When will America get serious?
9876Geno
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 20, 2011
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A blowout at a natural gas well in rural
northern Pennsylvania spilled thousands of gallons of chemical-laced
water on Wednesday, contaminating a stream and forcing the evacuation
of seven families who live nearby as crews struggled to stop the
gusher.
Related
Drilling Down (Series Examining Natural Gas Drilling).
Drilling Down: Regulation Lax as Gas Wells’ Tainted Water Hits Rivers
(February 27, 2011)
The Chesapeake Energy Corporation lost control of the well site near
Canton, in Bradford County, around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday, officials said.
Tainted water continued to flow Wednesday afternoon, though workers
finally managed to prevent any more of it from reaching the stream.
No injuries were reported, and there was no explosion or fire.
Chesapeake said a piece of equipment failed late Tuesday while the
well was being hydraulically fractured, or fracked. In the fracking
process, millions of gallons of water, along with chemical additives
and sand, are injected at high pressure down the well bore to break up
the shale and release the gas.
State environmental regulators were taking water samples from the
tributary of Towanda Creek, which is stocked with trout.
The blowout comes amid a natural gas drilling boom in the Marcellus
Shale formation.
Don
Geno,
They have suspended operations until they can determine the reason for
the accident. It was on the radio less than 15 minutes ago. It was
about 12:10PM our time.
Don
9876Geno
>
> - Show quoted text -
It's about time that America got serious, that means the Politicians
also.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Environmental Dangers of Hydro-Fracturing the Marcellus Shale
by Robert Myers (Lock Haven University)
Over the past three years, I have watched the hydro-fracturing
industry rapidly expand into central Pennsylvania, and I have been
disturbed by the consequences. The state forests, where generations
of Pennsylvanians have hunted, fished, and hiked, have been defaced by
a growing network of well pads. But even more disturbing are the
effects that we can't see. Unknown chemicals are being pumped
thousands of feet underground. The extreme pressures involved in the
hydro-fracturing process are forcing methane gas into people's homes
and into their water supplies. Thousands of gallons of chemicals have
been spilled in our forests and streams. It's clear to me that hydro-
fracturing is the single biggest environmental threat to Pennsylvania
that this generation faces.
I should say up front that I am not a scientist, nor am I an expert on
this issue. What I've done here is try to sort through conflicting
claims in order to present objectively the facts on the effects of
hydro-fracturing. I welcome any corrections or comments on this page
(email me at rmy...@lhup.edu). I have spoken on this issue to
several groups (including the National Association of Regulatory
Utility Commissioner's National Conference, the Penn State Marcellus
Shale Law Symposium, and the Sustainable Energy Fund Green Bag Lunch
Series) and would be glad to speak to other groups.
Just Water and Sand
The natural gas industry would like us to believe that the fluid used
in hydro-fracturing is harmless. Energy in Depth (a public relations
shill for the oil and natural gas industry) has prepared "A Fluid
Situation" that shows a "typical solution" used in fracking.
According to this document, fracking solution is 95.51% water and
sand, with only a few harmless chemicals thrown in (for example,
citric acid and table salt). This statement obscures the fact that
this percentage is by weight: the reality is that there are
approximately 20 tons of chemicals added to each million gallons of
water, and the typical frack job involves 4-7 million gallons of water
(Damascus Citizens, "Affirming Gasland" p. 14).
Furthermore, the list of 15 chemicals in "A Fluid Situation" is far
from complete. In June 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection released a list that allegedly contains every
chemical that is used in hydro-fracturing operations (DEP, "Chemicals
Used by Hydraulic Fracturing Companies"). But even if this list is
comprehensive (which some question), the chemicals they do include are
alarming. A few worth mentioning are ethylbenzene, ethylene glycol,
glutaraldehyde, isopropanol, and methanol. According to the Endocrine
Disruption Exchange (TEDX), many of the chemicals on Pennsylvania's
list have been linked to cancer or other health problems (respiratory,
reproductive, brain and nervous system, kidneys, immune system,
gastrointestinal and liver, endocrine, developmental, cardiovascular,
and blood).
