Water monitors prepare for fracking in New York

On a humid Wednesday in July, Kathy Cronin collected samples from Pierce Creek in the City of Binghamton. The creek empties into the Susquehanna River just upstream from the city's water treatment plant. Houses line the creek banks and the sounds of the freeway drowns out the urban waterway's churn. Cronin, who lives in Binghamton, dipped a small, electronic meter into the water.  Another local resident, Scott Lauffer, stood just downstream, waiting to hear Cronin read off results.

“Alright, we got a conductivity reading of 435 and a total dissolved solid reading of 210 and we record that on our data sheet,” said Lauffer. They are measuring those two indicators, conductivity and total dissolved solids, because if they rise dramatically, the stream is probably contaminated with fracking wastewater. According to Lauffer, if those numbers triple, that means that there is a problem.

When a fracked well starts to produce gas, much of the millions of gallons of water that went down the well comes out with the gas. That wastewater, which includes salty brine and metals that were already underground, has been found in streams and rivers in nearby Pennsylvania where the industry is already in full swing.

Lauffer and Cronin are collecting baseline data as part of the Sierra Club’s Water Sentinels program. Without measurements before drilling starts, it will be difficult to connect pollution to a new well. The goal of the monitors is to collect a year’s worth of readings before any wells are drilled nearby. Cronin said, “And we want to be able to say to them this stream always looked like this before you came and now it looks like this. There is no precedent for that.”

If this monitoring shows raised levels from drilling, they will send samples for detailed testing to a lab like the Ithaca-based non-profit Community Science Institute. This institute has started its own water monitoring efforts and is training volunteers in the five Southern Tier counties that are likely to see drilling first. Volunteers are looking for the more subtle signs of pollution from drilling. Becky Bowen, the institute’s outreach coordinator said, “Catastrophes are not really hard to spot, we know when there’s been an explosion or a big spill, we don’t need volunteers to monitor for that, we know when that happens.”

The monitoring that scores of volunteers can do is impossible for the Department of Environmental Conservation to keep up with. “So the DEC, if it were working at perfect capacity, it still wouldn’t be able to cover all of the watersheds we have in New York State,” says Jessica Helm, with the Sierra Club.

And the DEC appears to be working at far-from-perfect capacity. The agency’s has lost a fifth of its workers since 2008 due to budget cuts and attrition. Also, according to a report by the environmental group Earthworks, the agency’s travel budgets have been cut and three-quarters of the state’s existing wells are left uninspected each year.

For volunteers like Cronin, that history is not a good omen for how the DEC might handle hydrofracking. “I’m not sure what they need to do," says Cronin. "I just know they need to do more.”

Source: http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/20198/20120727/water-monitors-prepare-for-fracking-in-new-york

A14/A11 Stationary Gas Monitor

Self Checking Gas Sensors

GasSens is a flexible component system providing a variety of options to meet individual gas detection and alarm requirements. From chemical and petrochemical plants to food processors, the GasSens system can be applied to the simplest or most complex gas detection application. Economical and low maintenance, this system is your best choice for reliable leak detection. GasSens detection systems consist of individual modules that can be located where required. Sensor/transmitters, located in the area where gas leakage or buildup might occur, provide the basic measurement for the system. Sensor transmitters are available in either NEMA 4X or explosion-proof versions and can be supplied with ATI’s exclusive Auto-Test automatic sensor testing system, greatly reducing operator testing requirements.

Receiver modules provide the electronic brains for the detection and alarm system. Each compact module includes a digital display of gas concentration, isolated analog output, and 4 relay outputs. Receivers may be located up to 1000 feet from sensor/transmitters for remote indication, or can provide local control functions such as valve shutoff while transmitting a 4-20 mA signal to remote displays or data loggers.

Universal power supply modules provide DC power to receivers. The power supply is housed in a compact module similar to the receiver, and will accept inputs from 85 to 265 volts, AC or DC, without adjustment. The power supply also provides a power failure relay and charging for an optional battery back-up unit.

Applications include: Chemical plants; pulp & paper mills; semiconductor fabrication; food processing;

water treatment; mineral processing; wastewater treatment; parking facilities; gas processing; and petroleum refining.

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Receiver Module

Receiver modules provide an interface between the detection system and external alarming and data logging requirements. One module is used with each sensor/transmitter and includes a variety of features:

• LED Display: Indicates gas concentration directly in PPM, PPB, or %. The display may be operated in high intensity (sunlight readable) mode for outdoor use or in normal mode for indoor applications.

• Analog Output: An isolated 4-20 mA output is standard. The output will drive loads up to 1000 ohms for use in recording, data logging, or computer input.

