH more harmful than laundry soap or Formula 409. Take a good look at the MSDS for those products some time & compare it to benzene. Which ones have warnings for leukemia?

http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS-Benzene-9927339

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Permalink Reply by BuckinghamGasMan on February 15, 2010 at 7:56am
I think it was Voltaire who was maligned by a critic in the newspaper and then ran into the critic in a Men's Room. The critic apologized and Voltaire said that he would have rather had the apology in the newspaper and the slander in the Men's Room
Permalink Reply by Dee Fulton on March 10, 2010 at 9:45am
In a January 27, 2010 inter-agency memo from the TCEQ Toxicology Department, 21 monitoring sites were found to have benzene levels higher than the long-term health-based comparison value. For that reason, the TD recommended that additional stationary long-term monitoring be expanded in the Barnett Shale area.

http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assets/public/implementation/barnett_sh...

Regarding Dunkard Creek, it may be too early to state that accusations regarding the involvement of Marcellus shale operations in the tragic demise of 40 miles of stream are erroneous. Consol is 'fessing up that their Blacksville 2 and Loveridge mines spewed chloride- laden discharge water into Dunkard Creek and converted the creek into a brackish stream suitable for golden algae. However, the issue of whether or not Marcellus drilling operations played a role is not quite so clear, largely due to lack of information. For example, there is no evidence that water withdrawals for Marcellus drilling contributed to low flow conditions in Dunkard Creek simply because there are no records kept of those activities. There is a suspicion that illegal dumping of waste water occurred but there are no records on that either.
Permalink Reply by Christine Zamora on November 14, 2014 at 7:06am

A lot of people living near and on the Barnett Shale must smoke as lung cancer is the number one killer in Denton.  

MORTALITY

Key Findings:

  •   In 2008 cancer was the leading cause of death in Denton County.

  •   The Texas Department of State Health Services estimated that there would be over

    2,500 new cancer cases in Denton County during 2011 and over 700 cancer deaths.

  •   Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. 

http://www.unitedwaydenton.org/sites/unitedwaydenton.org/files/6Hea...

http://www.dentonrc.com/local-news/local-news-headlines/20140730-fl...

Permalink Reply by Ragnars Repo on November 17, 2014 at 6:39am
Cancer is second to heart disease as the leading causes of death in the US. Of all cancers, lung claims the most victims annually and is only behind skin cancer in number of diagnosed cases. You could probably study theses numbers and say the same is true in almost any state and county in the US.
Permalink Reply by Greg Ricks on January 20, 2010 at 8:19am
I would note that the theory is that the benzene is originating from a compressor station that is connected to several gas pipelines. No one, in this report, says that the benzene is originating from drilling activity.
Permalink Reply by Robin Fehrenbach Scala on February 13, 2010 at 7:34am
Could it be more bad information from obstructionists? Take notice who invited the mayor of Dish to come up and speak about the evils of gas drilling...and then read this from Energy In Depth:


Seven Questions for the Mayor of DISH

In advance of Mayor Tillman’s trip to New York next week, EID poses a series of questions residents should ask while he’s there


It’s not every day you’re likely to run into the mayor of a small town in Denton Co., Texas ambling about the Southern Tier of New York State. But next week, that’s precisely where you’ll find DISH mayor Calvin Tillman – slated to make the nearly 1,500-mile trip to the Empire State to rally local environmental activists against efforts to explore for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale.


Now, wait a second: Isn’t this the same Marcellus Shale that studies suggest could create 16,000 high-wage jobs in Broome Co., N. Y. alone -- and generate $15.3 billion in local economic development? Yep, that’s the one. Turns out, though, that the mayor of DISH isn’t as sanguine on shale gas as you’d expect. And to help him punctuate his case, he’ll be bringing to New York a couple of recent “studies” on the subject aimed at scaring local residents into believing that natural gas exploration will ruin their air, sully their land, and poison their water. Should be quite the show.


Of course, we can’t say for certain whether the mayor will mention to local residents that these studies have been almost universally panned by independent environmental engineers; that they were recently debunked by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) itself; or that the contractor who did the study for Mayor Tillman doesn’t have a licensed professional engineer on its staff.


And who knows? He may forget to mention his relationship with the Oil & Gas Accountability Project (OGAP), an anti-energy group based in Colorado (but active in New York) which considers clean-burning natural gas a “filthy” form of energy. He may not find it relevant to mention that OGAP funded one of the studies he plans to show off – or that his town’s official government website links to OGAP’s page on the internet. Who can say for sure?


Thankfully, on the off-chance the mayor forgets to mention any of these details to the audiences he plans to visit – or that reporters forget to ask – Energy In Depth has assembled the following list of questions that Mayor Tillman might like to answer during his stay in New York:


1) Mr. Mayor, your assertion that local natural gas exploration activities have adversely impacted the air quality of your town appears to be entirely founded on a study you commissioned by a group called Wolf Eagle Environmental. Are you aware that TCEQ conducted an internal review of this study and found that “it is not possible” to draw the types of conclusions that appear in that report?