Contaminated Water and Exploding Houses
The natural gas industry would insist that none of this is relevant
because the fracking fluid is thousands of feet underground, safely
barricaded from aquifers by cement casings. Energy in Depth's "Frac
versus Fiction" claims that opponents of hydro-fracturing have been
trying to establish "a credible (and growing) track record of danger.
Unfortunately for them, in hydraulic fracturing they're running up
against a technology that in 60 years of service has yet to be
credibly tied to the contamination of drinking water."
Unfortunately, this just isn't true. There have been many incidents
of water contamination and even buildings exploding because of natural
gas hydro-fracturing operations. The most common problem is methane
migration due to defective casing. According to the Pittsburgh
Geological Society's article "Natural Gas Migration Problems in
Western Pennsylvania" methane migration occurs when natural gas
escapes "from the reservoir rock, coal seam, pipeline, gas well, or
landfill. If the gas migrates through the bedrock and soil, it can
result in an explosion capable of damaging property and causing loss
of life."
In April 2004 the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC)
fined Encana Oil and Gas a record $371,200 for contaminating water
supplies in West Divide Creek, Colorado. COGCC found methane,
benzene, toluene, and m,p xylenes in wells, and blamed Encana for
"inadequate cementing of the well," which "resulted in a loss of well
control" (COGGC, "West Divide Creek Gas Seep" (4/14/04), COGCC,
"Notice of Hearing" [8/04]).
In December 2007 the basement of a home in Bainbridge Township, Ohio
exploded. Fortunately, the owners, Richard and Thelma Payne, who were
asleep upstairs, were not injured. Subsequently, 19 area homes were
evacuated because of natural gas. The Report by the Ohio Department
of Natural Resources (9/1/08) concluded that the explosion and
contamination was caused by "inadequate cementing of the production
casing" by the drilling company, Ohio Valley Energy Systems, which led
to migration of natural gas into natural fractures in the bedrock
below the drilling casing.
In February 2009 Cabot Oil & Gas was responsible for methane
contamination of nine water wells in Dimock, Pennsylvania. Methane
built up in the well of Norma Fiorentio and when the pump switched on,
it blew up the concrete foundation of the well house (PA DEP "Notice
of Violation" [2/27/09]). The Pennsylvania DEP has blamed the
problems on "defective casing and cementing" (DEP, "DEP Reaches
Agreement" [11/04/09]). On April 15, 2010 the DEP fined Cabot
$240,000 for violating the November agreement and suspended their
drilling operations in PA until they resolve the Dimock contamination
(DEP, "DEP Takes Aggressive Action" [4/15/10]). Recently, the DEP and
Cabot came to a settlement, whereby Cabot will pay $4.1 million to the
residents of Dimock and $500,000 to the state to offset the costs
associated with investigating this incident. This settlement does not
affect the federal lawsuits that the residents of Dimock have filed,
but some residents believe that Cabot is trying to use it to scuttle
the lawsuit (DEP, "Dimock Residents" [12/16/10], dailyreview.com
"Dimock Residents" [12/18/10]).
In July 2009, the Pennsylvania DEP investigated complaints of water
contamination in Roaring Branch, Lycoming County. Four homes were
provided with drinking water, 18 were tested, and one home was
evacuated after residents complained that two nearby creeks were
bubbling with methane gas. The DEP eventually issued a Notice of
Violation to East Resources for "excessive casing seat pressure" (DEP,
"2009 Marcellus Violations--violation #569930"; Wayne Independent,
"Methane Contamination Linked to Drill Site" [7/30/09]; ProPublica,
"More Gas Contamination Affects Pennsylvania Residents" [8/04/09]).
Despite these incidents, industry representatives continue to insist
that hydro-fracturing has never been linked to water contamination or
exploding buildings. Energy in Depth's "Frac versus Fiction"
concludes about the Bainbridge incident, "Allegations suggesting the
Bainbridge incident was caused by hydraulic fracturing are simply not
supported by either the facts on the ground or DMRM's report.
