State Rep. Jesse White introduced legislation this week that would require the state Department of Environmental Protection to disclose the full and complete testing results—including raw data and documentation—of any environmental tests conducted by the department on a landowner’s or leaseholder’s property in Pennsylvania.
According to H.B. 268, DEP would have to make the information available at no cost and within five business days of receiving a written request from the landowner or leaseholder, or face civil penalties of up to $1,500 if the department fails to make the information available.
White, D-Cecil, who previously called on DEP to make public the full testing data and other details related to air and water quality tests amid concerns of nearby Marcellus Shale drilling operations, said his legislation would ensure that Pennsylvania residents can access their complete test results, and prevent that information from being withheld through bureaucratic maneuvering.
“Pennsylvanians have a right to know the entire truth about what DEP discovers from testing on their property; nothing more, nothing less,” said White. “DEP has used exemptions in the Open Records Law to deny requests for testing data and has even claimed there was a greater interest in withholding data than in releasing it to the public, which is fundamentally wrong. There is no justification whatsoever for disclosing anything less than 100 percent of the information about the substances in the air and water of Pennsylvania residents.”
In June, DEP denied White the complete details of air quality test results taken at Cornerstone Care, a Burgettstown-area health clinic that was forced to close on multiple occasions due to a mysterious odor that sickened employees. After given a series of partial and inconsistent test results, White said the raw data could have helped identify the cause of the odors at the clinic, which was located next to a Marcellus Shale drilling site.
In November, White criticized DEP’s usage of its “suite code” computer-code system after a DEP scientist testified in an unrelated case that her laboratory tested for a range of hazardous materials while analyzing the water-quality impact from a nearby natural gas drilling site, but reported results for only some of them.
White said of further concern to him was the recent discovery that DEP developed, but never used, a computer-code called “Suite Code 944” or “Marcellus Inorganic Survey” that would test for 45 contaminants in its water analyses, instead opting to use other suite codes that test for fewer than half the number of potentially hazardous materials.
“DEP developed a suite code to fully analyze for impacts of Marcellus Shale, and not only did they never use it, they never told anybody that it even existed,” White said. “Pennsylvania residents deserve to know exactly what’s in their air and water when DEP performs tests on their properties. If DEP is unwilling to provide the full truth, the legislature should reaffirm our commitment to openness and transparency by ensuring DEP does the right thing by law.”
House Bill 268 is awaiting consideration in the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.
Never did understand that Cornstone Care situation the only place in that area that had problems was the second floor of the building and no one else that I'm aware of in the area had any issues and none since.You would think if the problem was air born the whole building would have been affected as well as other people in the area.
Another fact is the DEP spokesman lied on KDKA-TV by stating the DEP didn't find anything outside as a result of its air testing. This is a total lie which can be clearly disproven by the 'analysis' the DEP themselves released. Although no one was accusing drilling of anything, Range Resources (through Matt Pitzarella) and Energy in Depth mounted a massive media offensive trying to blame anything they could for the problem. I could say LOTS more about this part of it, like Range lying on TV about offering to help Cornerstone when they wouldn't even return their calls, but it's pointless to reargue the past. At this point, speculation from people who have no clue what happened needs to stop. There's a very easy way to know for sure, and that's for DEP to release the 400+ pages of raw testing data. Let the facts speak for themselves. If the DEP wants to shut me up, there's a real easy way to do it, and until they release the data, it is absurd to blame Cornerstone or anyone else.
Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) is a colorless liquid with an odor similar to mothballs. MIBK is also known as 4-methyl-2-pentanone, hexone and isopropylacetone. While it is usually in liquid form, MIBK can change into a gas. MIBK will dissolve in water, alcohols, benzenes and ethers. Where is MIBK found and how is it used? MIBK occurs naturally in oranges, grapes and vinegar. MIBK is used as a solvent in factories that produce paints, rubber products, chemicals and machinery. As a solvent, it is used in pesticide application. Pharmaceutical companies that produce prescription drugs also use MIBK. MIBK strengthens and preserves flavors and fragrances. Consumer products containing MIBK include aerosol paints, coatings used in construction, and automobile and machinery paints and primers. MIBK is used in home products like hard surface cleaners, dyes and tints, laundry starches, paints and varnish products. MIBK is also used in insecticides that control garden insects, greases and oil used as lubricants, automotive chemicals, pet flea and tick products, shoe polish, wood office furniture, and clear finishes, undercoats and primers.
Exposure to low levels of MIBK causes headaches, weakness, dizziness, sleepiness, and sleeplessness. Skin contact irritates and burns the eyes, nose and throat, and makes people cough and wheeze. Other symptoms of exposure are vomiting, loss of appetite, heartburn and stomach pain. Exposure to high levels of MIBK can be fatal. At high levels, MIBK can lead to narcosis, a condition that causes a person to lose consciousness or become unable to function. Some of the symptoms they experienced are the ones listed here you might be on to something
Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) is a colorless liquid with an odor similar to mothballs. MIBK is also known as 4-methyl-2-pentanone, hexone and isopropylacetone. While it is usually in liquid form, MIBK can change into a gas. MIBK will dissolve in water, alcohols, benzenes and ethers. Where is MIBK found and how is it used? MIBK occurs naturally in oranges, grapes and vinegar. MIBK is used as a solvent in factories that produce paints, rubber products, chemicals and machinery. As a solvent, it is used in pesticide application. Pharmaceutical companies that produce prescription drugs also use MIBK. MIBK strengthens and preserves flavors and fragrances. Consumer products containing MIBK include aerosol paints, coatings used in construction, and automobile and machinery paints and primers. MIBK is used in home products like hard surface cleaners, dyes and tints, laundry starches, paints and varnish products. MIBK is also used in insecticides that control garden insects, greases and oil used as lubricants, automotive chemicals, pet flea and tick products, shoe polish, wood office furniture, and clear finishes, undercoats and primers. .You could be exposed to MIBK through: Drinking water containing MIBK, but most people can smell MIBK’s mothball odor. The water will taste bad. Breathing MIBK at workplaces where it is produced or used as part of paints, adhesives and pesticides.
Exposure to low levels of MIBK causes headaches, weakness, dizziness, sleepiness, and sleeplessness. Skin contact irritates and burns the eyes, nose and throat, and makes people cough and wheeze. Other symptoms of exposure are vomiting, loss of appetite, heartburn and stomach pain. Exposure to high levels of MIBK can be fatal. At high levels, MIBK can lead to narcosis, a condition that causes a person to lose consciousness or become unable to function. They did experience some of these symptoms
very good article Rep. White do you feel the EPA will give a fair report of fracking because they are trying to work out a deal with Range for one in Washington county
chesapeake invites epa to drill site it will show up and you can read the article