Adding some information to the excellent post yesterday by LBS  , as LBS said:

The NY Department of Environmental Conservation came out with its draft of the GEIS yesterday, This page has a link for the full 800 page report and a link for comments.  We have only sixty days to comment on this document of over 800 pages.

I would suggest for anyone living above the Marcellus shale (see info below) to also call your State representative for information. Basically the new drilling involves a 10 fold or so increase in water use, the use of over 400 chemicals and additives and horizontal drilling for thousands of feet from a wellhead. The good news is the shale gas is very deep, thousands of feet, although less deep the further north in NY State, more on this below in GEIS info.  The well hole is supposed to be lined by pipe as it goes through the aquifer, but leaks and breaks can occur. Pressure is used to pump water and thousands of gallons of additives down the well to push gas out and fracture the shale. Spills around the well head can runoff into surface waters and streams. 

I'll give some links below and info from the 800 page report which seeks to set standards and assure all the everything will be 'OK'. On the Diane Rehm show last week she had a very good discussion of this new gas drilling and it was noted that most companies that do it are smaller, and the Exxons or BP's have not gotten into it. A problem with that is that frankly the bigger companies would likely have better over all quality control and accountability than a bunch of small operators. there also does not seem to be a prohibition of drilling close to reservoirs or at shallower depths closer to aquifers, ONLY a requirement that those sites need an environmental impact statement.

I apologize for the paragraph formats as transferring from the pdf to the TPM page was difficult to smooth out. Now some info from the 800 page pdf GEIS Draft:

FROM THE STATE GEIS:

A depth of 850 feet to the base of potable water is commonly used as a practical generalization for the maximum depth of potable water....Groundwater from sources below approximately 850 feet in New York typically is too saline for use as a potable water supply;

No documented instances of groundwater contamination are recorded in the NYSDEC files from previous horizontal drilling or hydraulic fracturing projects in New York.

_____________________________

The Department proposes that site-specific environmental assessments and SEQRA
determinations be required for the high-volume hydraulic fracturing projects listed below, regardless of the target formation, the number of wells drilled on the pad and whether the wells are vertical or horizontal.

1) Any proposed high-volume hydraulic fracturing where the top of the target fracture
zone is shallower than 2,000 feet along the entire proposed length of the wellbore;
2) Any proposed high-volume hydraulic fracturing where the top of the target fracture
zone at any point along the entire proposed length of the wellbore is less than 1,000
feet below the base of a known fresh water supply;
3) Any proposed centralized flowback water surface impoundment. Emphasis of the
initial review will be on proposed additive chemistry relative to potential emissions of
Hazardous Air Pollutants. Additional review of site topography, geology and
hydrogeology will be required for any proposed centralized flowback water surface
impoundment at the following locations:
a) within 1,000 feet of a reservoir;
b) within 500 feet of a perennial or intermittent stream, wetland, storm drain, lake or
pond, or within 300 feet of a public or private water well or domestic supply
spring;
4) Any proposed well pad within 300 feet of a reservoir, reservoir stem or controlled
lake;10
5) Any proposed well pad within 150 feet of a private water well, domestic-use spring,
watercourse, perennial or intermittent stream, storm drain, lake or pond;

DEPTH OF SHALE - UTICA AND MARCELLUS ARE SHALLOWER AS YOU GO NORTH IN NY STATE see page 72, 79 GEIS

The Marcellus Shale formation is known to contain concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) such as uranium-238 and radium-226 at higher levels than surrounding rock formations. Normal disturbance of NORM-bearing rock formations by activities such as mining or drilling do not generally pose a threat to workers, the general public or the environment.

Statewide spacing for vertical shale wells provides for one well per 40-acre spacing unit.5 This
is the spacing requirement that has historically governed most gas well drilling in the State, and as mentioned above, many square miles of Chautauqua, Seneca and Cayuga counties have been  developed on this spacing. One well per 40 acres equates to a density of 16 wells per square mile (i.e., 640 acres).

....all information provided to date indicates that, in actual practice, lateral distance
drilled will normally exceed 2,000 feet and would most likely be 3,500 feet or more, requiring
substantially more than 40 acres. Therefore, the overall density of surface locations would be
less than 16 wells per square mile.

________________________

5.2.3 Drilling Mud
The vertical portion of each well, including the portion that is drilled through any fresh water
aquifers, will typically be drilled using either compressed air or freshwater mud as the drilling
fluid. Operators who provided responses to the Department's information requests stated that the horizontal portion, drilled after any fresh water aquifers are sealed behind cemented surface casing, may be drilled with a mud that may be water-based, potassium chloride/polymer-based with a mineral oil lubricant, or synthetic oil-based. Synthetic oil-based muds are described as "food-grade" or "environmentally friendly."(?food grade?)