Instead, this incident was the direct result of several poor decisions
made by the operator." The industry's attempt to blame "operator
error" rather than hydro-fracturing, is like arguing that drunk
driving itself isn't dangerous--the accidents associated with drunk
driving are due to operator error. As the record above indicates,
operator failure in hydro-fracturing operations is an increasingly
common occurrence.
Another obfuscation by the industry is to separate "hydro-fracturing"
from the drilling process. Since the demonstrated cases of
contamination have been from faulty casings, rather than the stage
when high pressure is used to fracture the rock, they can claim that
"hydro-fracturing" is not to blame. But of course this distinction is
absurd unless there is a way to get the pipes underground without
drilling.
The industry also claims that tests have shown that the methane in the
water in places like Dimock was biogenic methane, produced near the
surface by decaying organic matter, not thermogenic methane from deep
layers such as the Marcellus. They point out that there have been
incidents of burning faucets in Dimock even before the gas industry
began drilling. But once again, this is a distortion of the truth.
The initial tests at Dimock "fingerprinted" the problem as biogenic
methane. And there's no question that biogenic methane has been a
problem in that area for years. But the issue isn't what kind of
methane--the real question is how did it get in people's water
supplies? A report prepared for the natural gas industry by Reservoir
Research, points out that methane migration can occur from either gas
or water well drilling. That report notes, "occasionally, a cement
job has an incomplete bond with the walls of the well, and that can be
big trouble, because contaminants can then leak into water
supplies" (Reservoir Research "Frac Attack," p. 11). At Dimock, the
DEP concluded that the faulty casings allowed the well pressure to
push existing biogenic methane into aquifers. Furthermore, subsequent
tests at Dimock have fingerprinted the gas as thermogenic, from the
Devonian formation, where the hydro-fracturing is taking place
(Damascus Citizens, "Affirming Gasland," p. 8-11).
And methane migration isn't the only problem caused by hydro-
fracturing. To me, the most serious problem--and the one that is
impossible to regulate--has been the series of spills and accidents
that have spewed chemicals into our streams and forests.
The Pennsylvania Natural Gas Industry Wall of Shame
On February 2, 2009 Cabot spilled 100 gallons of diesel fuel at
Dimock, PA (DEP, "2009 Marcellus Violations--violation #575007";
iStockAnalyist, "Trucking Firm Ordered" [2/24/09]).
In May 2009 a leaking waste water pipe from a Range Resources gas well
polluted a tributary of Cross Creek Lake in Washington County, PA.
The spill killed fish, salamanders, crayfish, and aquatic insects
(Pittsburgh Post Gazette "Waste from Marcellus" [6/05/09]; DEP, "2009
Marcellus Violations--violation #564165"; Range Resouces Report).
On October 22, 2009, PA DEP fined Cabot $56,650 for three separate
spills of a water/liquid gel mixture into Stevens Creek and a wetland
near Dimock, PA. The spills totaled 8,000 gallons (DEP, "DEP Fines
Cabot" [10/22/09]; DEP "2009 Marcellus Violations--violations #572252,
572258").
On January 20, 2010 the Pennsylvania DEP fined M.R. Dirt $6000 for
spilling 7 tons of "gaswell drilling wastewater sludge" in Avis, PA.
The dump truck driver drove away even though he saw the spill (DEP
"DEP Fines M.R. Dirt" [1/20/10]).
On February 1, 2010 the Pennsylvania DEP fined Fortuna Energy $3500
for various infractions at a Bradford County site, including the
discharge of fracking fluid into a tributary of Sugar Creek (DEP, "DEP
Fines Fortuna" [2/1/10]; DEP "2009 Marcellus Violations--violations
#565284-87, 564580-88, 569257-61").
On March 15, 2010, a foamy substance, was detected running into Pine
Creek, near Waterville. The DEP has determined that the substance was
Airfoam HD, a chemical used in the drilling process. The substance
came from a drilling site run by Pennsylvania General Energy. Almost
a year later, the DEP fined the company $28, 960 (DEP, "DEP Fines";
"2010 Marcellus Violations--violations #583315-38").
