Precipitation Enhancement FAQ
Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District 2019 |
The 2019 Precipitation Enhancement Program will begin on April 1, 2019, and will end approximately September 30, 2019. The program operates during the prime rainfall months, and the current permit for the program will continue through 2020.
How will this program be operated?
The district employs a meteorologist to run the operations from the office in White Deer, and two pilots to operate the airplanes, a 1958 Piper Comanche (red/white) and a 1980 Piper Aztec, which are located at Tradewinds Airport in Amarillo. The current meteorologist is Jennifer Puryear and the current pilots are John Renoir and Aaron Woolsey.
We possess the necessary permits and licenses from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR), and we also have the liability insurance that is required to operate the program.
How will this program be funded?
The program is funded through the district’s regular budget. The 2018 cost for the program was $174,312.434 or about 4 cents per acre for our entire district which is 4,038,000 acres.
What is Precipitation Enhancement?
Precipitation enhancement is an attempt to stimulate clouds to generate more rainfall than they would otherwise through the introduction of seeding agents, such as silver iodide. It is also known as cloud seeding.
Link To Oklahoma Weather Modification__DOCUMENT_Ch15
FACT CHECK:
Link To PubChem – Silver Iodide Toxicity
“The major hazards encountered in the use and handling of silver iodide stem from its toxicologic properties. Toxic by all routes (ie, inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact), exposure to this odorless, light yellow, crystalline substance may occur from its use in seeding clouds for rain-making…
H400 (58.62%): Very toxic to aquatic life [Warning Hazardous to the aquatic environment, acute hazard]
H410 (100%): Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects [Warning Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term hazard]”
Silver iodide may form explosive compounds with sodium, potassium, acetylene, ammonia, and hydrogen peroxide.