Senator Casey Calls for Help Regarding Natural Gas Explosions in Pennsylvania
RDA - Responsible Drilling Alliance
Senator Casey Calls for Help Regarding Natural Gas Explosions in Pennsylvania
Is it really that bad? Ask Senator Robert Casey. On March 28, 2011, Senator Casey wrote a letter to Dr. Steven Chu, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, voicing concern over the increasing number of home explosions caused by natural gas and the increasing number of contaminated wells. He cited the widespread belief that the source of the explosions is related to gas migration caused by extensive drilling. The lack of reliable data on old gas wells and the deterioration of old well casings may also have contributed to the explosions. The homes affected had well water contamination and Schreiner Oil, the company involved, was ordered by the PA DEP to restore water and has been providing bottled water to the impacted neighborhood. Senator Casey notes this “appears to be more than coincidence”. PA DEP Secretary, Michael Krancer, and Lisa Jackson, US EPA Administrator, were copied on the letter.
To see the full text, go to: http://casey.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=c7091fea-fc47-42bc-90ea-d35e886e53df
Surrendering Pennsylvania’s Beauty for Money
by Ralph Kisberg, RDA President
Living where shale gas drilling is underway, one can’t help but notice how polarizing the development is within communities, sometimes between neighbors, even within families. It all sounds so good on paper--clean, domestic, abundant, “America’s natural gas”, goes the PR tale. Certainly this works for the media, for the politicians, and for the business community, all of whom seem to see it as a panacea for many of our ills. To most large landowners, the potential for unearned riches is irresistible. Property rights have been acquired by the industry, and our governor has declared Pennsylvania open for business--meaning the gas business.
In Williamsport, evidence of the industry’s presence is everywhere: hotel expansions, rising rents, new restaurants, increased traffic, out-of-state plates and, the most telling sign, new barbeque joints. Many people are either cautiously optimistic or highly skeptical about what is going on. For those with capital and entrepreneurial skills, it seems as though a miracle has arrived; for those who thought they chose to make their lives on a small piece of land in a quiet country setting, it can be a living nightmare. There is a general feeling that nothing can be done about it, although a handful are trying to at least strive for better outcomes.
In the northern tier counties of Lycoming, Sullivan, and Bradford, one can see an increase in the polarization as you get farther away from the urban center of Williamsport and the Susquehanna River Valley and travel into the smaller boroughs and villages which are closer to where the actual drilling, pipeline, and compressor station development is taking place.
What has happened to the place we chose for our wonderful, peaceful home? When did money and out-of-control growth become our neighbor’s primary values? Why are we surrendering so much beauty for so much ugliness? Why didn’t we have a choice in the matter?
DEP Adds Layers of Bureaucracy to Directly Benefit the Gas Industry
Pennsylvania's DEP Secretary, Michael Krancer, has put forth another directive to benefit the gas industry. DEP inspectors in Pennsylvania have been ordered to obtain prior approval from the DEP's Executive Deputy Director, John Hines, with final clearance from the DEP Secretary, Michael Krancer, BEFORE they issue any violations to Marcellus Shale Gas drilling companies.
DEP currently issues hundreds of Marcellus-related violations every month. These additional layers of bureaucracy will only slow the process down, create a backlog of unprocessed violations, and let the gas companies continue with law-violating processes until finally served with their violation.
Kathryn Z. Klaber, President of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, an industry group, believes this directive will add clarity and standardize compliance for the industry. The industry complains about having to meet different standards from county to county. One giant step forward for the industry only means a great leap backward for the residents of Pennsylvania.
John Hanger, former DEP Secretary, "says that DEP inspectors need to have breathing room to do their jobs and that forcing a senior review of their actions will only increase skepticism about their enforcement decisions. 'It will cause the public to lose confidence entirely in the inspection process. The oversight process must be professional and independent,' Hanger said. 'Inserting this level of review means the secretary, if he is going to take this seriously, probably has no time to do anything else. I do not believe this is coming from John Hines,' Hanger continued. 'This is an enormous change in policy and it’s impossible for something like this to be issued without the direction and knowledge of the governor’s office.'"
To read the entire article, "Pennsylvania Limits Authority of Oil and Gas Inspectors" by Abrahm Lustgarten of ProPublica, go to: http://www.propublica.org/article/pennsylvania-limits-authority-of-oil-and-gas-inspectors
Upcoming events
Saturday, April 9, 2011, 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.– the Responsible Drilling Alliance will have an informational booth at The Spring Outdoor Expo, Appalachian Ski & Outdoors, 123 South Allen Street, State College, PA 16801.