O I L Only In Louisiana Water Resources Commission - The Louisiana Office of Conservation is calling on interested members of the public to share their ideas on ground and surface water management and related concerns over the next two weeks as part of an ongoing effort to strategize on the development process for a state water resources management plan. See Attachment The Office of Conservation is calling for public input to the Water Resources Commission. The Office of Conservation seems to be aware of the need of a development process for a state water resources management plan. These are my comments and input. 1999 Sparta Aquifer - Groundwater Commission the continued uncontrolled use of groundwater from Sparta and other aquifers may create critical problems; spartaaquifer/about.php 2003 Mississippi River Alluvial Aquifer - Community of Grand Bayou also located near the Napoleonville Salt Dome natural gas cavern released natural gas into the water aquifer. Spring 2004 Mississippi River Alluvial Aquifer - Bayou Corne - A consulting hydrogeologist worked in spring 2004 to finish removing natural gas that was then trapped 150 feet under the Grand Bayou area found gas had been released into the same subsurface aquifer at least five years earlier, regulatory filings with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality say. theadvocate/home/4097747-125/gas-found-in-aquifer-previously May 2011 Chicot aquifer serving 15 parishes - Eugene Owen, of Baton Rouge, Director & Chairman of Utility Holdings Inc., holding company for Baton Rouge Water Co., Parish Water Co., Inc., Ascension Water Co. and LAWCO, New Iberia, stated that over 9 years ago because of contamination problems, wells had to be moved in Iberia parish, costing millions. Increased withdrawal from the Chicot Aquifer by AGL Resources’ (Jefferson Island Storage & Hub) proposed well-pumping would significantly accelerate the rate of potential contaminates, arsenic. senate.legis.state.la.us/Environment/archives/2011/video.htm May 2011 Chicot aquifer - A hydrologist claims withdrawal from the Chicot aquifer by AGL Resources’ (Jefferson Island Storage & Hub) could lower the Chicot aquifer as much as 17 to 75 feet. The Chicot aquifer has not recovered from the 1994 water withdrawal from the first two natural gas salt dome caverns and one concern would be more salt water intrusion. senate.legis.state.la.us/Environment/archives/2011/video.htm July 2012 Each day over 8.5 billion gallons are withdrawn from the state’s surface and groundwater supplies. Industrial and agricultural activity, drought, and saltwater intrusion threaten aquifer levels and water quality. Regional and interstate water needs are growing yet deteriorating supply, treatment and distribution systems cannot meet future demands. What can be done to combat Louisiana’s looming water problems? Who owns and controls the state’s water supply? How do corporate and governmental policies affect the most precious resource of all: water? beta.lpb.org/images/lps_uploads/201207waterwoes2.pdf 10/15/2012 Mississippi River Alluvial Aquifer - Bayou Corne Sinkhole - Natural gas discovered in an underground aquifer near Bayou Corne may be the third time in the past 13 years that gas has been loosed in shallow formations over or near the subterranean Napoleonville salt dome, according to a review of regulatory filings. theadvocate/home/4097747-125/gas-found-in-aquifer-previously 11/24/2012 Southern Hills Aquifer - Concerns about saltwater intrusion into Baton Rouge drinking water have been around since the 1970s. As more water is drawn from the ground north of the fault, the difference in pressure pulls the saltier water across the fault and closer to groundwater wells serving Baton Rouge and surrounding areas. theadvocate/home/4424325-125/aquifer-models-expected-in-2013 9/10/2013 Sparta aquifer - Declining aquifer levels in south Caddo Parish. Water usage is putting the south Caddo Parish aquifers at dangerously low levels. ktbs/story/23395825/declining-aquifer-levels-in-south-caddo-parish 9/28/2013 Mississippi River Alluvial Aquifer - A state seismic expert has found two likely existing “deep” sources continuing to feed methane gas in Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou communities theadvocate/home/7085262-125/story.html 10/10/2013 Louisiana public water system has brain-eating amoeba The Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the presence of a rare brain-eating amoeba. usatoday/story/news/nation/2013/10/09/water-system-brain-eating-amoeba/2951933/ 2009 Jefferson Island Storage & Hub, LLC 2009 OPERATING AGREEMENT with Louisiana 3.4. Water Rights; Chicot Aquifer Withdrawal Restriction. Further without limiting the foregoing and subject to obtaining any approvals required under Applicable Law, Jefferson Island shall have the right to drill for and extract water as may be necessary, incidental, or desirable for the Permitted Purposes, including, without limitation, dnr.louisiana.gov/assets/OC/im_div/20090818-IMD-OpAgmt-JISH.pdf Water-level declined in the Chicot aquifer system during the period 1995-2005, based on data from the USGS/DOTD water-level network. epa.gov/region6/water/swp/groundwater/2009-gws-presentations/12-gw-status-in-louisiana_lovelace.pdf In spite of this information the Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Management, has issued one permit to AGL Resources (Jefferson Island Storage & Hub) to expand their natural gas salt dome storage caverns and add 2 more caverns using millions of gallons of water from the Chicot aquifer. No more permits to expand or add salt dome storage caverns to Jefferson Island Storage & Hub should be issued without an Environmental Impact Statement, Federal standard, seismic studies, cause