"They get the gold mine, we get the shaft!"
ADEQ held a public hearing last night to answer questions and receive comments on a proposed land-application site for drilling fluids in Prairie County. Prairie County Landfarm, LLC, is seeking a permit to build reserve pits to hold, and then land-apply, drilling fluids from natural gas drilling operations.
Citizens of Des Arc are not happy about the plans. They have many concerns regarding the proposed land-application site, chief among them are the environmental impact on wildlife in the area. Citizens are also concerned about the impact on their town, roads and way of life in general. Prairie Co. Land Farm is set to accept fluids from over 100 trucks per day. That’s about one truck every 20 minutes rolling down narrow gravel roads and crossing school bus routes. They also wonder why their county has to accept this waste when there isn't one drilling site in Prairie County. ADEQ says they cannot speak to the traffic or highway concerns, and it seems the only recourse the people of Des Arc have in that regard is to take it up with the county judge who seemed just as defeated as everyone else in the room last night.
Basically what the meeting amounted to was a bunch of people in suits telling people in camoflauge hats and farm boots that everything was going to be alright when all the evidence suggests that’s not going to be the case. Attendees came armed with a list of current disposal sites and an even longer list of all their violations (inadequate walls around the pits, overflowing pits, improper discharge of fluids into nearby creeks or fields, etc.). ADEQ’s record of holding these sites to account is not very good, and these people knew that. They were asking for help in order to stop this operation from going in, and all ADEQ could do was shrug shoulders and basically say their hands were tied.
“I can’t say this guy is going to be guilty before he even starts,” Drown said. “We would love to have more regulations to enforce, but that’s going to have to come from the legislature.”
It’s not ADEQ’s fault that they don’t have the teeth, or the inspectors, to properly regulate land-application sites. But citizens were asking questions that made perfect sense, and getting answers that didn’t.
Comments
"But citizens were asking questions that made perfect sense, and getting answers that didn’t."
That's because they were asking the people who profit from the reckless lack of environmental policy and basic public health protections. This is very dangerous and that is an understatement. ADEQ is obviously the last resort in this matter, and that is a sad statement, if only becasue, as you say, their hands are tied by the legislature's irresponsible, reactionary handling of this drilling boom.
Posted by: newamerica![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/shale/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 15, 2008 12:02 PM
I attended this meeting in Des Arc last night and am alarmed at the lack power that the ADEQ has in issuing these permits. In addition we learned more information that concerns me. At other sites in the state they are using this land application water to irrigate soybeans and possibly to water cattle. We are very concerned about these substances (lead, mercury, arsenic, Chloride, etc.) making their way into our wildlife and food chain. There will be no barrier so the wildlife will have full access to the ponds and vegetation used to take up the land applied fluids. Migratory birds (ducks, geese, etc) frequent this area, as well as, deer. This site is located about 1400 feet from a tributary to the Wattensaw Bayou. Wattensaw runs to the White river and this has the potential to be a major disaster. Furthermore, there are no qualifications that the site permitee has to have to put in one of these sites. The liability that the permitee has is limited should something happen or the operation goes bankrupt. They are not licensed and bonded and have fewer restrictions than those that own dirt pits in this state. In addition, the Permitee is the one that pulls the samples for submission (no training required) and the ADEQ only has 16 inspectors to cover the entire state to investigate when a possible violation is reported. The ADEQ mentioned that they have 6000-8000 projects to oversee at any given time. When you do the math it is discouraging. We need to contact our congressmen and women about this lack of regulation and express our concern about the environment of Arkansas. It was apparent last night that the changes will need to be made through our legislative branch. Unfortunately this will not help our small community of Crossroads (outside of Hickory Plains, a few miles from Des Arc), however, it will help the next small community that will encounter this problem.
Posted by: roanhorse![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/shale/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 15, 2008 01:04 PM
I'm sure it must be on folks list... but don't forget what might happen to groundwater below these dump sights...and for many miles around them.
I know many (including myself) have well water.
Posted by: Eureka Springs, AR![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/shale/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 15, 2008 01:17 PM
You are very correct. There are many people using wells in this area. Groundwater is a major concern.
Posted by: roanhorse | October 15, 2008 02:43 PM