On March 26th, 2010, Anadarko Petroleum spilled 8,000 to 12,000
gallons of synthetic-based mud at a drilling site in the Sproul State
Forest in Clinton County (DEP, "2010 Marcellus Violations--violations
#583988, 584932, 584934"; LH Express, "Drilling Mud" [4/9/10]).
On April 23, 2010, The Pennsylvania DEP fined Stallion Oilfield
Services of Canondale, PA $6,500 for operating an illegal fracking
water transfer station. Inspectors found a 450 square foot area where
fracking water had spilled onto the ground (DEP, "DEP Fines
Stallion" [4/23/10]).
On May 13, 2010, PA DEP fined Rex Energy of State College, PA $45,000
for various environmental violations at its Clearfield County site
(DEP, "DEP Fines Rex" [5/13/10]; DEP, "2010 Marcellus Violations--
violations #595298-99, 583061").
On May 14, 1010, PA DEP fined Range Resources $141,175 for spilling
250 barrels of fracking fluid into a high-quality waterway in
Washington County in October 2009. Range failed to report the spill
immediately (DEP, "DEP Penalizes Range" [5/14/10]; DEP "2009 Marcellus
Violations--violations #573283-4, 574350").
On June 15, 2010, Anadarko Petroleum discharged 150 gallons of
hydraulic fluid onto the ground at a drilling site in Centre County
(DEP, "2010 Marcellus Violations--violations #589566, 589952")
On June 3, 2010, a gas well that was being fracked by EOG Resources in
Clearfield County experienced a blowout and raged out of control for
16 hours, shooting fracking fluid and gas 75 feet into the air. EOG,
whose spokesperson insisted that protecting the environment is of
"utmost importance" to the company, waited five hours before
contacting the Department of Environmental Protection (Centre Daily
Times, "Gas Spews" [6/4/10]). The PA DEP has determined that the
accident was caused by "untrained personnel and the failure to use
proper well control procedures," and they fined EOG and its contractor
C.C. Forbes $400,000 (DEP, "Independent Report" [7/13/10] DEP, "2010
Marcellus Violations--violations #589126-31, 589901-02").
On July 1, 2010, the PA Department of Agriculture quarantined 28 cows
after they came into contact with drilling wastewater from a leaking
containment pond that was part of a drilling site operated by East
Resources in Tioga County (DEP, "Cattle from Tioga County" [7/1/10];
DEP, "2010 Marcellus Violations--violations #588949-50").
On August 2, 2010, the DEP fined Talisman Energy USA $15,506 for
spilling 4,200-6,300 gallons of used fracking fluid into an unnamed
tributary of the Tioga River in Bradford County (DEP, "DEP Fines
Talisman" [8/2/10]; DEP "2009 Marcellus Violations--violations
#5777167, 577585-87").
On August 17, 2010, the DEP fined Atlas Resources $97,350 for allowing
used fracking fluid to overflow a waste water pit and contaminate a
tributary of Dunkle Run, a high quality watershed in Washington
County. Atlas failed to report the spill to DEP (DEP, "DEP Fines
Atlas" [8/17/10]; DEP "2009 Marcellus Violations--violations
#577286-92").
In September 2010, the DEP began investigating the source of stray
methane gas that was detected bubbling from the Susquehanna River and
in six private water wells in Bradford County. The DEP believes that
nearby wells drilled by Chesapeake Energy are the source of the
problem (DEP, "DEP Investigating" [9/07/10]).
On October 7, 2010, the DEP fined Seneca Resources $40,000 for
building an illegal impoundment on exceptional value wetlands in Tioga
County (DEP, "DEP Fines Seneca" [10/7/10]).
On October 25-27, 2010, the Pennsylvania State Police inspected 1175
fracking wastewater trucks as part of Operation FracNet. They issued
1057 traffic citations, and removed 207 trucks and 52 drivers from
service due to safety violations. Earlier FracNets yielded similar
results: in September 959 citations were issued, and 208 trucks and 64
drivers were removed; in June 669 citations were issued, and 250
trucks and 45 drivers were removed (PA State Police, "Latest Operation
FracNet" [11/09/10]; "State Police Place" [10/6/10]; "State
Enforcement Blitz" [6/23/10]).
