From the Rocket Courier

Injection wells use high-pressure pumps to inject liquid wastes into underground geologic formations. The belief is that wastes “may be isolated from drinking water aquifers when injected between impermeable rock strata,” according to one EPA report. The agency does concede that this disposal method is controversial “and many scientists are concerned that leaks from these wells may contaminate groundwater.”

Injection wells are defined by the type of fluid that would be injected into them, from I to IV, with I having the least potential of polluting the groundwater because it is disposed in isolated rock formations. The brine and wastewater created at gas and oil drilling sites would be injected into a Class II well. Class IV, by the way, is for hazardous or radioactive wastes—and, yes, such wells are permitted in other states.

http://74.95.82.236:591/rconline/FMPro?-db=rconline.fp5&-format=record_detail.html&-lay=detail&-sortfield=currentrecordid&-sortorder=descend&TopStory=Y&IsCurrent=Y&-recid=12611418&-find=

http://www.dailyyonder.com/energy-producing-counties-west-fall-behind/2009/03/04/1971

“Fortuna Energy chemists, engineers, legal and public relations advisors will be on hand to present information, receive comments and answer questions from the public, local officials and residents.”

There were no chemists as promised. Rick Kessy is not a chemist. And I did not get an answer to my question.

I asked:”Will there be perfluorooctanoic acids or 2-Butoxyethanol in any of Fortuna’s anticipated disposal wells?” Mr. Kessy said he could not answer that question–didn’t even offer to get back to me after consulting with a proper chemist. I repeated the question and the question remain unanswered.

Of course we know why Kessy evaded the question, and why he is reduced to giving laughably insufficient answers to questions about Fortuna’s plans for the injection wells. He said numerous times that he is confident that injection wells will be safe. He is very confident there will be no contamination, and we should just trust him, though he cannot cite any studies verifying safety. I may not have liked his response, but in the context of his role at Fortuna, Kessy’s just doing his job.

But I have to wonder how the self-respecting scientists at this land-grant University can support or ignore unconventional drilling in our midst– and then go on to write effete papers about sustainability and renewable or green energy.

Any half-wit knows unconventional gas drilling requires tremendously non-green activities to get the gas. The disparities and injustices of living in a “town and gown” city like Ithaca come into high relief when our local people’s concerns in Spencer Van-Etten are summarily ignored by the public health, environmental, eco-justice, and sustainability professionals from Cornell. And sending sociologists to landowner’s coalitions meetings just doesn’t cut it.

Lisa Wright