As described in the GEIS, used drilling mud is typically reconditioned for use at a subsequent well. It is managed on-site by the use of steel tanks that are part of the rig's "mud system."
Some drilling rigs are equipped with closed-loop tank systems, so that neither used mud nor
cuttings are discharged to reserve pits.
____________________________________
Hydraulic Fracturing Technological Milestones

1998 Slickwater refracturing of originally gel-fracked wells
2002 Multi-stage slickwater fracturing of horizontal wells
2003 First hydraulic fracturing of Marcellus shale
2005 Increased emphasis on improving the recovery factor
2007 Use of multi-well pads and cluster drilling
The GEIS discusses, in Chapter 9, hydraulic fracturing operations using water-based
_______________________________________________
PAGE 140 GEIS
PURPOSE - EXAMPLE of CHEMICALS

Proppant ('props' open fractures) - Sand [Sintered bauxite; zirconium oxide; ceramic beads]
Acid ('cleans up') - Hydrochloric acid (HCl,3% to 28%)
Breaker (reduces viscosity)- Peroxydisulfates
Bactericide/Biocide (inhibits growth organisms) - Gluteraldehyde; 2-Bromo-2-nitro-1,2-propanediol
Clay Stabilizer/Control (prevents swelling clays) - Salts (e.g., tetramethyl ammonium chloride)(Potassium chloride (KCl)]
Corrosion Inhibitor (reduces rust) - Methanol
Crosslinker (increases fracturing fluidity)- Potassium hydroxide
Friction Reducer - Sodium acrylateacrylamide copolymer; polyacrylamide (PAM)
Gelling Agent (increases fracturing)- Guar gum
Iron Control (reduces precipitation iron)- Citric acid; thioglycolic acid
Scale Inhibitor (reduces precipitation carbonates)- Ammonium chloride; ethylene glycol; polyacrylate
Surfactant (increases recovery)- Methanol; isopropanol

Composition of Fracturing Fluids
The composition of the fracturing fluid used may vary from one geologic basin or formation to
another in order to meet the specific needs of each operation; but the range of additive types
available for potential use remains the same....Based on this data, approximately 90 percent of the fracture fluid is water; another approximately 9 percent is proppant (see Photo 5.17); the
remainder, typically less than 0.5 percent consists of chemical additives listed above.

FLOWBACK CHEMICALS AND CONSTITUENTS: PAGES 277 - 291 GEIS
_____________________________________________

The developable shale formations are vertically separated from potential
freshwater aquifers by at least 1,000 feet of sandstones and shales of
moderate to low permeability.

• The amount of time that fluids are pumped under pressure into the target
formation is orders of magnitude less than the time that would be required
for fluids to travel through 1,000 feet of low-permeability rock.
• The volume of fluid used to fracture a well could only fill a small
percentage of the void space between the shale and the aquifer.
• Some of the chemicals in the additives used in hydraulic fracturing fluids
would be adsorbed by and bound to the organic-rich shales.
• Diffusion of the chemicals throughout the pore volume between the shale
and an aquifer would dilute the concentrations of the chemicals by several
orders of magnitude.
________________________________________
Materials Handling and Transport p 253

Alpha provided the review of pertinent federal and state transportation and container
requirements that is included in Section 5.5, and concluded that motor transport of all hazardous fracturing additives or mixtures to drill sites is adequately covered by existing federal and NYSDOT regulations.128 Best management practices such as the following were identified by Alpha for implementation on the well pad:
• Monitoring and recording inventories
• Manual inspections,
• Berms or dikes,
• Secondary containment,
• Monitored transfers,
• Stormwater runoff controls,
• Mechanical shut-off devices,
• Setbacks,
• Physical barriers, and
• Materials for rapid spill cleanup and recovery.
________________________________________________

6.1.1 Water Withdrawals  p 262

Water for hydraulic fracturing may be obtained by withdrawing it from surface water bodies
away from the well site or through wells drilled into groundwater aquifers. Without proper
controls on the rate, timing and location of withdrawals, stream flow modifications could result
in negative impacts to a stream's best uses, including but not limited to the aquatic ecosystem, downstream riverine and riparian resources, wetlands, and aquifer supplies.
6.1.1.1 Reduced Stream Flow
Potential effects of reduced stream flow caused by withdrawals could include:
• insufficient supplies for downstream uses such as public water supply;
• adverse impacts to quantity and quality of aquatic, wetland, and terrestrial habitats and
the biota that they support; and
• exacerbation of drought effects.
__________________________________________

6.1.1.6 Aquifer Depletion

The primary concern regarding groundwater withdrawal is aquifer depletion that could affect
other uses, including nearby public and private water supply wells. This includes cumulative
impacts from numerous groundwater withdrawals and potential aquifer depletion from the
incremental increase in withdrawals if groundwater supplies are used for hydraulic fracturing.
...... Aquifer depletion can occur in both confined and unconfined aquifers.
The depletion of an aquifer and a corresponding decline in the groundwater level can occur when a well, or wells in an aquifer are pumped at a rate in excess of the recharge rate to the aquifer.

Review of the requirements of the DRBC and SRBC indicates that the
operators and the reviewing authority will perform evaluations to assess the potential impacts of water withdrawal for well drilling....