The Pennsylvania Land Trust (PLT) has reported that according to DEP
records, PA natural gas drillers have amassed 1614 violations between
January 2008 and August 2010. The PLT deemed 1056 of these violations
as "most likely to harm the environment." That averages out to 80
violations/month, and 52 serious violations/month. (ConserveLand.org,
"Marcellus Shale Drillers" [9/1/10]). DEP has recently made it easier
to access their records so that we now can see all of the industry's
violations (DEP, "Marcellus Infractions").
On November 22, 2010, the DEP announced that it was investigating a
large spill of hydraulic fracturing fluid at a site run by XTO
Energy. The spill has been estimated to be 4,275 gallons, which
contaminated a unnamed tributary of Sugar Run, a spring, and two
private wells. A DEP investigator discovered an open valve that was
discharging the fluid from an unattended tank. (DEP, "DEP
Investigating" [11/22/10], Williamsport Sun Gazette, "Cleanup
Continues" [12/15/10]).
On January 6, 2011, the DEP fined Talisman Energy $24,608 for a "large
diesel fuel spill" in Bradford County (DEP "DEP Fines
Talisman" [1/6/11]).
On January 7, 2011, the DEP fined Chief Oil & Gas $34,000 for
illegally discharging 25,200 gallons of hydrostatic testing water at a
pipeline project in Lycoming County. Chief also allowed "an unknown
industrial waste" to mix with the water before it was discharged (DEP,
"Chief Oil and Gas" [1/7/11]).
On January 10, 2011, Minuteman Environmental Services was fined $7000
for illegally dumping and storing natural gas drill cutting waste at
two sites in Clinton and Union counties (DEP, "DEP
Announced" [1/10/11]).
On January 17, 2011, a well operated by Talisman Energy blew out and
for several hours discharged sand and fracking fluid into state forest
lands in Tioga County (timestribune.com, "Talisman Cited" [1/26/11]).
On January 29, 2011, a truck carrying used fracking fluid from a well
operated by Anadarko Petroleum, rolled off the road and spilled "a
small amount" of fracking fluid above the headwaters of the South
Renovo water supply in Clinton County (LH Express, "Frac Water
Truck" [2/1/11]).
Supporters of the gas industry often claim that we have nothing to
fear from the big, reputable companies. But, the incidents listed
above were caused by Cabot, Range Resources, Anadarko, Chesapeake,
East Resources, Talisman, Fortuna. Who's left?
Studying the Studies
The natural gas industry often cites studies that affirm that hydro-
fracturing is safe (Energy in Depth "Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids").
However, closer analysis reveals that these studies have been tainted
by the industry.
The Environmental Protection Agency's 2004 report concluded that hydro-
fracturing "poses little or no threat to drinking
water" ("Conclusions" p. 7-5). However, the report did recognize that
"natural fractures, and poorly constructed, sealed, or cemented wells
used for various purposes, may provide conduits for methane to move
into shallow geologic strata and water wells, or even to surface
water" ("Conclusions" p. 7-2). Even more troubling are allegations
that the report was heavily influenced by the natural gas industry
(Earthworks, "Inadequate Regulation"). Weston Wilson, an
environmental engineer who worked for EPA, has claimed that "EPA's
conclusions are unsupportable. EPA has conducted limited research
reaching the unsupported conclusion that this industry practice needs
no further study at this time. EPA decisions were supported by a Peer
Review Panel; however five of the seven members of this panel appear
to have conflicts-of-interest and may benefit from EPA's decision not
to conduct further investigation or impose regulatory
conditions" (Earthworks "Letter from EPA Fracking Study
Whistleblower" [10/08/04]). In March of 2010, the EPA announced that
it will be conducting a new study on the effects of hydro-fracturing
(EPA, "EPA Initiates" [3/18/10])
Even more compromised is the April 2009 report of the Groundwater
Protection Council. Their report concludes, "Hydraulic fracturing has
been a key technology in making shale gas an affordable addition to
the Nation's energy supply, and the technology has proven to be a safe
and effective stimulation technique" (GPC, "Modern Shale Gas" p. 76).
