A Charleston Township family cannot use their water because the flammable gas methane is present. The family lives near a natural gas well pad owned by Shell Appalachia.
Shell stated April 12 that the family's well had been disconnected while the methane, a component of natural gas, is tested to see if it came from the nearby gas wells or not.
"As part of our commitment to determining the source of the methane, we are fully assessing the surrounding area, including our well pad, as a potential source," Shell said. "Specific to the well pad, Shell is conducting additional inspection and sampling on each of the gas wells on the well pad. At this time, the source of the methane in the water well is unknown.
"As part of our assessment of the surrounding area, initial sampling of the surrounding water wells within a 1,000-foot radius of our drilling wells has been completed and there was no detectable methane in the sampled water wells. As a precaution, we also conducted initial monitoring on water wells located within a 2,000-foot radius of our drilling wells."
Oh goody. They're investigating themselves. In the meantime the fam has no water supply unless they buy it. THAT will encourage others to report the same issue! (And more workers in our yards, to monitor our wells! Love that!)