ONGOING TESTING OF GROUNDWATER AND SURFACE WATER CHEMISTRY IN THE VICINITY OF THE ROSS #1 NATURAL GAS WELL, MARYLAND, NEW YORK

Ongoing chemical analysis of the ground and surface water chemistry is currently being conducted in a two-mile radius around the Ross #1 vertical natural gas well in the town of Maryland, Otsego County, New York. The purpose of this testing is to determine, whether any short term, and now longer term effects, have occurred in the surrounding ground and surface waters due to hydraulic fracturing and gas drilling procedures. Hydraulic fracturing of the Utica Shale initially occurred in November of 2009, followed by a second fracturing event in the Marcellus shale, using nitrogen, in October of 2010. Baseline water chemistry was determined prior to drilling of the Ross well. Initial water chemistry results showed no significant short-term changes in ground or surface water compositions within the study area following the first fracturing event. The current study expands the time period over which observations of water chemistry are being made and post-dates the second, nitrogen fracturing event. Seasonal fluctuations have not been studied. Residential wells and surface waters are currently being sampled and analyzed to determine concentrations of major elements, organic and volatile substances, and select trace elements using ICP, ICO MS, GC MS, and Bacharach Cold Vapor Mercury Analyzer methods.