“I think the state is in bed with the gas companies. My husband calls them DGP – Department of Gas Protection – because that’s what they’re about. To hell with us.” – Angela Smith, Bedford County, Complaints #231842 & #318053
by Melissa A. Troutman, Sierra Shamer and Joshua B. Pribanic for Public Herald
February 14, 2017 | Project: INVISIBLE HAND
READ PART 1 – Hidden Data Suggests Fracking Created Widespread, Systemic Impact in Pennsylvania
Since 2004, when the controversial process known as “fracking” began in Pennsylvania, over 4,100 drinking water complaints related to oil and gas operations have been reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
But as Public Herald reported in January, DEP has determined that a shocking 93% of these water complaints are not related to oil and gas activity.
The discrepancy between the number of complaints and the Department’s confirmed cases begs the question – Why is DEP saying oil and gas isn’t to blame for so many complaints?
DEP has not responded to Public Herald’s questions about this discrepancy.
A number of speculative reasons have been offered by the industry, academics, and are parroted by mainstream media: farming chemicals, road salt, and the lack of private water well regulations. However, these factors have been present since before 2004 and therefore do not explain the rise in citizen complaints.
What’s new is fracking, a technology that requires massive quantities of trade-secret chemical solutions pumped underground with intense pressure to break apart bedrock and release fossil fuels. And in January 2017, Public Herald found that citizen complaints have increased alongside unconventional fracking wells since 2004.
Section § 3218: SYSTEMIC MISCONDUCT REVEALED
Could there be another explanation for DEP’s 93% discrepancy?
Since 2011, Public Herald has accumulated evidence that the Department either fails to follow the law or cannot properly address water contamination when it occurs.
After reviewing DEP complaint investigations, we found the Department violated Title 58, Section § 3218 of Pennsylvania’s Oil & Gas Law, which mandates the “Protection of Water Supplies.”
In 178 cases, the Department’s actions can be characterized under three types* of official misconduct – malfeasance (breaking the law), misfeasance (wrongful actions) and negligence (careless behavior).
For this investigation, our team analyzed 1,000 of DEP’s 4,108 drinking water complaints. The 178 cases of misconduct are available for public review in this online spreadsheet, which includes the names of the DEP inspectors and supervisors responsible for each case.
It’s important to understand that many of the remaining records we studied lacked the data necessary to investigate DEP’s conduct — these incomplete files either did not include water samples, communications, or were missing inspection notes. Therefore, it is impossible to know the total number of times the Department failed in their duties, and further investigation is needed.
Read more at http://publicherald.org/to-hell-with-us-records-of-misconduct-found-inside-pa-drinking-water-investigations/.
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