of the bubbling in the Lake Peigneur, and a study of the Chicot aquifer. Already one horrific disaster there in 1980. youtube/watch?v=ddlrGkeOzsI Before February, 2011, I never knew where my drinking water came from. I became interested in AGL Resources expanding their natural gas salt dome caverns when I heard how much water they would use. I met Nara Crowley with Save Lake Peigneur and started going to Baton Rouge to meetings of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, and more to ask them to please help protect the Chicot aquifer. Expert testimonies were given on what will happen to the Chicot aquifer. When the state heard these testimonies we were ignored and treated like nuisances. Not only did I meet people from Lake Peigneur, but later met people who lived on Bayou Corne, who have lost their homes. There were problems for years at Bayou Corne, and permits were still given. These people from Bayou Corne have even tried to help the people at Lake Peigneur. These people from Bayou Corne have said that when they went to Baton Rouge, they also were ignored and treated like nuisances. I have met people like LTG Russel L. Honore, U.S. Army, Retired who speaks his mind and speaks his heart. General Honore states that “Our state government has done an excellent job of making Louisiana business friendly through tax breaks but when will he (Jindal) demand from his policy makers and agencies that our environment, wildlife and citizens must take precedence for economic success”. We need more brave people like General Honore who speaks his mind. Time and time again, attempts to protect people’s lives and the Chicot aquifer were stopped: 2007 - Rep. Sydney Mae Durand HB 617 - local bill to stop cavern expansion at Jefferson Island Salt Dome 2008 - Senator Troy Hebert SB 194 - protect groundwater by preventing any expansion or conversion of storage caverns at Jefferson Island Storage & Hub. SB754 - water conservation limiting extraction of drinking water each day to 3MG to create cavern storage at Jefferson Island Storage & Hub. Passed & signed by Governor Jindal followed by lawsuit, bill dismissed by judicial ruling for a technicality. Rep. Henry Burns (Monroe area) introduces HB1220 to create Operational Agreement allowing the state & natural gas storage companies to work jointly. Senator Hebert introduces an amendment to exclude JI. Amendment voted down & bill passed unanimously. 2012 - Senator Fred Mills sought to require a federal standard Environmental Impact Statement prior to DNR permitting hydrocarbon storage or brine well extraction using more than 2MG per day from the Chicot Aquifer. 2013 - Senator Fred Mills - SB200 requiring a federal standard Environmental Impact Statement before issuance of permits to construct or operate salt dome storage caverns. SB200 made it to the Senate floor but was defeated by 2 votes. SB532 MILLS CONSERVATION - Provides for certain requirements for use of ground water from the Chicot Aquifer, an Environmental Impact Statement before doing so. Sen. Fred Mills, R- New Iberia, has worked very hard to try to protect our only fresh water source, the Chicot aquifer. SB532 was heard by the Senate DNR and Health & Welfare committees. Both committees voted against the bill. This would have help prevent saltwater intrusion into the Chicot aquifer. The bill would have made sure with an Environmental Impact Statement that the Chicot aquifer would be protected against large withdrawals. Sen. Gerald Long, R-Winnfield Head of the Natural Resources Senate Committee heard our pleas to get Bill 532 to the floor for a vote and voted against it. Some of the interviews and panelists over the years that struck me the most were: Don Briggs, lobbyist, Louisiana Oil and Gas Association stated that with the abundance of natural gas we are looking to export the gas. Don Briggs insisted that the oil and gas companies are working with the state to protect our water supplies. James Welsh, Commissioner of Conservation, DNR, spoke of needing a comprehensive water plan for the state. Hays Town, Jr., Save Baton Rouge Water, stated that there are problems with salt water intrusion in the aquifer that furnishes the water for Baton Rouge because of over use. He stated that before long Baton Rouge will be getting their water from the Mississippi river & paying a lot more for it. savebrwater/ At one meeting, April 12, a lobbyist for AGL Resources that is expanding the salt domes and going to use billions of gallons from the Chicot aquifer, said they did not want an Environmental Impact Statement as it would be a cancer (bad) for AGL Resources. Senator Gerald Long voted against Bill 532. At the same April 12 meeting Sen. Morrish read that the USGS stated that there was no need for an Environmental Impact Statement. This after Director McNutt, USGS, Washington, D.C. stated that the USGS had not studied this enough to issue a comment one way or the other in an email to me. In reality the shortage of water regardless of further controls placed in the hand of the Department of Natural Resources with regards to ground water will not go away. The industries themselves install the flow meters and read the meters and record the volume and not any third party. The citizens of Louisiana should worry about their fresh water. We citizens are screaming and only a few are listening. Finally people are waking up to the fact that there are problems with our fresh water sources in Louisiana. This is about responsible withdrawal from our aquifers and use of ground water. The most important thing learned is that it is time for action and not more talk. Gloria Conlin
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 13:33:59 +0000
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