Frackers Spill Olympic Pool’s Worth Of Hydrochloric Acid In Oklahoma

[sunnystarr]

An acid spill on Monday in rural Kingfisher County northwest of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma could turn out to be the largest spill “in relation to fracking materials” in the state according to an Oklahoma Corporation Commission spokesman.

Spokesman Matt Skinner said 480 barrels of fracking-related hydrochloric (HCL) acid, nearly enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, emptied out of a tank where it was stored. Acid is used in the fracking process to both clean wells and stimulate the flow of oil and gas. The cause of the spill, which occurred in an alfalfa field, is under investigation.

Skinner told ThinkProgress this is the largest frack-related spill he is aware of in the state’s history. He was unable to comment on the cause of the spill because it is currently under investigation, but said they “think they know the cause.”

...

Other nearby states including Arkansas, Kansas, and Texas have also seen a distinct rise in small- to medium-sized earthquakes over the last few years just as the fracking boom has escalated. As of early July, Oklahoma had experienced more than twice the number of earthquakes as California, making it the most seismically active state in the lower 48. Just ten years ago it was ranked 17th.

Oklahoma is also one of the top states in overall oil spills, having experienced 951 reported oil spills in 2013 — more than every other fossil-fuel producing state except North Dakota according to an EnergyWire investigation. However in North Dakota companies have to report any spill larger than one barrel, or 42 gallons, whereas in Oklahoma the threshold is 10 barrels.

more at: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/07/31/3466283/olympic-pool-sized-hydrochloric-acid-spill-oklahoma/

When are the sheeple going to wake up?

[Heidi]

1. Kick, kick, kick!!!

[DeSwiss]

2. Don't worry, it'll be fine!

Call the Koch's up and ask them to send some paper towels.

- They'll have it wrapped up in no time.....

K&R



If you present your ass for kicking, it will get kicked.

[KansDem]

4. Brawny paper towels

It's their brand...

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. If it was just hydrochloric acid, that's not a big problem

Undiluted, it raises the acidity so that it would kill plants in the immediate area, but hydrochloric acid is just hydrogen ions - what makes it acid - and chloride ions, same as in sodium chloride. Hydrochloric acid is the acid your stomach produces for digestion. It just needs diluting with water to an acceptable level.

If there were other fracking chemicals mixed in with it, that might be a problem.

[sunnystarr]

11. Based on the article it must be more serious ...

“The spill occurred in the center of my client’s alfalfa field and while the property is currently used for agricultural purposes the Hawks hoped to build a home on their Turkey Creek property,” said Oppel. “Unfortunately the spill will not only affect the Hawks immediate use and enjoyment, but future development may be impossible.”

I don't know if that's just hyperbole, but if it's true that's very frightening.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. Could be, but a lawyer demanding compensation is never a good judge of seriousness

Their job is to make it sound like it's the end of the world.

[Treant]

13. True That

Of all the chemicals I can think of, if you forced me to spill one on my gardens both hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide would be high on the list.

In both cases, it'll kill the plants, but both will leach out by themselves over time. The lye might want a little help to eject the sodium ions from the soil, but that's easy.

Of course, we're both assuming it was pure. If not, that may present other issues, as you noted.

[seveneyes]

5. It must be a really small "Olympic size pool"

480 * 42 = 20,160 gallons of HCL vs 600,000 gallons of H2O for an Olympic size pool.

Facts trump hyperbole.

[valerief]

6. So all barrels are the same size??? nt

[seveneyes]

7. I used their own numbers (42 gallon)

Otherwise, I would have used the standard 55 gallon size. Facts matter.

[bigbrother05]

9. 42 gals is the industry standard for a barrel, 55 gals are generally referred to as drums

Glad you caught the "olympic" exaggeration. More like a large inground private pool.

With all the oil related business in OK, surprised at the imprecision in the article. Acid is usually used for breakdown or clean up of a well for initial production or testing. Fracking is done with waterbased fluids with other chemicals/additives for specific well/geologic conditins and viscosifiers to transport the proppants into the formation.

[valerief]

10. Thanks. I went to the link and saw a reference to 42-gallon barrels in North Dakota.

Oklahoma is also one of the top states in overall oil spills, having experienced 951 reported oil spills in 2013 — more than every other fossil-fuel producing state except North Dakota according to an EnergyWire investigation. However in North Dakota companies have to report any spill larger than one barrel, or 42 gallons, whereas in Oklahoma the threshold is 10 barrels.

[riqster]

8. Kick. Regardless of quantity, this needs publicized.

[Garthem]

14. But, but what about this nice blonde lady?

[blkmusclmachine]

15. When are the sheeple going to wake up?

Faux lulls them to sleep...

[Acornsouth]

16. don't worry....

it is only an Olympic size pool spill...my gawd, that is only a few thousand gallons of fluid, no problem (Snark)...except....

when they are done, they leave their waste water in holding ponds, in tanks and in storage drums...most of it is very toxic and would kill anyone that comes in contact with, unless they have the safety suit....and more and more spills are occurring on a daily basis..

And when is enough, enough...they have polluted our water, our oceans, our soil and our air, and they continue to drive this planet to a un-sustainable climate...If we can't eat, drink or breath, life here is pretty much done...

[badtoworse]

17. Dump some caustic on it.

[neeksgeek]

18. O, just a drop...

"O, don't tell us there's poison in the well,
that someone's been a bit untidy, that there's been a small spill.
All that it amounts to is a tear in a salted sea.
Someone's been a bit untidy, they'll have it cleaned up in a week."


Excerpt from "Poison in the Well" by 10,000 Maniacs