However, they are far from objective. The organization's original
purpose was "to develop a strong public outreach/education program to
inform the public about the safety of the national [Underground
Injection Control] program and to develop information that could be
used by the states to enhance this effort" ("Organizational
Description"). In other words, they are organized to promote hydro-
fracturing. As a nonprofit 501, the GPC has also been busy with
lobbying efforts, spending between $10-60 thousand per year since 1998
(Open Secrets, "GPC").
And finally, there is "An Emerging Giant," a study from Penn State
that touts the economic benefits of hydro-fracturing. The study was
funded by the Marcellus Shale Gas Committee, a group of natural gas
companies. Some versions of the study, including the one available on
the PA Marcellus website, fail to mention the funding source. See the
Responsible Drilling Alliance's "Lies and Broken Promises" for an
excellent analysis of the problems with this study.
You might recall the studies financed by the tobacco industry that
claimed that cigarette smoking was not harmful.
Recently, the gas companies have been savagely attacking Calvin
Tillman, the mayor of Dish, TX, who has been outspoken in his
criticism of the industry. They often cite reports that allegedly
clear the industry of any wrongdoing. However, the concluding
paragraph of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality report
reads: "Although the results are complex, it is clear that gas
production facilities can, and in some cases do, emit contaminants in
amounts that could be deemed unsafe for life-time (70 years) or long-
term exposure. However, at only two monitoring sites were benzene
levels found that would trigger immediate actions to reduce
emissions" (TCEQ Report). Nineteen other sites of the 94 studied
showed higher than normal benzine, and demanded further monitoring.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) found that a
number of volatile organic compounds were detected in some of the 28
blood samples that were collected. However, the DSHS report refused
to link them to the gas drilling industry because the compounds could
be attributed to other causes, such as smoking (DSHS Report). On Mr.
Tillman's website he carefully details the problems with DSHS study.
I Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself
Allow me to conclude with a summary of the risks of hydro-fracturing
by someone who should know. In May 2006, Range Resources Corporation,
the biggest hydro-fracturing company in Pennsylvania, provided the SEC
with a prospectus. In a surprisingly forthright moment, Range
Resources explained to potential investors the risks of hydro-
fracturing: "Our business is subject to operating hazards and
environmental regulations that could result in substantial losses or
liabilities. Oil and natural gas operations are subject to many
risks, including well blowouts, craterings, explosions, uncontrollable
flows of oil, natural gas or well fluids, fires, formations with
abnormal pressures, pipeline ruptures or spills, pollution, releases
of toxic natural gas and other environmental hazards and risks. If any
of these hazards occur, we could sustain substantial losses as a
result of:
Injury or loss of life;
Severe damage to our destruction of property, natural resources and
equipment;
Pollution or other environmental damage;
Clean-up responsibilities;
Regulatory investigations and penalties; or
Suspension of operations.
As we begin drilling to deeper horizons and in more geologically
complex areas, we could experience a greater increase in operating and
financial risks due to inherent higher reservoir pressures and unknown
downhole risk exposures" (Range Resources "Prospectus" p. S-13
[5/18/06]).
What Can You Do?
If you are convinced that the drilling in the Marcellus Shale is
indeed a major threat to the environment of central Pennsylvania,
please contact your elected officials and express your support for
increased protection of our state's resources. I think that hunting
and fishing groups would be an especially powerful voice in this
debate. Actions that lawmakers might take include the following:
Ban any additional hydro-fracturing on state forest land. In 2008 the
Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources opened up
75,000 acres of the state forest to natural gas drilling (DCNR "DCNR
Issues Balance Approach" [4/01/08]). As part of the 2009-10 budget,
32,000 acres of the state forest were leased, generating $128 million,
twice what was expected (DCNR, "Results of FY09-10 Lease"). In May,
2010, the House passed House Bill 2235 (introduced by Rep. Greg
Vitali) that imposes a 3-year moratorium on additional leasing
(PennLive, "Moratorium"). Not surprisingly, the Republican-controlled
Senate has not acted on the bill. This would be a good time to write
your senators and tell them that you support this bill. Pennsylvania
hunters, anglers, and environmentalists need to become politically
active and vote out those legislators who have demonstrated their
opposition to the preservation and protection of the woods and waters
of our state. Unfortunately, we have just elected a governor, Tom
Corbett, who has vowed to lift the moratorium that the current
governor, Ed Rendell imposed in the final two months of his term.
