Posts Tagged ‘County Citizens for Clean Water’

By Steve Mocarskysmocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

As energy companies and lease holders extol the benefits and safety of natural gas drilling in the state, and environmentalists and people who live near drilling operations point to chemical spills, water pollution and noise, a congressman last week called for an effort from opposing sides in the energy debate to work together for compromise.

U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Delaware County, who is running for the U.S. Senate, came to The Peace and Justice Center in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday to host a forum on Marcellus Shale development.

Panelists included James Shallenberger, a Pennsylvania-licensed geologist and senior project manager at consulting firm Princeton Hydro who spoke on behalf of the gas drilling industry; David T. Messersmith, an extension educator with Penn State Cooperative Extension in Wayne County who is an expert on Marcellus Shale; and Dr. Thomas Jiunta, a Lehman Township resident with a podiatry practice in Kingston who founded Luzerne County Citizens for Clean Water.

“There was a lot of passion in that room. … One side is saying one thing, one side is saying another. I want to be a person who brings people together for a principal compromise, not a compromise of principles,” Sestak said last week in a phone interview.

“I personally believe this is a great economic opportunity for our state, particularly if we are able to benefit by a proper excise tax and if we put the proper protections in place,” Sestak said.

Sestak also said a priority should be enabling community and area colleges to train people for gas industry jobs to ensure Pennsylvanians are getting jobs associated with the drilling industry, rather than leaving energy companies with no choice but to hire experienced people from out-of-state.

Sestak said he learned much about the economic benefits as well as the environmental problems associated with natural gas exploration when he visited several counties in which Marcellus Shale drilling has been ongoing while he was on the campaign trail.

He noted that former Sen. Rick Santorum and Sen. Arlen Specter voted for “the Halliburton Loophole,” which exempts the gas and oil industry from complying with the Safe Water Drinking Act. And he said he supports the “FRAC Act” – Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, which would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to include the gas and oil industry.

Steve Mocarsky, a Times leader staff writer, may be reached at 970-7311.

Copyright: Times Leader

By Jen Marckinijmarckini@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

KINGSTON TWP. – A representative of Shaleshock Action Alliance spoke about issues of drilling into the Marcellus Shale at a public meeting on Friday.

The meeting, sponsored by the newly formed group, Luzerne County Citizens for Clean Water, featured a presentation by Andrew Byers, of Ithaca, N.Y.

Gas companies have leased thousands of acres from Benton to Dallas and plan on drilling by “hydro-fracturing,” a high-pressure pumping process that could have detrimental environmental and economic impacts, Byers said.

An estimated 2 million to 9 million gallons of water mixed with chemicals is used per well in fracking, Byers said. Sixty-five of the chemicals are classified as hazardous waste – many causing cancer or birth defects, he said.

According to Byers, products used in natural gas production in Colorado had adverse health effects, including endocrine disruptors.

“This is not waste water,” he said. “This is low-level radioactive fluid.”

Property values have shown to plummet after gas drilling, Byers said, adding that each fracking requires 550 to 2,500 tanker truck trips, which could result in road damage.

In 2005 the gas and oil industry became exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act. They are not required to comply with federal or local laws.

“We have an industry that is unregulated on a federal level,” Byers said.

About a dozen people are active in the grassroots group that wants to protect its communities, said Audrey Simpson, a member.

A petition to say no to polluted water and unrestricted natural gas drilling in the county was distributed at the evening meeting, which was held at Kingston Township Municipal Building, Shavertown.

The petition asks state legislators to modify state laws to allow restrictions on drilling in populated areas.

State Rep. Phyllis Mundy, who attended the meeting, said she is concerned about the potential harm that could be done as a result of drilling into the Marcellus Shale.

Mundy, D-Kingston, said she and state Rep. Karen Boback, R-Harveys Lake, are working with the chairman of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee in the House on bills that would provide protection such as buffers around waterways.

“I support a Marcellus Shale severance tax that would be dedicated toward any environmental harm or impact that is caused by the drilling,” Mundy said.

Copyright: Times Leader

KINGSTON TWP. – A public meeting to discuss Marcellus shale drilling issues will be held at 7 p.m. today at the Kingston Township Municipal Building at 180 E. Center Street in Shavertown.

The meeting is sponsored by the newly formed group, Luzerne County Citizens for Clean Water, and will feature a presentation by Andrew Byers, a member of the Shaleshock Action Alliance. The lessons learned from other regions provide a valuable starting point for identifying areas in which local leaders and citizens can anticipate and begin planning for potential changes resulting from the development and extraction of Marcellus shale gas, according to the release.

Parking is in the rear of the building and across the street next to the athletic field.

Copyright: Times Leader