Road damage in Greene County

I was driving with a friend on route 221 through Greene County on Sunday to go bicycling on the Greene River trail near Rices Landing, and we found ourselves behind a brine water / residual waste truck -- presumably full of frack waste -- between Dunn Station and Ruff Creek.

Three problems:

1. The truck had no license plate!  The side of the truck said Curry Supply.

2. The truck often took up most of the road, creating a hazard for oncoming traffic.

3. There was severe road damage on route 221, perhaps from these wide, heavy frack trucks.  When I biked this road about two years ago, the edges of this road were not crumbling like this.  Damaged roads can cause a) crashes for bicyclists or motorcyclists, b) damage to car tires and suspensions, and c) additional safety problems as cars & trucks swerve to avoid holes in the road.

See photos:

https://picasaweb.google.com/pheckbert/FrackingGreeneCounty#

I'd like to visit Greene County again to go bicycling on its (formerly) nice roads but these safety issues make me think twice.  The gas industry should pay for their share of this road damage, since this appears to be so far beyond normal road wear.

 

-Paul

Pittsburgh

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Permalink Reply by Kathleen Elsie Gibbs on June 19, 2011 at 7:16am
Amen to this. I wonder how the bike people on the public roads would like to pay a use tax like cars and trucks do? The money collected could put parallel bike only roads so everyone can be safe.
Permalink Reply by Daniel Rupert on June 1, 2011 at 10:45pm

Mike...thanks for the belly laugh! I continue to be amazed with the absolute ignorance of some of the post's! Thank God for freedom of speech...free entertainment for sure!

 

Permalink Reply by Mike Knapp on June 2, 2011 at 2:13am

Who cares about energy independence, a thriving economy and much cleaner air quality, when the edges of our pristine tar and chip township roads are being temporarily buckled and then rebuilt much better at no cost to the taxpayer! We must stop this madness!

 

What will these evil companies ask us to sacrifice next?  They're already forcing tons of landowners to use up all the free space in their bank accounts to store company money,  they're burdening our kids with having to contemplate staying here in Pennsylvania when they get out of college, sticking it to us with clean air and cheap energy, and will soon be depriving our troops the fun and games of playing "Dodge the I.E.D."

 

C'mon Dan,  I know you're a smart guy... get your priorities straight and get the wool out of your eyes! 

Permalink Reply by Daniel Rupert on June 2, 2011 at 3:11am
Mike , I'am agreeing with you buddy...the beauty of freedom of speech is some individuals speech is hilarious...you made me laugh because I was thinking the same thing you had written in your post! Have a great Day!
Permalink Reply by Mike Knapp on June 2, 2011 at 9:46am
haha I know I was just messing with ya Dan!
Permalink Reply by Oil and Gas nightmare on June 18, 2011 at 5:32pm
 I actually agree with you ...wow! well put..through and through..
Janice Lanphere HancharickPermalink Reply by Janice Lanphere Hancharick on June 1, 2011 at 3:21pm

Oh Paul, did you step(jump headfirst) into a pile with your comment!  It's not that PA doesn't realize the roads aren't great, but in the economic abyss the state has been crawling out of for the past few years where do you think the money for upkeep was hiding?  The roads have been going downhill for quite some time.  Add on to that fact our harsh winters,  spring flooding, and yes, new traffic that's VERY heavy, and what do you expect to see?  If gov't (state and local) have AC to lease, then those leases should address the problems created by HEAVY traffic.  When a lease is well-written it not only brings in $$$, it includes environmental protections, and reclamation clauses, regardless if it's a public or private lease agreement.  I suggest instead of recalling the ugly views of old coal mining sites ... hillside strip cuts and "boney" piles dotting the landscape, look to the present-day GREEN hillsides and note the absence of "boney" piles.  We are not ignorant to the notion of "pretty", nor to the state's and private citizens' economic needs.

The strength of the state's bargaining power comes through a bank of lawyers and its expansive acreage.  The strength rights owners groups bring to the negotiating table comes from solid representation and collective acreage.  This is the new PA, and it's all about our future ... sound economic decisions, good jobs, and a safe environment ... oh yes, and good roads.