• Two Alarm Setpoints: Alarm setpoints are factory adjusted to standard values but may be set to any value from 5% to 100% of range. Front panel LED’s marked “Warning” and “Alarm” indicate the status of each alarm setpoint. A standard alarm delay of 2 seconds or a longer delay of 10 seconds may be selected. In addition, alarms may be switch programmed to activate either above or below the setpoint.

• Three Alarm Relays: Output relays are SPDT with unpowered contacts for use in activating external signaling devices, control elements, or for input to telemetry or annunciator systems. Each relay may be assigned to either alarm setpoint for application flexibility. Relays are factory set to energize on alarm, but may be switch programmed for fail safe operation. Relays may also be set for either latching or non-latching operation.

• Trouble Alarm & Relay: Should the sensor/transmitter input be lost, a trouble light (LED) on the front panel will flash and an associated relay will activate. For those systems equipped with the sensor Auto-Test feature, this alarm will also activate if the sensor does not respond to the automated gas test.

• Front Panel Reset Switch: A single front panel switch marked A/R (Acknowledge/Reset) serves a number of functions. When an alarm occurs, the switch will silence an audible horn wired to the module and will change the alarm lights from flash to steady on. After the alarm condition has cleared, the switch may be used to reset any latching alarms. The switch will also activate an electronic module test, inhibit alarm contacts, and activate the Auto-Test.

• Remote Reset Input: Terminals are provided for connection of a remote reset switch so that alarms can be acknowledged from a remote location or through a telemetry system.

• Pluggable Terminal Blocks: External electrical connections are made to plug-in terminal blocks. Should module service ever be needed, modules can be replaced in minutes.

Sensor/Transmitter

GasSens gas detection systems employ electrochemical sensors developed and manufactured by ATI. Expertise in electrochemistry and sensor design provides the foundation for leak detection systems that perform continuously with minimal maintenance. Sensors are rated for ambient temperatures from -25° to +50°C, allowing both indoor and outdoor applications. Excellent zero stability and high sensitivity and selectivity combine to make ATI sensors the best available on the market today.

Gas sensors are closely coupled to a digital transmitter for excellent noise immunity and the ability to transmit long distances using unshielded cable. The transmitter is powered from the receiver module and uses a unique current pulse position technique to send information to the receiver over a two wire connection. The receiver connection is not polarity sensitive, virtually eliminating the possibility of incorrect transmitter wiring. Sensor/transmitters can be located up to 1000 feet from receiver modules.

Sensor/transmitters are housed in shielded NEMA 4X enclosures for use in almost any industrial environment and are designed to meet intrinsic safety standards. An explosion-proof version of the transmitter is also available for applications where this type of protection is preferred. Combustible gas transmitters are always explosion-proof.

Sensor Auto-Test

A major expense in gas detection systems is the cost of regular testing to ensure that sensors are responding. This requires a technician to inspect sensors weekly and apply a small amount of gas manually to check response. ATI has developed a unique system to reduce this maintenance requirement.

Available on most ATI digital sensor/transmitters is an option called “Auto-Test.” This option consists of an electrochemical gas generator closely coupled to the sensor. Every 24 hours, the receiver automatically activates the generator, producing a small amount of gas that diffuses into the sensor, just as it would if a gas leak occurred. The microcomputer in the receiver analyzes the output of the

transmitter to determine that the sensor is responding normally. When proper sensor response is detected, the generator is turned off and the system goes back to normal operation. If no sensor response is detected, the TROUBLE light on the receiver will flash and the trouble relay will activate. During testing, alarm relays are inhibited so that external alarms are not activated.

The Auto-Test feature ensures that each sensor is regularly tested with gas. Premature sensor failure or blockage of the sensor membrane is quickly detected. In addition, self-testing will alert maintenance personnel when a sensor has reached the end of its useful life. Since sensors normally last anywhere from 12 months to over 3 years, this feature allows users to determine when sensor replacement is needed.

Power Supply Module

To meet the needs of users throughout the world, ATI has developed a compact universal power supply in a DIN rail module similar to the receiver. The power supply will accept any AC or DC input from 85 to 265 volts, without adjustment. No jumper changes or selection switches are required, and large variations in input voltage do not affect power supply operation. This power supply is suitable for operation of one or two receiver modules.

The power supply provides three 12 VDC output connections, two of which are designated for receiver module connection. A third connection is provided to automatically charge the optional external battery backup system. The power supply module is protected by a fuse conveniently located in a removable holder accessible from outside the module. For external power failure indication, the power supply contains a SPDT relay. The relay is normally energized, and de-energizes on power failure.

