In March, Community & Environmental Defense Services (CEDS) will hold a half-day workshop in Annapolis, MD on Making Pollution Laws Work: The Shortest Route To Cleaner Water. The workshop focuses on proven methods to identify and quickly correct a variety of water pollution problems. Techniques will also be presented for greatly expanding the political influence clean water advocates have among elected officials and other decision-makers. Participants will learn how to turn their heightened influence into better compliance and improved aquatic resource protection programs. To register for the workshop visit: ceds.org/compliance then click Annapolis, MD Workshop Registration at the top of the left-hand column. There is a $25 per person registration fee. For further detail contact CEDS at 1-800-773-4571 or Help@ceds.org.

The following specific topics will be covered during the first half of the workshop...

The second half will be devoted to case-studies of pollution problems of concern to workshop participants.

Richard D. Klein
Community & Environmental Defense Services
811 Crystal Palace Court
Owings Mills, Maryland 21117
410-654-3021
410-654-3028 Fax
443-421-5964 Mobile
Web Page: www.ceds.org/

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Proposed Policy on Unconventional Natural Gas

Natural Gas Fracturing Task Force: Proposed Policy Language

The Natural Gas Fracturing Task Force has revised the original proposed policy in responses to the many comments. These documents will be considered by the Board on its Dec. 21 call. You can find the original policy and background below.

[ revised proposed policy (doc) | report to board (doc) | compilation of comments (doc) ]

BACKGROUND

Unconventional gas is increasingly replacing domestic conventional gas resources in the United States.

Unconventional domestic gas supplies include coalbed methane as well as gases produced from ‘tight’ sandstones and gas shales. Gas from shales and tight sandstones (referred to collectively as “deep shale gas”) has potential to displace more destructive fuels when produced using rigorous best management practices. Deep shale gas is not an acceptable transitional fuel unless its production is governed by a rigorous and comprehensive regulatory structure, and is done according to best practices that minimize environmental damage.

At present, deep shale gas operations seldom follow such standards. Many states lack the treatment capacity to manage wastewater associated with the hydraulic fracturing (“frac’ing”) process and the permitting and enforcement staff to oversee production. Sierra Club cannot support development of deep shale gas without a rigorous regulatory structure in place.

POLICY

All natural gas production, including deep shale gas, should be governed by a robust and effective regulatory structure; all gas should be produced using rigorous best management practices to limit environmental damage.

The Club opposes all coalbed methane extraction because it poses unacceptable risks to water quality in shallow aquifers. The following provisions apply to deep shale gas:

First, the Sierra Club opposes frac’ing projects if the identity and volume of frac’ing fluids are not fully disclosed to the public.

Second, the Club opposes any projects using frac’ing fluids that pose unacceptable toxic risks, including fluids which contain benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene.

Third, the Club opposes any projects that do not properly treat, manage, and account for frac’ing fluids, drilling muds, and produced water. Frac’ing should not be permitted unless it can be demonstrated that drinking water acquifers and surface waters are adequately protected from contamination.

Fourth, the Club opposes frac’ing projects that would endanger water supplies or critical watersheds, that would seriously damage important wildland resources, significantly increase habitat fragmentation, that would imperil human health, or that would otherwise violate the Club’s land conservation policies.

Fifth, the Club opposes any frac’ing projects that would cause violations of air quality standards, individually or cumulatively.

Finally, as the industry matures, a series of best management practices will emerge, some already identified, some evolving with time. These best management practices should, to the maximum extent possible, be swiftly incorporated into regulatory requirements as they are developed. The Club opposes any unconventional or conventional drilling projects that do not comply with best management practices, even in regions where state or federal law may permit lower standards of environmental management.

The Club will use these standards as a yardstick for any regulatory reform efforts it undertakes or supports, and to judge which new drilling projects, if any, cause unacceptable environmental damage and warrant opposition.

--
Alana Wase
Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club
Conservation Program Coordinator
7338 Baltimore Ave, Suite 101A
College Park, MD 20740
Office: 301-277-7111
Fax: 301-277-6699
Cell: 410-960-7989
alana.wase@mdsierra.org

Did you know … ?

The Catoctin Group has a local office in the heart of downtown Frederick. Located in historic Kemp Hall in the historic district of Frederick City, the office is at 4 East Church Street.

The office is intended to be a resource for anyone interested in getting more information about local and national environmental issues. There you will also be able to find out how you can become more involved with the Catoctin Group, and the actions and issues the Group is involved in; you can learn more about: Cool Cities, the recent Frederick City annexations, the proposed Frederick County Waste to Energy incinerator (and why the Club opposes it), the PATH and MAPP power line controversy, and a number of other issues the Group is working on.

We would love for the office to become a resource of environmental information with books, publications, periodicals, pamphlets, and other resource material for use as reference and education. We try to staff the office for a few hours 2 or 3 days a week, but that is not always possible. We’d like to be able to have someone working in the office on a regular basis 3 or 4 days a week.

But, in order to do all this, we need your help. We need some volunteers to help out in the following areas:

ü If you have computer networking skills, we need you to help us set up a wireless network so we can share technical resources with other groups in the building.

ü We need office equipment and supplies including a book case, chairs, files and folders.

ü Please consider donating magazines, periodicals, books that relate to environmental issues (or not). Your read copies of The Economist, Mother Jones, National Wildlife Federation, or other publications would be greatly appreciated.