Permalink Reply by Herbert G. Flavell on June 2, 2011 at 2:46am
I sure hope they start using my dirt road. We have a Williams pad about 2 miles away and the road they built took 90 truckloads of stone and dirt to build. I sure wish they would start using the other roads in our township. As to the state and county roads, the tax you pay on gas, license,registrations and other fees are used in the general fund and not where they are supposed to go toward road and bridge repair. Last I read the PA. gas tax was either 43 or 44 cents a gallon and US tax about 15 cents. Thats almost $6.00 for every 10 gallons of gas you buy. With over 5 million cars in PA paying a tax like that, the roads should be like brand new. To bad they use that money for other things and ignore the roads till it causes an accident. Then the lawmakers cry but we have no money to fix the roads. We have lived here 23 years on a dirt road that has never been good because it is used buy hundreds of timber and stone trucks. No one ever complained about them using our roads. I will not either because the drivers are working creating a product to deliver and sell creating our economy. People complain about the wells ruining the scenery. Maybe it does for 3 or 4 months then all thats left is a valve about 6 feet high. Enclosed here will be a picture of what really is an eyesore and will be forever and it was not caused by drilling. This also put people to work and was used to create thousands of driveways all over the country. We have to use what we have to benefit all Americans or maybe we should go back to living in caves.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Heckbert on June 2, 2011 at 2:57am

Road Damage from Marcellus Drilling Activity in Marshall County, WV

from 2011/3/27, http://wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=96671

Torn up roadways are not just a problem for Marshall County residents anymore. They are also damaging sheriff's vehicles.  Potholes, unlevel and unpaved roads are all problems that can create havoc on our car, and havoc for local law enforcement vehicles.

"Ball joints are wearing out sooner, and wheels are getting bent from hitting deep holes. We have to put more money in our cars to keep them on the road," Marshall County Sheriff John Gruzinskas said.

Marshall County is just west of Greene County.

 

Also, a Charleston Gazette story from 2011/5/27, http://wvgazette.com/News/201105270974

The DOH doesn't have the manpower or the money to fix the damage, but Sikora said oil and gas companies are bonded and are cooperating with the agency.

"They are committed, and they are out there working with us. Roads are being repaired according to the amount of damage," he said.

Work is currently being done on W.Va. 88 in Brooke and Ohio counties. State and federal roads such as U.S. 250, however, aren't covered by bonding requirements.

So that's good news about the bonding, I guess, assuming it's being properly enforced (is it?) but Route 221 is a state road.  Are the laws the same in PA?  Does the bonding spoken of here mean that gas companies whose trucks tear up Route 221 in Greene County will pay for its repair, or is that left to PA taxpayers?

 

What fraction of roads in Greene County are better than they were 3 years ago, what fraction are about the same, and what fraction are worse?  Maybe a local who knows the roads well could speak up on that.

Permalink Reply by craig on June 2, 2011 at 4:13am

Paul, Yes Pa bonding laws work basically the same. So yes the gas companies will either fix them voluntarily, as they are now doing in our area(twp roads), or they will be forfeiting their bonds to pay to have them fixed. Of course this depends on the weight limit of the state road you are talking about. If it has no weight limit set, then no bond is required.(at least it used to be that way). Under this scenerio the state will have to pay to fix them, as those roads are deemed viable for the heaviest legal truck weight limit. Thanks for asking for the truth, instead of posting non-truths about the situation. 

I'm not a lawyer, but I used to drive dump trucks.

 

0jw0dsu4txfuvPermalink Reply by 0jw0dsu4txfuv on June 2, 2011 at 7:40am
This entire post is over with for me. Gonna get nasty !
Permalink Reply by Mike Knapp on June 2, 2011 at 9:52am
You should ride your bike down to the local VA hospital and talk to the military kids that have been blown to bits trying to secure US foreign oil interests and complain to them about the smoothness of your bike rides.    I'm sure they'll be very sympathetic to your tragic situation.

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