2) Mr. Mayor, are you aware that Wolf Eagle Environmental was formerly known as Wolf Eagle Environmental Engineers & Consultants – but was forced to change its name upon it becoming public that the organization did not (and, in fact, still does not) employ an actual licensed professional engineer on staff?


3) Mr. Mayor, is it true that once the Wolf Eagle evaluation was debunked, you accepted an offer from the national Oil & Gas Accountability Project (OGAP) to fund a second study of a similar type? Is it true that OGAP links are found on your town website? Are you aware that OGAP considers clean-burning natural gas a “filthy” energy source, and was in fact established as a means to fight natural gas exploration wherever, whenever and however it takes place?


4) Mr. Mayor, have you had the chance to take a look at TCEQ’s recent air quality study of the areas in and around the Barnett Shale? If so, did you note that of the 94 sites tested by TCEQ, 92 registered short-term effects screening levels (ESL) well below anything that would cause “alarm,” according to TCEQ’s toxicology director? Are you also aware that repairs at the remaining two sites tested by TCEQ have already been completed and certified by the agency?


5) Mr. Mayor, you testified on numerous occasions that energy operators in your area are responsible for the emission of benzene and other potential contaminants into the air. But did you know that the mere act of filling up your tank with a conventional gas pump (one without a vapor recovery device) could expose you to benzene levels of 11,000 parts per billion (ppb), according to TCEQ -- without any ambient air to dilute it? Are you aware that not even the Wolf Eagle study was able to find a single site in your area exceeding 78 ppb?


6) Mr. Mayor, are you aware that according to EPA, “oil and natural gas production contributes only 2% of the total benzene emissions in the U.S., and shale gas represents a very small subset of this 2%”?


7) Mr. Mayor, did you know that energy exploration is responsible for directly employing more than 200,000 people in your state? Accounts for the payment of more than $44 million in royalties and rents to landowners every year? And sends more than $4 billion each year to your treasury, representing nearly seven percent of your entire budget? Here in Upstate New York, we aren’t trying to be the next Texas – but can you understand how the availability of even a fraction of these new resources could help revive and strengthen our economy?


With that, we welcome the mayor to the Empire State – the only place in the world that can lay claim to (among so many other things) two Ivy League universities, Woody Allen, and the first-ever commercial gas well (Fredonia, 1829). Our hope is that he thoroughly enjoys his stay. And our expectation is that he’s ready, willing and able to render honest answers to the legitimate questions posed above.
Permalink Reply by Robin Fehrenbach Scala on February 26, 2010 at 7:30am
Again, clearly most people see the slanted and partial information used to create yet another disaster scenario but don't bother to LOOK FURTHER.

Why is it that the exact street supposedly suffering from the high benzene levels has been developed into more tiny lots with houses on them? The street started out with maybe 7 houses (the whole time compressors were there and still are) but now there are MORE new homes, about 15 of them...
WHY is the mayor allowing more unsuspecting "victims" to live there if there is an ACTUAL problem??

All of you who believe these stories...at least take a few minutes to do some research on the town. Google it, look at the maps, read what has gone on over the years, see what people who live there have to say. Then tell me why the mayor is allowing more houses to be built right in the middle of the BENZENE?
Permalink Reply by jason irvine on November 14, 2014 at 11:14pm
Outstanding robin
Permalink Reply by Barry D on November 15, 2014 at 1:46pm

Mike,

Benzene in the air is not a direct result of oil and gas development. Fact.

The primary cause of Benzene in our "air" is exhaust emissions from vehicles. Fact

Permalink Reply by Appalachian on November 17, 2014 at 2:48am
What is it?
Benzene is a colourless liquid with a distinctive smell. It evaporates easily and is highly flammable when heated or exposed to flame. It is only slightly soluble in water, but mixes well with most organic (carbon-containing) solvents. Benzene is part of the group of compounds known as the volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Where does it come from?
The main sources of benzene are from vehicle exhaust and other combustion processes and from industry producing or using it. Benzene is also released naturally from volcanoes and forest fires, but the amounts released are insignificant in comparison to those emitted by man's activities.
How might exposure to it affect human health?
Benzene is a proven carcinogen. However, exposure to normal environmental concentrations in air (from the vapourisation of petrol during re-fuelling of vehicles, from tobacco smoke, glues, paint, furniture wax and detergents) is thought unlikely to be dangerous in this respect. Inhalation of extremely high levels of benzene (following an accidental releae) could be fatal and longer term exposure to lower concentrations (in occupational settings for example) may damage blood-forming organs. When ingested or applied directly to the skin (only likely in occupational settings), benzene is very toxic. Inhalation of ground level ozone (in the formation of which benzene can be involved) can exacerbate respiratory conditions such as asthma.

Permalink Reply by MJ on November 17, 2014 at 6:48am

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