Over 70,000 Fish & Aquatic Creatures Killed by Pollution from Ohio Frack Well Fire

Evidence shows that frack well site fire polluted creek & killed fish and other creatures

From an Article by Casey Junkins, Wheeling Intelligencer, July 22, 2014

Article Photos: An EPA report states that about 70,000 fish and other aquatic life were found dead near the Statoil Eisenbarth well pad and Opossum Creek in Monroe County following the June 28 fire.

HANNIBAL – Water samples of runoff taken shortly a June 28 fire at a Monroe County natural gas drilling site show the presence of many fracking chemicals and resulted in roughly 70,000 dead fish and other aquatic life.

Regulators counted roughly 70,000 dead fish, frogs, crayfish, salamanders and other aquatic after the accident at the Statoil Eisenbarth well pad. Environmental Protection Agency documents state tests show the presence of benzene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, toluene, and pyrene – all chemicals commonly used during well fracking.

“It is a significant incident,” said, Bethany McCorkle, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which oversees the permitting and spacing of natural gas wells in the Buckeye State. “However, our investigation is not yet complete.”

“I went to the site myself to take some photos,” said Nathan Johnson, an attorney representing the Ohio Environmental Council. “There are lots of dead bluegill, smallmouth bass and minnows. I couldn’t walk without stepping on a dead minnow.” The EPA report shows water readings in Opossum Creek have since returned to normal, while regulators found no pollution or dead fish in the Ohio River.

Upon reporting to the scene June 28, federal regulators reported numerous fires were observed across the well pad and a well head was observed releasing flowback water. The EPA report states Statoil hired international oilfield services giant Halliburton to drill and frack at the Eisenbarth pad.

McCorkle said Halliburton and Statoil promptly provided information regarding the chemicals on-site. “We asked for the reports June 30 and got them June 30,” she said. McCorkle said the fire appeared to begin when a hose malfunctioned in the middle of a fracking job. The fire spread to a total of 20 trucks. She said no workers or residents reported injuries, but about 20 homes living near the well evacuated as a precautionary measure.

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Subject: Halliburton delayed releasing details on fracking chemicals after OH spill

A fracking company made federal and state agencies that oversee drinking-water safety wait days before it shared a list of toxic chemicals that spilled from a drilling site into a tributary of the Ohio River.

Although the spill following a fire on June 28 at the Statoil North America well pad in Monroe County stretched 5 miles along the creek and killed more than 70,000 fish and wildlife, state officials said they do not believe drinking water was affected.
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By the time federal and state EPA officials were given the full list, those chemicals likely flowed past towns along the Ohio River that draw in drinking water.
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Kirsten Henriksen, a spokeswoman for Statoil, said the company hired an outside toxicology firm to test both the creek and the Ohio River for toxic chemicals. None were found in the Ohio River, she said.

Isn’t that a typical O & G company approach that — the company waits for their own toxicology reports to determine whether and when to report it? This may be or should be criminal behavior.

Reference: Article by Laura Arenschield, Columbus Dispatch, July 21, 2014 entitled:

“Halliburton delayed releasing details on fracking chemicals after Monroe County spill.”

Tagged as: explosion, fire, fish kill, fracking, marcellus shale, water pollution