Water catches fire straight from the tap

[Random Encounter]

http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-faucetfires-story-031909,0,2398366.story

FORT LUPTON - It's a story you have to see to believe; fire flowing from the faucet.

It looks like a prank, but It is a very real danger for Amee Ellsworth and her family.

"I was scared, I was terrified."

Amy has good reason to be scared.

Her well water is contaminated with natural gas and is highly flammable.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission determined the gas is coming from a leak in one of eight active gas wells within a ½ mile radius of the Elllsworth's home.

All that natural gas in their home could cause an explosion.

Now we've learned they aren't the only family with contaminated water. Neighbor Renee McClure and her family have been drinking it for years.

"My kids drink it. My pets drink it. I'm worried," McClure told us.

Her 13-year-old son set their water on fire after seeing the story on FOX 31 News.

Weld Central Junior High is also planning to test their well water.
Copyright © 2009, KDVR-TV


With video at the link.

[Lady Fury]

I saw this on the news the other night. I hope they fix the problem soon.

[alternate identity]

Years ago in Cleveland, the Cuyahoga River was so heavily contaminated that
it would catch fire. I remember the comment from a First Nations member:
"Who but the white man would understand the utility of a combustable river?"

Happily pollution controls have abated some of this, and the river no longer
burns all summer.

AI

[Dawnstar]

Scary. I agree that I hope that they fix the problem soon before something really horrble happens. I am glad it did not take a house blowing up for them to find the problem.

[Radu]

This is not remotely an "isolated incident." Natural gas wells are all over Colorado and New Mexico, as well as the other Rocky Mountain states. While not all of them fail, almost all of them use a process called "fracking" where the drilling company injects high pressure water along with who the fuck knows what else (they won't tell and aren't required to by the EPA or any other governmental agency) into a hole. The stone fractures and fills with water, forcing all the natural gas into the main well.

The problem with this technique is that it is the opposite of "precise." When you frack a well there's no way to control what goes on. In fact cracking the shit out of the ground is the whole point.

That natural gas has got to go somewhere, and not all of it makes it into the well. Water supplies, homes, reservoirs, aquifers--- you name it. This is a pretty big issue facing communities with gas development. Add to this the fracking compounds (which, as I said, could be pretty much anything--- we don't know!) which don't always stay put and you've got a serious public health issue. Up to now, though, the serious cash flow issue (from the oil companies into government) has made sure the public health issue (and rights of non-corporate entities--- ie: mere citizen taxpayers) into a negligible thing.