By Kevin Zwick

Wayne Independent

Wed Jul 07, 2010, 05:30 PM EDT

Honesdale, Pa. -

The Department of Environmental Protection released what they said is the complete list of chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process.

However, the list released recently by the DEP includes all chemicals that would be present at a well site, including ones that are not involved in the hydraulic fracking process.

“We’re working on getting it down to just the fracking chemicals,” DEP spokesman Tom Rathbun said.

The list contains chemicals used not only for the underground fracking process, but also chemicals which make up products such as de-greasers and equipment cleaning products.

The chemicals on the list were compiled by DEP officials from Material Safety Data Sheets.

Chemicals are used in the fracking process to break up the shale 5,000-8,000 feet below the surface, which allows for gas trapped in the rock to flow to the surface well.

Environmentalists worry that the fracking fluid, which contains poisonous acids among other chemicals, will seep into underground aquifers and contaminate drinking-water wells. However, department officials say they know of no examples in Pennsylvania or elsewhere.

Industry officials say the chemicals are heavily diluted by water, accounting for less than one percent of the fluid which is blasted underground.

Among the chemicals on the list are naphthalene, toluene and xylene — although various industry representatives said this week that they are not aware of the chemicals' use in drilling.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies naphthalene as a possible human carcinogen. Toluene and xylene are linked by the federal government to central nervous system depression.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

---

WELLSBORO - Twenty-eight cows have been quarantined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture after officials say the animals may have consumed wastewater that leaked from a holding pond for a natural gas well on the property.

According to USDA media spokesman Justin Fleming, 16 beef cows, four heifers and eight calves on the Donald Johnson farm in Shippen Township, may have consumed hay on damp ground contaminated by the water before it could be cleaned up in April.

East Resources Inc. owns the impoundment, which is on the Johnson4351H well off Route 362 on Pinecreek Road. The pond immediately was drained and closed, said Stephen W. Rhoads, director external affairs for East.

Rhoads said an East investigation revealed a tear in the plastic liner used in the impoundment.

However, the company didn't even know about the leak until it was notified by the state Department of Environmental Protection in early May.

"Back on May 2, we were notified of a possible leak in an impoundment that held fresh water and also flowback water. The horizontal well completion had been done in early April," Rhoads said.

The flowback water was introduced into the fresh water April 9, according to Rhoads, "so it was a mixture."

"We immediately initiated an investigation to evaluate what had happened and conduct any remedial activity and, by May 5, all soil was taken off the site," Rhoads said.

The impoundment was closed off "the day we heard about it," he added.

An "extensive analysis" of water from the impoundment, and the ground around it was conducted, Rhoads said, "to make sure we covered all our bases."

"We sampled it for background conditions and impacts and used the strictest statewide health standards set by DEP in our analysis," he said.

Those tests include testing for organic and inorganic chemicals, risk levels, and the "most protective one - the statewide standard for residential use - and none of the soil samples contained anything of concern, so no further remediation was necessary," Rhoads said.

"An incident like this is pretty rare," Rhoads said, adding he doesn't really understand why USDA decided to quarantine the animals.

But Fleming said the Johnsons had noticed some seepage from the pond for up to two months prior to the leak being discovered.

The cattle also could have drank from a pool created by the leaking impoundment for at least three days until East placed a snow fence to restrict their access, according to Fleming.

Grass was killed in a 30- by 40-foot area where the wastewater had pooled, and although no cows were seen drinking from the pool, tracks were found throughout, he added.

"The federal domesticated animal statute holds we can quarantine an animal for suspicion of contamination of a hazardous substance," Fleming said. "We aren't sure if the beef cattle ingested anything, but we know it is a fact, cows are attracted to salt and the contents contained high salinity levels."

The quarantined cows must stay on the farm, Fleming said, and "they cannot go to market and cannot be slaughtered and used for meat until the quarantine is up."

Cows are quarantined depending on their age, Fleming said. The time periods include six months for adults; calves in the womb for eight months; and young calves on the farm for two years because the chemicals, including the heavy metal strontium that is toxic to humans, can be absorbed into their bones.

"After two years, the animals are tested by a veterinarian to determine if they have been contaminated. If so, they have to be destroyed," Fleming said.

For some of the elements contained in the wastewater, Fleming added, "there is no way to test without destroying the animal."

DEP Community Relations Coordinator Dan Spadoni said there is no threat to public health from the spill, which DEP first learned about from a citizen complaint in late April. A civil penalty will be levied once a review of the report filed by East on June 18 is completed.

"No estimate was provided on quantity, but no creeks, streams or wetlands were impacted. There was contaminated soil that had to excavated, stockpiled, sampled and disposed of, and that was being done starting May 20. The soil has since been removed, and they closed out the drill pit," Spadoni said.

There was no significant threat to the environment in terms of any surface water sources.

Spadoni said a notice of violation letter was issued to East Resources "shortly after we first investigated" the incident.

According to Spadoni, penalties depend on a number of factors, including severity, cooperation of those responsible, and compliance history.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.