Eco-news in brief 6-19
By CG News Editor April Jaynes
Local deep-shale drilling projected to start mid-July
Randy Wolfe of R. Wolfe Oil and Gas and local developer James Brent Hayes are partnering to drill a new oil-and-gas well in Rome Township and anticipate drilling to begin this July. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued a permit for the well on Hayes’ farm property last month and drilling preparations are expected to take place within the next few weeks. The well will utilize vertical hydraulic fracturing technology and is projected to use approximately 200,000 gallons of water.
Recent study finds used fracking water injections can cause earthquakes
Last Friday a team of academic geologists and engineers conducted a study about hydraulic fracturing and earthquake risks. The researching committee, organized by the National Research Council on behalf of the National Academics of Science and Engineering, preformed the study for Congress at the U.S. Department of Energy’s request. The researchers concluded that while hydraulic fracturing for shale oil and gas doesn’t pose high risk of earthquakes, the injection of waste water left over from fracking into deep wells creates a significant risk of earthquakes. Specifically, the study reported eight quakes of a 4.0 or higher were found in Arkansas, Colorado and Ohio at disposal well sites.
Marine life food bloom lies beneath Arctic ice
Scientists have recently discovered a large reservoir of phytoplankton growing under Arctic Ocean ice. This finding leads researchers to believe that as the ice thins and melts the region could become significantly more diverse and biologically productive. Generally, scientists study marine life food chains through open water data and satellite detections, both of which are methods incapable of revealing what is present beneath the ice. Researchers also suggest this discovery could help explain how the ocean has been absorbing larger quantities of carbon dioxide than previous data could verify.
