The Perils of Partial Testing

Theo Colborn and the TEDX says "Product manufacturers should be required to divulge 100% of the chemicals used in their products in order to allow effective monitoring of air and water quality."   In separate excel spreadsheets they list close to 1,000 chemicals and their health effects that could be used in the process.  The gas industry has attempted to discredit landowners who have been victims of water and air contamination by insinuating that we are saying they use these 1,000 chemicals down each gaswell hole. We are simply stating that these are the chemicals we know are out there; some of which could be down the gas hole. We also believe there are many more chemicals available to gas companies that we may never know about. The problem with testing a contaminated water well without full disclosure is that it is akin to hitting the lottery. To test for the list of nearly a 1,000 chemicals that Dr. Colborn has compiled would be a prohibitive expense for anyone. The only reasonable solution would be full disclosure. This would allow a landowner to test for those specific chemicals placed down gas wells in a five mile radius of their homes.

Partial testing (or just choosing a few chemicals from the list and testing those) is perilous. If the results come out clean, it still does not mean the citizen is safe to consume the water. If fifty items are tested, what are the mathematical chances something else could be in there, especially if we already know that there are close to 1,000 chemicals available to the gas companies to use in fracking, perhaps even more. We know of many cases where agencies or gas companies have offered partial testing to people claiming their water was fouled, and then the agencies/companies did partial testing and declared the water was safe to drink. Later testing done by independent companies would reveal the existence of very toxic chemicals. One woman in Split Estate relied on these declarations of "safe" water and later discovered a very toxic chemical (which was NOT tested for) was in her water and she later developed endocrine tumors. I have spoken to many, many victims with similar stories.   If one decides to do partial testing you might find toxins, so that is a starting point.  WARNING... if you decide to do partial testing and your water comes out clean, know this: it does not mean you are safe.  The only assurance of safety can come from full disclosure and testing for those specific chemicals.

We simply must have full disclosure.  Read this list of chemicals from TEDX and their deleterious health affects and I'm sure you will be convinced.  Another list, plus a reprint of Dr. Colborn's published paper , Natural Gas Operations from a Public Health Perspective is also a must read.