Impose a severance tax on natural-gas extraction. I am less excited
by this measure because it implies that as long as we can profit from
hydro-fracturing, it's acceptable for it to continue. Nevertheless,
it would provide some funds to repair the damage to the infrastructure
caused by the natural gas industry (PA Budget & Policy Center
"Severance Tax" [5/27/09]), and it represents an alternative to a
massive increase in state forest leases.
To contact your elected officials, use the links below (if you are
uncertain who your state legislators are, go to the Find Your
Legislator Page):
PA Governor-elect Tom Corbett: The new Governor received $835,720 from
the gas industry during his campaign. During the campaign he made it
clear that he is opposed to any severance tax and he does not support
a moratorium on drilling in the state forest (Tom Corbett for
Governor, "FAQ").
U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.'s Contact Page: Sen. Casey is a co-
sponsor of the FRAC-ACT.
U.S. Congressman Glenn Thompson's Contact Page: Rep. Thompson has
emerged as a spokesperson for the industry, and he opposes the FRAC-
ACT (see editorial in Lock Haven Express 8/16/09). For his 2010
campaign, Rep. Thompson received $49,072 from the oil and natural gas
industry (Open Secrets).
State Representative (#76th) Mike Hanna's Contact Page: Rep. Hanna has
said that "we firmly believe that we should move forward with
extraction of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale, but that we move
cautiously." He supports the severance tax ("Working to Protect
Pennsylvanians" [7/16/09]), and is co-sponsor of HB2235, which calls
for a 3-year moratorium on drilling in the PA state forest.
State Representative (#84th) Garth Everett's Email: In 2009
Representative Everett defended his support of additional drilling in
the state forest: "I think some people get confused between (the
words) 'state forest land' and 'state park.' There is just miles and
miles and miles of state forest land that nobody sees. You can't get
to it right now. There is a humongous amount of state land in
Pennsylvania that can be developed responsibly and I think it should
be" (LH Express "Groups Disapprove" [9/14/09]). Recently, however,
Rep. Everett was one of only two Republicans on the House Energy
Committee to support HB 2235 (Centre Daily Times,
"Forester" [3/29/10]). In 2008, Rep. Everett received $500 from
Anadarko Petroleum (Follow the Money).
State Senator (#23rd) Eugene Yaw's Contact Page: Senator Yaw recently
defended his support of additional drilling in the state forest: "Once
drilling is completed, those sites are reclaimed. The ones I've seen
are grass" (LH Express "Groups Disapprove" [9/14/09]). In 2008, Sen.
Yaw received $1000 from Anadarko Petroleum (Follow the Money).
State Senator (34th) Jake Corman's Contact Page: Sen. Corman has
steadfastly opposed a severance tax (LH Express, "Severance
Tax" [4/10/10]).
State Senator (21st) Mary Jo White's Contact Page: A former oil
industry employee, Sen. White has emerged as one of the leading
spokespersons for the natural gas industry. She has objected to DEP
over-regulation ("State Seen"), and in February she called for
additional leasing in the state forest (PA Rep News). In 2008 she
received $2500 from the oil and gas industry (Followthemoney).
State Senator (#35th) John N. Wozniak's Email: Senator Wozniak has
yet to determine his position on the most important environmental
issue of the day (LH Express, "Wozniak Undecided" [5/12/10]).
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Email.
For More Information on Hydro-fracturing:
Aerial Photographs of Marcellus Shale Drilling in the Pennsylvania
State Forest. Photgraphs by Dick Martin of www.PAForestCoalition.org.
