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 Kerry parslow on June 2, 2011 at 10:59am

Come on now.  That's not only a cheap shot, it's a foolish and insupportable analogy that demonstrates a complete lack of understanding as to why the US military is involved overseas.  Shale gas extraction, even at maximized operation, will have NO impact on this type of deployment, in the short or long run.                                                       

You know, the most obvious signs that someone making statements is both uninformed about the realities of a situation and insecure about their own understanding of complex issues include lobbing derogatory insults, trotting out phony "flag-waving" and dropping out of the discussion when their misinformation is challenged.  I at first followed this exchange hoping there would be some respectful discourse that would educate people with differing perspectives, but there seems to be a quick slide into juvenile name-calling and paranoia. 

You are way out of line with that crack.

Permalink Reply by Mike Knapp on June 3, 2011 at 5:35am

Shale gas extraction can lead to energy independence which will make our vast military empire overseas unnecessary.   Do you know why we were attacked on 9/11/01?  Because of our military presence in the middle east, specifically Saudi Arabia.   Why do we have military bases in Saudi Arabia?  Oil.   We have a tenuous standoff with OPEC right now.   They could bring America to its knees if they wanted to tomorrow, just by slowing down their oil production. Why don't they?  Because if backed into a corner, America has shown that we can and will utilize our military force to protect our perceived foreign energy assets.  Thousands of military bases in dozens of foreign countries.  We speak somewhat softly, but we carry a BIG BIG stick.   Directly or indirectly, it all comes down to energy.  This doesn't even take into account that proceeds from the oil they sell us goes to support terrorism.  

 

You will find respectful discourse here, but you will find that people will react unfavorably when a guy from the city who shows to be woefully ignorant of drilling suggests that we should shut down our shot at energy independence because the sides of the roads he bikes on out in the country are temporarily beat up a bit. 

 

My crack is way out of line?  I know people that have been killed in Iraq.  What did they die for?  WMD's?   Please....   There are real people that have given everything fighting to secure YOUR CHEAP GASOLINE.    To minimalize their sacrifices by accusing those who point out that fact of "phony flag-waving"  is what is way out of line and quite obnoxious.   You claim that shale gas will have NO impact on our deployments and that I don't understand why the US military is involved overseas.  Perhaps you can help me brush aside my cobwebs of ignorance and expound on exactly WHY we are involved in THREE wars with countries that we have nothing to do with in the middle east, other than that they supply large amounts of OIL. 

 

0jw0dsu4txfuvPermalink Reply by 0jw0dsu4txfuv on June 3, 2011 at 6:29am

Right On Mike. You people ever want to catch some history on wars since the Civil

War look up The Prize.

Permalink Reply by Jim Walters on June 5, 2011 at 1:19am

Shale gas extraction can lead to energy independence which will make our vast military empire overseas unnecessary.(quote)

 

You do know that China is becoming a huge player in the Chesapeake game book don't you? And when has China ever been on our side? Independence my azzz . . . 

 

You guys who are so gung ho about all this better spend some your supposed zillions and learn Chinese cause, brother, it won't be awfully long until we are ALL riding bicycles..... 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Daniel Rupert on June 2, 2011 at 11:37am

Excellent...my thoughts exactly and just had the same conversation with my best friend who is an avid biker...

 

Permalink Reply by farmgas on June 3, 2011 at 7:30am

 

Excellent reply, Mike...I`m beginning to think this whole MS debate is generally between the "haves" and the "have nots",  meaning those who will benefit directly through gas royalty receipts have one perspective and those who won`t benefit from gas royalties, have another.  The short sighted view of those who won`t be on the receiving end of gas royalty payments, do not envision the impact of gaining energy independence (at least a significant reduction of oil consumption) by our nation.   Natural Gas will become our saving fuel source for the long term future.  Reducing our demand of foreign oil WILL reduce our need for strong military presence in the middle east...consider how much are we spending each month...each year for that military support?  We all need to show patience as time will restore torn up well pads and roads to pre-drilling conditions or even better conditions.  What is the greater good here...yes, it`s energy independence!  Some will financially benefit but all of us will benefit, as well. 

Permalink Reply by Paul Heckbert on June 3, 2011 at 7:55am

A story from northern PA on road damage:

http://standardspeaker.com/news/crime-road-wear-drilling-s-effects-...

Trucks carrying water, equipment and chemicals to drilling sites have caused extensive damage to secondary roads, Biehler said. PennDOT has ordered drilling companies to post bonds for 1,711 miles of roads, and that mileage could double by year's end.

"In a few cases, such as in Bradford and Tioga counties, we've had to close roads and revoke a drilling company's permit to use those roads because repairs were not made in a timely manner," he said.

Overweight trucks used in the gas industry are responsible for much of the road damage, Pawlowski said. He referred to a Feb. 9 enforcement action in Susquehanna County in which 56 percent of the 194 trucks checked were over the legal weight limit.

Half the trucks over the weight limit!  That's not a good sign.  I wonder if these gas/drilling/fracking companies violate other laws as frequently as they violate weight laws?  I wonder if drillers in Greene County are as bad as those in Tioga and Bradford.

Permalink Reply by Doug Duffield on June 3, 2011 at 8:16am
The weather conditions last,2010 spring coupled with crap roads and heavy loads, the roads broke up, go figure. Since last year there has been a massive road rebuilding, still ongoing, in Brad. Co. all done by subcontractors hired by the gas companies. PenDot hasn't done squat except reap the bond money, and plow berms into yards with their wing plows. Come to the northern tier of Pa, i'll show you around these new roads, rebuilt by the gas cos. NOT by PennDot. Some only see the negitaves, look at the unemployment rate nationwide, then compare that to where drilling is going on and then honestly tell us those bad drillers need to be stopped.
Permalink Reply by Mike Knapp on June 3, 2011 at 10:03am

Doug,

So what if there are tens of thousands of people who can now provide for their families?  Send their kids to college.  Put food on the table.  Is it really worth it when we see the very real impact this road destruction has on bicyclists? I mean, a select few roads will be temporarily slightly bumpier for them now.

 

Starving kids be damned Doug!  PLEASE, THINK OF THE POOR BICYCLISTS! 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Oil and Gas nightmare on June 18, 2011 at 5:48pm
Dude do people like this understand thats this is a PRO drilling blog..hence GO marcellus shale...paul... I am sorry for you brother you have picked the wrong site to b**ch on....you need to go to treehugger.com....hahahha sorry I couldnt help it!
Permalink Reply by Kathleen Elsie Gibbs on June 3, 2011 at 9:12am
Every year since my husband and I moved to PA from Florida (41 years now) we have heard of over weight trucks on the roads. You can't blame the drillers as being the only ones in violation. Many overweight trucks are hauling coal and timber etc.
Permalink Reply by Kathleen Elsie Gibbs on June 3, 2011 at 9:20am
Bonding of a roads costs the company $12,000 per miles used. It is not cheap and it is in their best interest to not destroy the road.

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