NYC has requested a “seismic buffer” around its Catskill water supply - about 7 miles to be precise. To prevent a frack from inducing an earthquake and ruining NYC’s water supply. Like fracks have elsewhere - which obey Murphy’s Law: “What can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible time in the worst possible place”
Like the NYC main water supply http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/02/us-gas-fracking-idUSTRE7A160020111102 (No fracking liability insurance for this. Even from AIG)
http://www.examiner.com/environmental-news-in-new-york/dep-s-map-of-woh-nwi-picture
http://www.scribd.com/doc/84926233/NYC-Dep-Buffer-Map
NYC requested a 7 mile “seismic buffer” around their Catskill water systems in their response to the dSGEIS
http://www.scribd.com/doc/81119668/NYC-Fracking-Response
They quantified the risk of frack-induced seismic risks in this paper:
The USGS addressed the seismic risk to the aqueducts in their letter to the DEC
http://www.scribd.com/doc/83492110/USGS-Letter-to-DEC
All because of the risk of seismic events associated with NYS poorly mapped local faults - which the DEC needs to brush up on . . .
http://www.scribd.com/doc/81397215/Fracking-New-York-Faults
If NYC gets this seismic carve-out, the rest of Upstate will have a good argument for similar protections . . .
http://data.fractracker.org/cbi/snapshot/page?concept=~01757925a6591811e19aa688dac2873f23
Ironically, the DEC does not require any seismic tests to drill a gas well - so the driller has no clue what faults they may encounter. So NYS fault system will remain a mystery - even in areas that may get fracked:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/84415417/Non-Existent-New-York-Seismic-Regulations
In towns that do get fracked - the DEC provides zero safeguards for seismic shot-hole tests - because NYS has the worst fracking regs in the US
http://www.scribd.com/doc/72545747/Worst-Fracking-Regs
What’s a town to do ? Pass a land use ordinance - pronto . . . and get the same protections NYC has - Or get ready to shake, rattle & roll - as your water well goes stinky . .
James “Chip” Northrup
http://www.scribd.com/northrup49
Clark Rhoades says
The small sismic quaks S waves will brake whatever seal the cement has with the earth, rocks, etc. and allow gasses to pass up the outside of the anulus and polute aquifiers.
Clark
Good point, any part of the completed well is subject to being damaged by a quake. Not much of a problem in a seismically inert environment like North Central Texas. A considerable problem in area with a history of quakes. Like this:
http://data.fractracker.org/cbi/snapshot/page?concept=~01757925a6591811e19aa688dac2873f23