...Figure 6.2 shows that the "current estimate" of water use for gas drilling is approximately 30 MGD in the Susquehanna River Basin, or less than 6 percent of the total use for water supply, power, and recreation.
_________________________________________________

NYC WATER SUPPLY page 299 GEIS

6.1.10 Potential Impacts to Subsurface NYC Water Supply Infrastructure
In addition to its surface reservoirs, NYC maintains a system of underground tunnels, aqueducts and other underground infrastructure. Drilling directly into one of these system components could compromise the integrity of the system and provide an opening for non-drilling related contaminants to enter the system. However, damage to the system by high-volume hydraulic fracturing is not reasonably anticipated because the target fracturing zones are thousands of feet deeper than any underground water supply infrastructure.
6.1.11 Degradation of New York City's Drinking Water Supply
A comprehensive, long-range watershed protection and water quality management plan has been established by the City of New York, State of New York, federal government, environmental organizations and upstate watershed communities to protect New York City's critical drinking water supply. Successful implementation of this plan has resulted in cost savings to the City and State of an estimated $8 billion that otherwise would be required to filter this water supply and an additional $300 million yearly expense to operate and maintain a filtration plant. The West of Hudson (WOH) Watershed consists of the Ashokan, Cannonsville, Neversink, Pepacton, Roundout and Schoharie Reservoirs (Figure 2.2).

Degradation of New York City's drinking water supply as a result of surface spills is not a
reasonably anticipated impact of the proposed activity. Potential impacts to the NYC Watershed are greatly diminished by a number of reasons related to the inherent nature of the activity. These include the following:
• Setback requirements..Many chemicals, and chemicals dissolved in water, are subject to evaporation during the warmer months of the year, reducing the volumes or concentrations that would reach reservoirs.... Hydraulic fracturing is an intensely controlled and monitored activity....(?it is intensely controlled always, and at all sites?)

_____________________________________________________
page 361 GEIS chart on chemicals that will pollute water:

Table 6.20 - Comparison of Maximum Impoundment Fluid Additives Impacts to Ambient Thresholds

nice pie chart of the pollutants page 365 GEIS

***********************end geis excerpts**************

Four years after Vice President Dick Cheney spearheaded a massive energy bill that exempted natural gas drilling from federal clean water laws, Congress is having second thoughts about the environmental dangers posed by the burgeoning industry. With growing evidence that the drilling can damage water supplies, Democratic leaders in Congress are circulating legislation that would repeal the extraordinary exemption and for the first time require companies to disclose all chemicals used in the key drilling process, called hydraulic fracturing...."The regulatory loophole for hydraulic fracturing puts public health at risk and isn't justified," said Henry Waxman (D-CA), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee that will offer the bill, in an e-mail. "The current exemption for the oil and gas industry means that we can't even get the information necessary to evaluate the health threats from these practices."....As the law currently stands, the EPA is not allowed to set conditions for hydraulic fracturing or even require states to have regulations of their own.

But as gas drilling has expanded, a wave of reports have emerged that the drilling is affecting water. In Colorado and Wyoming, state and federal officials have concluded that benzene and other contaminants have made their way into aquifers, streams and well water as a result of drilling accidents or spills of drilling fluids. link
_______________________________________________________________

Hydraulic fracturing allows drillers to dramatically increase production. The chemicals pumped underground with the water help drillers bore through the hard rock. The pressure used is tremendous -- about 300 times a typical garden hose. That creates small cracks in the rock that allow gas to escape.

Steve Harris believes that pressure also ruined his well. He lives on 14 acres south of Dallas. Shortly after a driller fracked a nearby well, he and his neighbors noticed a change in water pressure.

"When you'd flush the toilet -- in the back where the bowl is -- water would shoot out the top of the bowl," says Harris.

When he took a shower, there was a foul odor, and the water left rashes on his grandson's skin. His horses stopped drinking from their trough, and there was an oily film on top of the water.

Similar stories are popping up around the country. In Ohio, a couple's house blew up when gas from their water well filled their basement. A woman in Colorado blames her health problems on the chemicals used for fracking.

For the most part, people nearby don't even know what chemicals are being injected into the ground -- companies don't have to report that. link

Water contamination and Shale Gas Report - NPR

...In 2008, a hydrologist found evidence of benzene contamination in a water well in Wyoming, in the vicinity of a large gas field. Residents near Dimock, Pa., have also complained of contamination of their water supply as a result of gas well drilling in their area...

Marcellus Shale Map

Excellent 10 page pdf from Community Science Institute on shale gas.

excerpt from this pdf:

If you are a landowner who has signed a lease with an energy company to drill a gas well on your land, or if you own land nearby, you may wonder about the possibility that water on your property, particularly your private well, might become contaminated......

The problems of small time shale drilling operators with defective equipment or supervision- Cornell:  Most of the problems associated with natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania have been traced to improperly constructed or damaged well casing. Steel and concrete well casing structures are essential to protect drinking water supplies by isolating aquifers from the natural gas well. Casing defects and/or damage has led to contamination of drinking water supplies with methane gas and total dissolved solids (TDS) or total suspended solids (TSS).