ü We are putting together a new display board for our tabling and other events; your creative and craft skills would be of immeasurable help

ü Help with community organizing, database work, telephoning, gathering petition signatures, and other community actions

Or just stop by

meet Catoctin Group volunteers

see our office space

find out what issues your local Sierra Club Group is working on

I look forward to meeting all of the Sierra Club Catoctin Group members!

The Maryland Heartland Sustainable Living Fair will be held on May 22, 2010 at the Carroll County Farm Museum!

Please come and learn about all kinds of different green, sustainable practices!

Thanks to all of those who attended this weekend's Sierra Club Jamboree in Crownsville, Maryland-- Camp Barrett!

A bad deal

Fort Detrick occupies 1,200 acres, which is 10 percent of the land area of the entire City of Frederick. Of those 1,200 acres, 400 acres are in “Area B.” Area B is the site of numerous landfills, 43 of which were found in 1992 to be contaminated with TCE and PCE, two carcinogenic chemicals. In that same year, TCE contamination was discovered off-post in residential wells.

In 2001, the Army commenced an interim removal action (IRA) at one of the landfill areas believed to be most contaminated. In 2003, vials containing live bacteria were discovered in the excavation. Some of the bacteria were identified as being human pathogens. (Picking up on our failure to justify the invasion of Iraq by the discovery of bioweapons there, The Guardian newspaper in England then ran a headline that read: “US Finds Evidence of WMDs at Last — Buried in a Field in Maryland.”)

In 2003, The Frederick News-Post sent a reporter to speak to afflicted residents on Kemp Lane and others neighboring Area B. The result was a front-page story titled “Cancer Questions: Residents Point Finger at Detrick.”

The discovery of live human germs at Area B led to the decision to curtail further “intrusive investigations” at the remaining landfill areas. Instead of a strategy of removal of hazardous waste, it was decided to implement “remedy in place.” That remedy amounts to the installation of landfill caps over the disposal areas. The Environmental Impact Statement for the new USAMRIID building at Detrick says that this remedy will be completed by September 2008. To date, the remedy has yet to be completed.

Last week, as a citizen member of the Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) which is entrusted with overseeing the “cleanup” of Area B, I was given a tour of progress being made with the landfill caps. During the tour, one of the fort’s environmental managers mentioned in passing that the City of Frederick wanted to run part of its “Christopher’s Crossing” beltway across Area B. What?

The geology of Area B is treacherous — full of unpredictable, underground limestone configurations. The Army has yet to even assess groundwater contamination, which finally compelled MDE, EPA and both of our senators all to insist on Area B being placed on the National Priority List as a Superfund (hazardous waste) site as of this past April.

I have learned that the fort had a similar reaction to mine when in about 2000 the city initially inquired about a road across Area B. One thing that has changed since then is revealed in an Oct. 16, 2009 FNP article, “City gives Fort Detrick tax break on private utility plant,” in which we learn that the city just agreed to waive property taxes in the amount of about $40,000 per year for 10 years in response to a request by the fort’s commander, Judith Robinson. (My calculations indicate that the $40,000 figure is understated , but this tax waiver will have to be further examined in a future column.)

Tucked inside the article about the “tax break” is the following passage: “Robinson said ... the Army would [in turn] provide a property easement at no cost to the city for the eventual expansion of the Christopher’s Crossing road project.” No one from either Frederick or Fort Detrick has illuminated the fact that this apparent deal involves running a highway across Area B.

Our two priorities are first, our education campaign to encourage people to
support the Obama Administration’s use of rules and regulations in the EPA
and other agencies to address climate change. We call this C3 funded
campaign "the Big Picture." Using a very successful online petition and
massive phone call push we are asking Senators to urge President Obama to
create rules that regulate coal ash, mercury, mining, soot, smog, and
carbon pollution as quickly as possible. Visit the Big Picture Campaign:
sierraclub.org/bigpicture

Our other campaign, also dependent on your hard work, focuses on passing
strong, comprehensive climate and energy legislation in Congress. Earlier
this year, the U.S. House of Representatives took the first step toward
unleashing a true clean energy revolution by passing the American Clean
Energy and Security Act (ACES or Waxman/Markey). Our attention is now on
the Senate, where our Senators have started discussing their version of the
bill and will begin voting in early fall. We urge Senators to strengthen
this bill and ensure that it: creates good, clean energy jobs; makes
polluters pay for the carbon pollution that causes global warming; and
provides assistance for energy costs.

We need your help to get people to say to their Senators, "Support a strong
clean energy and climate bill." Visit the ACES homepage:
action.sierraclub.org/aces

As follow up from the call, we are creating a summary of these priorities
for chapter newsletters and websites. Watch your newsletter feeds for
these materials and commit to create a groundswell of support for clean
energy and global warming priorities. Sign up to become a Climate Leader
and invite ten friends to do the same: www.sierraclub.org/climateleaders

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Catoctin Group

Catoctin Group

Carroll County

Frederick County

Washington County

Environmental Challenges

Catoctin Group Action and Activity

Turn your interest into action

Carroll County

Frederick County

Washington County

Sierra Catoctin Group Calendar

Proposed Policy on Unconventional Natural Gas

Natural Gas Fracturing Task Force: Proposed Policy Language




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