“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.