“We can, and must, balance this development while protecting our environment.”  This is a quote from Katie Dunlap, director of the Eastern Water Development Project for Trout Unlimited, in a letter she wrote to Governor Corbett.  And “must” in this statement is key, we have one environment, one chance to protect it, there is no room for error or miscalculations.  A decade from now if the drilling companies discover that they should have done things differently, it’s simply too late, our beautiful forests and streams, trout, deer and other wildlife could be lost forever.  The beautiful scenic nature of Western Pennsylvania could only exist in photographs and textbooks for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.  This is a reality with the economic boom of Marcellus Shale, a reality we must take steps to avoid.  We as citizens need to be heard and a plan must be initiated to protect our scenic views, streams and wildlife that are iconic to our area and heritage. 

            From an economic standpoint Marcellus Shale drilling is the white knight, rushing in to save Western Pennsylvania from its lasting economic depression.  That point is easily understood.  The revenue that can be created simply by leasing gas rights of publicly owned land, which is over 2.2 million acres in Pennsylvania, is projected to actually be able to overcome the shortfall in our current budget.  A balanced budget and stimulated economic growth creates tunnel vision for many of our politicians, allowing the drilling companies a window of opportunity.  I, along with most environmentalists and outdoorsmen and women are not opposed to this windfall proposed by the drilling of Marcellus Shale gas, we are however cautiously optimistic that if done correctly could benefit all Pennsylvanians, environment and our wildlife.

            Marcellus Shale is not new, neither is “fracking” or horizontal drilling, these practices have been around for decades.  What is central to our controversy is what impact they have on our environment.  Groups have formed such as Trout Unlimited, Theodore Gordon Flyfishers and Sportsmen Alliance for Marcellus Conservation to create a voice to protect our beautiful natural resources and push for laws to keep the drilling companies in check.  Dunlop states “we all have the same position, which is that we support balanced energy development, but we definitely have concerns about the way drilling and hydraulic fracturing is occurring”.  The problem itself is not drilling but rather the lack of regulations it has to adhere to.  Some major concerns addressed by The Sportsmen Alliance for Marcellus Conservation  are inconsistencies of regulations state by state, inadequate inspections and monitoring practices, and drilling rules that are in place are not being enforced. Another interesting fact that the drilling companies would prefer the public remained unaware of is, that to date there are no wastewater treatment facilities for the water used during the fracking process.  Treatment facilities to treat large volumes of wastewater simply do not exist.  The drilling companies are working on new ways to recycle this water but are far from a solution at this point.  The more drilling permits issued, the more wastewater produced by fracking, so what is the safe alternative to dispose of these contaminates?  That question is a hard one to get a straight answer to from the drilling companies, but if it is disposed of incorrectly it could produce a problem that cannot be fixed or reversed.  The laws needed to protect our environment take time to introduce and enforce, this time element is what drilling companies are attempting to get ahead of by rushing into drilling as much gas as possible in the shortest amount of time.  The economic gain of mass producing wells outweighs the fear of being hit with fines for poor and even dangerous drilling practices.  Remember we have one environment, one chance to protect it, nature will not give us a do-over if we allow the drilling companies to destroy it.  We must take a proactive stance on this issue of protecting our environment before it’s too late.   

            So where do we start? Whether drilling is occurring on public or private lands strict guidelines must be established and enforced.  Governor Corbett must be held accountable for first protecting our environment and second for holding the drilling companies to high standards to accomplish this.  Future laws and legislation need to take precedence over economic greed for Pennsylvania to survive in its glory.  All issues regarding Marcellus Shale drilling need to be public knowledge, allowing for informed decision making and the drilling companies need to be watch-dogged by both government and private agencies.  Elizabeth Maclin, vice-president of Trout Unlimited, said “we understand that there are social and economic benefits [to fracking], but we also realize that there are social and economic concerns”, and these concerns need to not only be addressed but also feasible solutions proposed.  I have grouped myself into the “we” of environmentalist but that by no means indicates that I am anti-drilling.  Having an abundant domestic fuel source will prevent the United States from remaining dependant on outside sources, that’s a plus.  The economic growth and development of new jobs in an area that has seen a steady decline since the steel mills and coal mines have disappeared is a definite plus.  Local businesses being inundated with out of state customers being brought in to manage and operate the local well sites (just try to rent a hotel room in Western Pennsylvania) yet another bonus.  Local farmers who have struggled their entire lives now becoming new found millionaires and so on and so on are the positive side of Marcellus Shale drilling, and they should not be dismissed
or down played because they are real with huge pending impacts.  But our forests, streams, natural waterways and wildlife are too precious of a commodity to ever be able to gamble with loosing.  A mass majority of the Pennsylvania population enjoy some type of outdoor activity.  Whether it is boating, swimming, fishing, hunting, camping, hiking and so on and so on, our environment is a valuable part of almost all of our daily lives.  To put a price on this happiness, to trade it for wealth is not an option many of us would take.  We need to pose guidelines to slow the drilling companies down.  Marcellus Shale gas has been here in Pennsylvania for millions of years, it’s not going to go anywhere by itself.  Before drilling and fracking occur the state and drilling companies need to have foolproof plans to safely extract the gas while reserving our habitats.  It can be a win-win situation for the state of Pennsylvania if drilling is handled responsibly, economic growth and maintaining our beautiful landscapes are both valuable resources for future generations, but we should not be asked to sacrifice one for the other.