If you haven't joined the PAForestCoalition, please do so--Mr. Martin
does an outstanding job of keeping the members informed of issues
affecting hunters, anglers, and hikers.
un-naturalgas.org: An excellent overview that is a project of CDOG -
Chenango Delaware Otsego Gas Drilling Opposition Group.
EARTHWORKS--Hydraulic Fracturing of Oil and Gas Wells: EARTHWORKS is a
non-profit organization dedicated to protecting communities and the
environment from the destructive impacts of mineral development, in
the U.S. and worldwide. This site offers much useful information
about the threats to water quality and the inadequate regulation of
hydraulic fracturing. Especially useful is their free publication,
Oil & Gas at Your Door? A Landowner's Guide to Oil and Gas
Development.
The Responsible Drilling Alliance: An all-volunteer, non-profit
organization devoted to understanding the issues raised by gas
drilling in the Marcellus shale. RDA advocates for best management
practices and regulations needed to protect health, environment, and
preserve our wonderful rural way of life.
Marcellus-Shale.us: This site is "dedicated to providing photos,
facts, opinions, stories and news about the Marcellus Shale gas play
that you won't see other places. You'll find extensive photos of gas
drilling sites, pipeline construction, well sites and compressor
stations." The pictures of spills are especially important.
Damascus Citizens for Sustainability: A grassroots organization that
has been in the forefront of recognizing and protesting against the
hazards of oil/gas drilling in the upper Delaware River valley.
According to the site, "Overwhelming evidence and much science now
exists that the type of gas drilling proposed for this region - made
possible by total federal deregulation--is a danger to the public
health, causes contaminated drinking water, carcinogens in the
farmland and food chain, torn-up roads, air pollution, plummeting home
values, and noise pollution."
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection--Marcellus Shale:
A collection of links to FAQs, maps, industry resources, and agency
contacts.
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission--Marcellus Projects: In
addition to information on regulations, and presentations by the SRBC
on Marcellus drilling, this site includes a list of approved requests
by the gas companies for consumptive water use (in millions of gallons/
day).
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources--
Marcellus FAQs: A few FAQs on the Marcellus. See also DCNR--Oil & Gas
on State Forest Lands, which contains their position statements on why
they have allowed drilling on state forest lands.
The Pennsylvania Chapter of the Sierra Club: The SC's position on
natural gas is as follows: "When compared to oil, natural gas may be
cleaner and more accessible, but the extraction of natural gas causes
many of the same problems as the extraction of any other fossil fuel.
The Sierra Club supports natural gas that is extracted in an
environmentally acceptable fashion, but in Pennsylvania, the
extraction and delivery of natural gas produces a number of
environmentally unacceptable side effects, many of which affect public
lands and may simply prolong our expensive and destructive dependence
on fossil fuels."
Trout Unlimited: TU's mission is "to conserve, protect and restore
North America's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds." The Winter
2009 issue of Trout features the article "Fractured Landscape," by
Morgan Lyle, which notes that "Trout Unlimited is working at the state
and national level to help assure that valuable trout resources in the
Northeast are protected from the Marcellus Shale Development."
Penn State Cooperative Extension--Natural Gas Impacts: An excellent
site with much useful information for landowners, local government,
businesses, and the general public.
Green Party of Pennsylvania Position Paper on the Marcellus Shale: The
Green Party of Pennsylvania "believes that despite the apparent short-
term economic benefits, Marcellus Shale gas drilling will have a net
negative economic and environmental impact for Pennsylvania."
Energy Justice Network--Natural Gas Health and Environmental Hazards:
"Natural gas is a fossil fuel that is often promoted as "cleaner" than
coal, but which has its own serious environmental hazards."
Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition: " The Gas Drilling Awareness
Coalition, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to informing
the citizens of Luzerne County about natural gas drilling."
My letter to the editor "My Range Resources" with documentation.
My letter to the editor "The Myth of Responsible Drilling (Anadarko's
Record)" with documentation.
Last updated by Robert Myers on 03/21/2011