Battery Back-Up

Battery back-up systems are used in gas detection applications to ensure that detectors remain operable, even when AC power fails. ATI offers a separate battery back-up unit that maintains power to detection equipment in the event of a power interruption. The battery back-up system consists of a rechargeable sealed lead acid battery housed in a NEMA 4X enclosure. An electronic circuit attached to the battery controls the charging rate and will disconnect the battery from the system if the battery voltage drops to a level where battery damage might occur. Charging is provided by the power supply module.

Battery back-up units will operate a single point detector for a minimum of 12 hours and an average of 24 hours. Two point systems will be maintained for 6 hours minimum and an average of 12 hours. The actual battery back-up time depends on whether the LED display is operated in high intensity mode and whether relays are in fail-safe mode (normally energized).

Horn/Strobe Options

A weatherproof piezoelectric audible horn is available for all gas detectors. The horn operates from 12 VDC supplied by the power supply module and can be activated from single or multiple receiver modules. The horn mounts easily in one of the enclosure knockouts, and produces an 85 dB signal for local alarming.

A 12 VDC strobe is available for enhanced visual alarm indication. The strobe uses a xenon lamp with a bright 1/2-million CP flash firing 70 times/minute. Strobe housing is weatherproof lexan with red lens, and mounts to 1/2" conduit.

Receiver & Power Supply Enclosures

A variety of NEMA 4X enclosures are available to house receiver and power supply modules. ATI offers standard enclosures to house up to 6 modules, and can supply large enclosures for systems requiring more points of detection. System integrators can use standard 35 mm DIN rail mounting modules in their own enclosure.

Single Module Enclosure: Houses a single receiver module for use in DC powered applications where the user supplies the DC power to the system.

Two Module Enclosure: Houses two receivers or one receiver and one power supply. Normally used for single point AC powered detectors.

Three Module Enclosure: Accommodates two receivers and power supply or three receivers. Used mainly for two point detection systems.

Six Module Enclosure: Suitable for two power supplies and four receivers or six receivers. This enclosure is used primarily for four point gas detection systems.

Special Enclosure: Custom enclosures are available to handle systems of any size. Your ATI representative can assist with system designs for larger applications.

More information can be found at: http://www.analyticaltechnology.com/public/product.aspx?ProductID=1020

St. Catharines pool chlorine accident sends 12 to hospital

Twelve people were taken to hospital on Thursday afternoon after an accidental chemical mix at a swimming pool in St. Catharines, Ont., exposed them to a dangerous gas.

Ten of the people who were at Lion Dunc Schooley Pool have since been released, but two people remain at St. Catharines General Hospital.

Six pool patrons, five lifeguards and the contractor who caused the accident were sent to hospitals in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls. Victims ranged in age from seven to 50.

"All the patients we took to the hospital were experiencing some forms of exposure to chlorine gas," said Sylvan Lepine, the EMS incident commander. "They had scratchy throats or chest tightness. Shortness of breath. Some patients were wheezing. It was respiratory we were dealing with out in the field."

The accident occurred when a pool worker accidentally poured about 90 litres of chlorine into a tank that contained about 900 litres of muriatic acid, which is a common pool-cleaning chemical.

The worker who mixed the chemicals is one of the two people still in hospital. Lepine said he will be monitored for pulmonary edema — excess fluid in the lungs.

Hazmat workers, fire crews, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of the Environment all attended the scene. About 60 homes nearby were asked to keep their windows and doors closed and turn off their air conditioning. They were also asked to seek medical attention if they experienced coughing, a sore throat or difficulty breathing.

Close call for summer camp

It was a close call for a children's summer camp, which was leading a group over to the pool just minutes before the evacuation was called due to the leak.

"If we would have got there 15 minutes earlier, things could have been a lot worse. Luckily that didn't happen," said Tylar Schram, a camp counsellor.

St. Catharines Fire Chief Mark Mehlenbacher said the Ministry of Labour would be visiting the pool Friday morning "because essentially, we had staff that were injured."

A key question that remains to be answered is how the muriatic acid and chlorine came to be mixed in the first place, and how the dangerous mix-up could have been prevented.

Among the lifeguards sent to the hospital for treatment was Nigel Durrant's daughter.

"Very proud as a dad, and happy that she managed to do her job well," Durrant said of his daughter. "It's just unfortunate that because of the fact that she was the last person making sure that everybody was out of the area, she was exposed more than some of the other kids."

Crews used a vacuum truck to rid the pool tank of any remaining noxious chemicals.

The all-clear came at about 9 p.m. and the street was reopened.

Researchers monitor gas well as they try to answer: Can drilling pollute drinking water?

A new study being done by the Department of Energy may provide some of the first solid answers to a controversial question: Can gas drilling fluids migrate and pose a threat to drinking water?