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A long read full of " sound and fury, signifying nothing"

Sondra,

Western Pennsylvania is home to having more coal ash sitting on the ground, not including co-hosting with WV the largest unlined coal ash containment pond, in the world.  You should well know the many things that leach out of coal ash into the environment and if you truely care for the enviroment you should be on your roof in the rain singing welcome fanfares to the development of local and national NG extraction and getting the state to get the ash cleaned up and stop spraying oil on the side of the road and stop dumping brine in the middle of the road and........................................There are fires burning and you are still chasing the smoke. 

Making companies abide by current laws and regulation is always a good endeaver.  Is PA not doing this?

There are fires burning and you are chasing smoke.

 


Great line...hope you don't mind if I steal it!

Not at all.

Sondra, I recognize your statements as being sincere.  I too believe in maintaining the environment I grew up in ... the hills, hollows, and steep valleys of western PA.  I also believe that the development of natural gas and oil throughout the Marcellus has already received much more attention in the form of WISE development than any previous resources we have benefited from.  Stop by the Lumber Museum in Potter County (Rte.6), just outside of Coudersport.  Study the pictures of our gorgeous hills after the lumber industry blossomed in the 1800's.  Not so pretty!  Drive down Rte 219 and off-shoot roads that lead to sad little mining towns where coal used to be king, boney piles and black soot prevalent,  Towns where tanning was a major industry that fouled the air and streams.

WE  HAVE LEARNED.  The hard lessons from our past were not lost on the people of western PA. Growing up in this region I loved the wildness of its beauty and the woodland creatures that crossed my path daily ... and still do.

I strongly believe that our resources are NOW being developed smartly and with conscience. To that end I founded and still coordinate a landowners' leasing group to ensure that approach continues. We stay informed of on-going technological advances that make drilling/production safer, and marketing and negotiating strategies that make it more profitable for all. 

Unconventional shale development is not something to relegate to the back burner while we consider other possibilities.  The time will come when every energy source we have will be needed to run the world.  The longer we wait, the more precarious a future we leave to our children and grandchildren.  I'm not willing to drag heel on this nor act stupidly.  Smart leasing is possible, is a necessity, is best done through strength of numbers.

Thank you for a thoughtful post, notwithstanding the somewhat panicky, hyperventilating tone. It's far better than many I've read, and gives me hope for a reasoned discussion at some point. Two things I'd like to address, though: 

You state: "The more drilling permits issued, the more wastewater produced by fracking, so what is the safe alternative to dispose of these contaminates?"

At least one of the major parties is recycling its wastewater from well to well to well. 

And you also speak of the tremendous value, the saving grace that gas drilling could be to a very poor area which has suffered greatly. But you do not mention the value to our nation as a whole--cutting back on imports of foreign oil, etc., which could lessen the influence that the middle east and others have on us, and severely cut funding to terrorist organizations which long for the downfall of our entire nation. It could be that the development of natural gas resources could be a huge benefit to the entire country--but we cannot rely on people in Florida or California to "watch our backs." We must do so ourselves.

Delaying, or inflicting severe restrictions and/or taxes will only ensure that the companies will go elsewhere--the country will reap the benefits, but from another area, another state. The drilling companies will go where it is most profitable to them--they are laying out millions of dollars PER HOLE and must, after all, be able to pay their people.

I've seen firsthand, the intense care that the leader in this field takes--their byword is safety first. They bend over backward again and again to protect the environment, to minimize the impact on the area, and to be a good neighbor. All companies are not the same, but none is the antichrist, either.

Last, I appreciate the excellent comments to this post--growing up here, I've seen the orange streams, the black piles, the remnants of past mistakes and horrors. I've also seen the hemlocks which weren't accessible for lumbering--which now have a girth that three men couldn't reach around.

We must do this right.  

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