GDAC co-founder: Get right water tests done before drilling begins [The Citizens’ Voice, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.]

Aug. 28--HARVEYS LAKE -- Homeowners concerned about the effect natural gas drilling could have on their water wells should have tests done -- but make sure they're the right kind.

That's what Dr. Thomas Jiunta, co-founder of the Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition, said to about 75 residents who attended a meeting at Our Lady of Victory Church in the borough Thursday.

Two natural gas companies are planning exploratory wells in neighboring townships. Encana Oil & Gas USA Inc. is preparing a well pad on Zosh Road in Lake Township about 1.5 miles from Harveys Lake, and Carrizo Marcellus LLC is planning its wells on property owned by the Sordoni family that is about 2.5 to 3 miles from the lake.

The water testing should be done before drilling starts, Jiunta told resident John Halbing when asked whether there was a recommended test time.

Baseline testing costs about $800 to $1,000, Jiunta said. Asked if there is a group rate, Harveys Lake Environmental Advisory Committee member Mike Daley said the organization is offering water testing at a reduced rate through Wilkes University's Center for Environmental Quality.

But Jiunta pointed out the tests the Environmental Advisory Committee is offering aren't sufficient. To hold up in court, baseline testing must be done by a state-certified facility, and water samples have to have a chain of custody, which includes the collection and delivery of the samples by an independent third party.

Jiunta recommended the services of either Independent Water Testing, which is owned by Andy Goldberg and based in Clarks Summit, or Tunkhannock-area geologist George Turner.

The Environmental Advisory Committee will offer the Wilkes tests each year for residents to check up on their water, according to Daley.

Additionally, a meter to test water for total dissolved solids -- substances including salts, metals and minerals -- can be purchased for about $50 and used after the initial baseline test to monitor the water, Jiunta said.

Before and during his presentation, Jiunta stressed that the Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition is not judging people who have signed natural gas leases.

"We have nothing against people who have leased their land," he said. "All I care about is clean air, clean water and the safety of the public."

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