A drilling company in southwestern Pennsylvania is giving researchers access to a commercial drilling site, said Richard Hammack, a spokesman for the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Pittsburgh.

The firm let scientists conduct baseline tests, allowed tracing elements to be added to hydraulic fracturing fluids and agreed to allow follow-up monitoring. That should let scientists see whether the drilling fluids move upwards or sideways from the Marcellus Shale, which is 8,100 feet deep at that spot.

“It’s like the perfect laboratory,” Hammack said.

Hammack said he believes this is the first time such research has been done on a commercial gas well.

“Conceptually, it sounds like a really great idea,” said P. Lee Ferguson, a Duke University civil and environmental engineering professor who is not involved with the project. “I have wondered about this since I started thinking about fracking. Which compounds are mobile and which aren’t?”

The Marcellus Shale is a gas-rich rock formation thousands of feet under large parts of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and West Virginia. Over the past five years, advances in drilling technology made the gas accessible, leading to a boom in production, jobs, and profits — and concerns about pollution.

The gas is pulled from the ground through a process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in which large volumes of water, plus sand and chemicals, are injected deep underground to break shale apart and free the gas.

Environmentalists have claimed the fluids associated with drilling could rise and pollute shallow drinking water aquifers. The industry and many government officials say the practice is safe when done properly, but there have also been cases where faulty wells did cause pollution.

Ferguson cautioned that no single study will answer all questions about fracking and the potential for pollution.

“The complicating factor is some of the compounds don’t act in the same way underground,” he said of fracking fluids, as well as the fact that there are substantial differences in geology throughout the Marcellus region.

Hammack said the study is designed to see whether the fracking fluids or naturally occurring salty brine from deep underground reach a testing area located at about 4,000 feet.

“We’re just looking for any indication of communication between the two zones,” he said.

If the fluids do rise, more research will be needed, he said. If they don’t reach the 4,000-foot level, there will be no need to test drinking water aquifers, which are closer to the surface.

Other researchers have asked the same question, but have done so using computer simulations or testing not involving commercial wells. Both methods mean there’s considerable uncertainty about the accuracy of the projections.

For example, a study released by other Duke researchers this week suggested that deep, salty brine fluids could migrate upwards through natural pathways, but made no estimate of whether that might take years, decades or centuries.

Hammack said the new project took off after he told someone in the industry about research DOE hoped to conduct.

“They said, ‘We have that exact situation,’” Hammock said of the response from the firm, which he didn’t identify.

Hammack said the monitoring will go on for at least a year, but that the department will release information earlier if there’s proof the fluids migrate to the upper testing level. Some background data from the research is also expected to be available later this year.

Patrick Creighton, a spokesman for the industry’s Marcellus Shale Coalition, said in a statement that the industry supports partnering with universities, government agencies and others to protect the environment.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/researchers-monitoring-fracking-fluid-to-say-whether-gas-drilling-can-pollute-drinking-water/2012/07/11/gJQAk6KMdW_story.html

A21 Gas Sampler

The model A21 is a gas sample pumping system designed to draw samples from ducts or hard to access locations and deliver the samples to gas sensors located in a more convenient area. A21 Sampling Systems use a high quality diaphragm pump operated by a brushless DC motor to provide continuous sampling over long periods of time. Sampling pumps are rated for over 10,000 hours of continuous operation and diaphragms in the pump may be changed easily if necessary. The pump will draw samples against a vacuum of up to 10” Hg. for sampling negative pressure duct systems when necessary.

In addition to the sampling pump, A21 systems contain various components needed to insure reliable sample measurement. A flowmeter mounted on the front panel allows the user to adjust the sample flowrate to the desired value, normally around 500 cc./min. Internal to the system is a loss of flow detector that will warn of sampling system problems that could compromise the gas measurement system. A loss of flow alarm light on the front panel provides local flow loss indication while an internal relay can be used to indicate this alarm remotely.

Christiansburg fined for chlorine leak

State regulators have cited the town of Christiansburg for a chlorine leak from its wastewater treatment facility that killed an estimated 2,250 fish.

The town was fined $13,650 in a consent order recently issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

As part of the agreement, the town will pay an additional $1,395.87 in reimbursements to DEQ and the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

The accident happened April 10 when workers at the treatment plant were trying to locate a leak suspected of causing high volumes of stormwater to be released into Crab Creek.

Chlorinated water was placed in the system so officials could use a monitor to pinpoint the leak.

However, the chlorine escaped into the creek, killing about 2,000 fish in a half-mile stretch of Crab Creek.

An investigation by DEQ found the town violated a state permit that allows it to release treated wastewater into the creek.

As part of the consent decree, town officials agreed to use a non-toxic dye to conduct such tests in the future.