By Eliza Laubach
A test well drilled in North Carolina by state scientists this spring has suggested there may be natural gas beneath the Walnut Tree community, a majority African-American neighborhood that shares groundwater with the largest coal ash pond in the state. Laboratory analysis, yet to be funded, will determine the nature of the deposit and guide speculation for hydraulic fracturing in the region.
Oil and gas test wells in eastern Kentucky have increased speculation into whether the Rogersville shale is profitable to frack. Considering the link between fracking and earthquakes, scientists with the Kentucky Geological Survey are establishing baseline data by burying sensitive seismic activity monitoring devices this summer.
In Morgantown, W. Va., atop the Marcellus shale, a university fracking site will provide a long-term study of the light, noise, air and water pollution these sites emit. One of the drilling sites is dangerously close to the city’s water intake on the Monongahela River, environmental groups say.
Range Resources faces an $8.9 million fine for contaminating groundwater with methane near a fracking rig in Pennsylvania. This record fine, being challenged by the company, comes after a two-year dispute over this well with the state.
Related Articles
Latest News
More Stories
Neighbors Help Neighbors
A photo essay that celebrates the volunteer spirit of the grassroots group Hurricane Helene WNC and speaks to the resourcefulness, collaboration and hard work embodied by thousands and thousands of volunteers, first responders and aid workers across the region after Hurricane Helene.
Halloween Approaches, and Night School Is in Session
The House of Art in Bluefield, West Virginia, looks like a haunted tower, making it the perfect location for its sixth annual haunt event: Night School. The Night School will be open every Friday and Saturday night through Oct. 31.
‘The Most Perfect Act of Love’
Hundreds of people attended the second annual Affirming Sumner Pride celebration on a 24-acre farm dubbed “Fruity Farm” in Bethpage, Sumner County, Tennessee.
Signs of Life: Endangered Bats Found in Nantahala for First Time in More Than a Decade
In the Nantahala National Forest, a team of biologists spotted Indiana bats, an endangered species that hasn’t been seen in North Carolina for the last 11 years.
‘First Line of Defense’
During Hurricane Helene and its aftermath, rural fire departments and other first responder hubs played critical roles in keeping their communities safe, even without power and cut off from outside support for days or weeks after the storm. Two years later, plenty of work remains to ensure these hubs have the resources they need to operate day to day and be ready when emergencies or natural disasters strike.
The Rocky Road — and Bridge — to Recovery
Hurricane Helene is estimated to have damaged nearly 7,000 private roads and bridges in Western North Carolina. Two years later, many restoration projects are complete, but the journey hasn’t been easy — and isn’t over for others.
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Leave a Comment